Tube Cruise
This was really to write about the MRIs I had on Wednesday. I had three, and wasn’t on the sleepy pills because I had to get myself there; the people who’d I’d normally call to ferry me around weren’t available.
I need to send the DVD to my neurologist, but I’m going to see if the imaging center can mail it….because I have to go back and get the fourth scan that somehow got omitted from the order. So something to do Monday night.
For a long time, the only diagnostic tool for MS was a spinal tap. I was diagnosed in 2010, and have had many MRIs.
I drove myself to the first MRI in Norfolk, didn’t have any “downers” then. The old school MRI that was used when I was diagnosed was strange. I went early in the morning, then, and was able to sort of go half-asleep through it. I came out just drenched in sweat.
After I was diagnosed, the neuro who diagnosed me passed me off to one of the other docs in her practice who specialized in MS. He had me start getting my MRIs at a hospital with a newer machine. He also put me on medication to stop some of the spasms that might have messed up my original scans.
I got into a bit of a routine with it. Schedule the earliest appointment available, pretty much stay awake the night before, get to the clinic, take the pills, dip into the tube, wake up an hour later without much memory of the thing. This was more important back then with my negative reactions to getting the reflective agents injected into my veins. As I said recently, I was kinda okay getting a shot, but if you were hitting a vein, I was going to puke, pass out, or both.
Things got knocked askew with my various health insurance issues, moves, etc..
I did have one that was on morphine when I had an infection courtesy the Tysabri and an infection-promoting procedure that landed me in the hospital for my first overnight stays.
I still am inside the tube, but it’s kind of one of those whatever things at this point. /GenX
I guess I’ll find out later whether there’s been anything going on. The immediacy that normally comes with getting it done in a hospital is gone, but the cost difference getting it done at this clinic is incredible.
I’m relatively comfortable with the staff, the procedures, etc..
They did still want face diapers in the office, however.
Had I been on the sedatives, I probably wouldn’t have been as able to work on Thursday morning.
Tradeoffs.
I think I still need to figure out how to burn some leave, unfortunately.