May 10th: Next Time, Better Ear Plugs
The ambiguity of my current diagnosis (invasive/noninvasive?) called for more scanning to help determine whether my mammograms might have missed cancer in the other breast, so I was next dispatched to an MRI lab in San Jose.
Compared to my biopsy experience, the MRI was like a (very loud) spa. Dressed in a tastefully striped hospital gown with an acceptable thread-count, I casually lounged on my stomach on a well-padded table, my arms comfortably stretched above my head, which was in turn gently cradled by a cushioned support. My dutiful attendants (a.k.a. MRI techs) draped warm blankets over my back and legs to keep me warm and I was then eased into my own private meditation room, that is, MRI chamber.
Oh, wait, did I forget to mention the IV in my arm? Ok, so it wasn’t really spa-like, but it wasn’t bad. It was so warm and cozy, in fact, that I fell asleep multiple times during the 45 minute procedure, panicking as I drifted back out of slumber that I could not move or risk fouling the images. Also, if you’ve ever had an MRI, you already know what a cacophonous experience it is. I was given standard grade ear plugs before heading into the chamber and those did little to dampen the creaking, banging, and thumping.
Afterwards, I went to a nearby mall and treated myself to a little retail therapy plus a super-sugary smoothie to help flush the Gadolinium (used to improve MRI contrast) out of my system. All in all, Spa + Shopping + Sweet Treat = A Pleasant Morning.
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