MRIserible
My last post was nearly a month ago. A lot has happened in that month:
• Katie went to prom – she looked beautiful.
• I went to Connecticut for a long weekend with three of my girlfriends – it was divine.
• Taylor got a job at Calvin Klein – not as a male model. Yet.
• We confirmed with an actual doctor that I have sleep apnea.
• We found out Todd has a SLAP tear (Superior Labrum tear from Anterior to Posterior) and will require surgery in July.
Finally, I’m writing a new post. Will I post pictures of my gorgeous girl all dolled up for the big dance? Will I regale you with tales of four chicks on the Connecticut shore? Nope. I’m going to tell you about my trip to the radiology department in Bryn Mawr this morning for my routine breast MRI. Why? Because it’s what I do. It’s how I roll. It’s my shtick.
Part One – The Drive:
Since everything in my life revolves around the weather that’s where I’ll start. After a few days of miserable, humid heat, we’re having perfect weather. Low-humidity-open-the-windows-turn-off-the-a/c-drive-with-the-sunroof-open perfect. So that’s what I did. If you know me at all then you know great tunes were also involved. Top the road-trip mode off with no traffic and you have what was a fabulous trip into Bryn Mawr.
Part Two – The Waiting Room:
Anne Murray was playing in the waiting room of the radiology suite. She was a favorite of my parents’ and when they played “Lay Your Head Upon My Pillow” it took me back and put a smile on my face.
Part Three – The Changing Room:
The nurse took me back to the changing room and told me to undress from the waist up and put on the cute little wrap-around shirt. She asked if I had snaps on my pants, which, of course, I did. So she brought me some scrubs to change into. Then she said, “Hold on,” as she left and came back with some snuggy socks. I was told to secure all my belongings in a locker and then sit in the green chair at the end of the hall. She also advised me to bring my book (Water for Elephants) with me because I might be sitting there for a little while.
So after I changed into my extremely comfortable outfit (and one I would have loved to stay in for the rest of the day) I ambled down to the green chair, started to sit down and she said, “Nope! I’m ready for you in here.”
Part Four – The MRI Staging Room (because I don’t know what else to call it):
This is the part where they ask you about your surgical history pertaining to mastectomies and reconstruction. I’m happy to say all that is far enough behind me to where I had to think for a second. Just a second, but trust me – that’s huge!
After all the questions they ask very apologetically if they can see your breasts. They have to mark every scar and mole and whatever else there is on a diagram for the radiologist. I told her I didn’t mind. It wasn’t all that long ago that I was flashing my boobs to everybody in a pair of scrubs or a white lab coat – which was fine when I was in the teaching hospital my plastic surgeon worked from. It was a little awkward when I was in the grocery store and a lab technician or nurse would turn down my aisle, but that’s another story.
She then jabbed my arm for the contrast line and I was all set for my MRI, but the MRI wasn’t ready for me. She got off her stool and rolled it under my feet, told me to get comfy and enjoy my book while I waited. So I did.
Part Five – The MRI:
I explained the experience pretty well in this post from last year – the massage table, the udders, the jackhammers – it was all still the same. Except this time I didn’t have a headache to start with and it really was only about 25 minutes. I did leave with a headache, though nothing like last year’s, so I compromised and treated myself to a Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte instead.
Part Six – The Ride Home:
Uneventful. I still had the great tunes and the perfect weather. Now I had a Vanilla Latte and a headache. They seemed to cancel each other out.
Part Seven – The Phone Call:
The radiologist called me and said, “I thought you’d want to know today instead of fretting through the weekend that your films look great. Nothing suspicious at all.” How incredibly unusual and nice was that?
Part Eight – Wrapping It All Up:
The headache grew in intensity, hit a crescendo and has leveled out to a dull ache. I wonder if it’s just the horrid, loud sounds of the machine or if it’s a reaction to the gadolinium contrast or both. Whatever. I don’t care. All I know is that I get another No Evidence of Disease report and I like it!
Isn’t it interesting how blasé we become over time? I’m not at all modest with medical types anymore. It just seems frivolous to be so!
I’m glad your report was a good one. My recent mammogram showed “something,” which an ultrasound proved to be a cyst. I wasn’t worried, but it is always good to hear the non-worry is validated.
Prayers for a lifetime of good reports for you, Jen. 🙂
I like it, too. BIG TIME! Heart u muchly, friend. So grateful for NED.
Glad to hear everything came back great – before I get my MRI’s I take a couple of wonderful pills that allow me not to care all that much about the noise which causes me to have a driver for the day, another plus!!
Hi Jen, Glad to know you’re cancer free still. Congrats.”
On an unrelated note, check your jenster email account. The BBW anthology group has a publisher for our Shades of Love collection at last, and she wants to send contracts asap and get moving on this. I sent you info regarding in to your jenster9992000 account. If you’d rather we use a different addie, let me know so I can pass it on to our publisher so you won’t miss anything.
Het Jen I am one of the members of the June group WAY back when. Wonderful NED news. I was just wondering if any other people have had this interesting experience I am having out here. Relay for Life time. I get hit up for money from people who know about my cancer. Give, give give give $$$ you ‘ve been there, you know what it is like…give give give $$$ but these same people ( not the org. itself let me stress) tell me not to walk because I am too healthy??? What?? Just wondered. This has been going on since my hair grew back. I know I can ealk on my own BUT STILL!