Stay Still

I asked for rough directions to get to Gilbert Hospital so I can mapquest it from the house. Baba was glad I reminded him because he forgot to put the words "with contrast" on the MRI of the Brain orders. I asked what that meant. He said it means they will inject iodine in me during the MRI. I asked if that would be a problem since I'm allergic to shellfish and some kinds of seafoods. He just sat there and uttered a silent, "shit." He and I just sat there and had a *blink blink* moment of now what?!

My mom is deathly allergic to Iodine and can never get anything like that done. I'm starting to get there slowly yet surely. Which sucks for me because as I recently discovered on my vitamin shopping spree; almost every women's daily vitamin has either shellfish, fish oil or Iodine in it. Which is why I only take Calcium + Vitamin D pills. When it comes to this MRI with contrast, I don't think I'm that bad; but we don't like to risk it either. I was told to let the people doing my MRI know that and see what they say.

I woke up early and stopped for my mostest favoritest (yes that is a word to me which I use to describe my bestest) coffee in the world, Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee from Einstein Bros Bagels. I felt slightly queasy so I got an order of toast with butter and jelly. That was hard because my choices were strawberry jelly or grape, both of which are my favorite. I chose strawberry. I ate on the way to the hospital. Only took two bites and decided that my stomach didn't want any more.

I found Gilbert Hospital. I didn't know that's what it was because that building didn't exist when I lived in AZ 3 years ago, but the words Emergency and a helicopter on the roof gave it away. I went inside and was led to the imaging part of the hospital. The staff there was wonderful. I filled out all the necessary paperwork and was officially 'admitted' in the hospital and was given a tag to wear around my wrist. She made me sign a paper which stated a power of attorney in case anything was to happen...I signed that over to my dad...being a physician, I feel that he is the right person to make the necessary decisions for me medically. I was then led to the room where my MRI was going to be done. I had to take off all metal, including my nose-ring. That felt weird.

Kevin was going to be doing my MRI. He is a sweetheart. I was a little nervous and felt like a little cat that was afraid to come out from under a bed. Kevin picked up on that and kept chatting about DC and the metro with me to make me feel comfortable, since he had lived in Bethesda for a bit. He had to put a needle in my arm. I turned my head away and focused on the trees outside. I immediately smelled and tasted something sweet in my mouth. It was saline he had injected in me. He said that halfway through the MRI he will put in the iodine. The whole procedure would take about 45 minutes to an hour. I think that the saline part was the precaution that they take regarding the whole iodine issue...

He then walked towards me and started putting something in my ear...

"WHOA...WHOA...WE JUST MET..WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING IN MY EAR!?!" I said

Kevin was laughing so hard he had to walk away...

(I'm so funny sometimes)

He told me that it gets really loud inside the machine and those were earplugs to protect my ears.

"In that case, you may approach," I said.

He put the earplugs in my ears and I got as comfortable as I could.

He said I couldn't move my head and put boards around me to help that. He put a covering on my head which reminded me of the movie Silence of the Lambs...Kevin said that's the most common response from patients.

He left the room. There was silence. Everything was white, cold and still.
I just closed my eyes and started humming in my head.

The MRI started...I would hear loud noises and then Kevin's voice would come over some tiny speaker asking me if I'm doing ok. My usual response would be, 'Yep.'

Then it happened...While I'm lying there with my eyes closed I felt like I was spinning. Sharply spinning. My whole body felt like it was going in circles. Sharp circles. I think that was claustrophobia setting in. I opened my eyes and had to take a deep breath. I still felt like I was spinning.

I kept humming in my head.

After a half hour of loud noises and not moving, Kevin walked in and said, "its time for the contrast." He put in the iodine. I felt an instant tingling in my head. I already had a light headache this morning but I felt it get worse at that moment. I felt myself ... quiver. Yes. Weird but I did. I almost cried. My head was tingling. My headache was getting worse. I could feel the sharp pains in the front of my head, where I always get my headaches. It was a weird sharp feeling...I was so uncomfortable and I was so cold.

I kept humming.

I kept hoping that the loud noise would stop. But it wouldn't stop. I knew this was the finale. I could tell this was the main reason I was here...So I just toughed it out...

Then finally. It stopped. I heard Kevin walk up to me. It was over. I was ready to just go home.I felt dizzy, nauseated, disorientated and very cold. Kevin told me that Baba was there while I was getting the MRI and asked where I want the results sent. I told him to call Baba and ask him what to do, thanked him and left.

Now I just want to sleep.