MRI #3...over

I am going to start this post like yesterday's...I DID IT!! ITS OVER!! IT SUCKED but its OVER!!! I feel accomplished!
I had a lot of apprehension leading up to this MRI, and I am not a nervous person, but since my last MRI sucked so much, I was pretty anxious about having to do it again. I was anxious all day, I could barely eat at lunch, and it was just an MRI. I am less apprehensive about huge needles going into my hip and even surgery, I don't get it!
I decided to bring my own music this time, at my first MRI, I was given an array of choices, classical, rock, pop, country... I chose pop and ended up enduring 45 minutes of rap music. At my second MRI, I explained to the technician what had happened with my music choice, so he put in a Billy Joel CD for me, it was better than the rap!! But everything else went wrong with that MRI (see earlier post).

So needless to say, I was scared of having another bad experience, I would not say I am claustrophobic, I hate labels, but confined spaces don't thrill me. I was mostly afraid of swallowing, and having the swallowed contents get stuck in my throat and block my airway, as in MRI #2. So I have been practicing in my bed every night, swallowing while lying down, while taking slow deep breaths. I discovered that if I tilt my head back a little, it is easier.

As I was waiting for the technician to come for me, he brought back a lady who had just had her MRI, she said he was wonderful, but I didn't think it mattered how wonderful he was, unless he was having the exam instead of me! But boy was I wrong. I told him upfront that I was scared, and explained what had happened last time. He joked around with me and just made me feel at ease. He joked a lot, it took a few minutes to set me up, with the pads in the right spot, the coil on my hip, my legs taped together...Just as I lay down, my heart started racing, shit, I couldn't swallow, so I sat up and asked him for some water, and apologetically explained that I am not normally such a pain in the ass! He was fine with my request and jokingly asked if I wanted scotch instead..YES!!!

I finally settled in, he gave me cool glasses with a mirror so I could see behind me, and see him in the little room behind the glass. I really liked him, he promised to keep talking to me and letting me know what he was doing. He showed me how to adjust the glasses, and asked if I could see the man in the room, he said "in 15 minutes I am leaving and he's taking over", "Yeah right!!", "No, I'm serious, my shift is over and I go home, you'll be fine, I'll tell him you're scared and he will continue to walk you through". OK, I can handle this, I made it this far already!!

So we began! 3 seconds in, I started to have a panicky feeling, shit, I am going to have to stop this, and reschedule with Valium. No, I am here, lets do this. So some deep breathing, happy thoughts and Green Day playing in the background got me through the worst!

He kept me informed of how long each scan would be, finally, he said, "OK, last one, 4 minutes", phew! I am doing great, only 4 more minutes, I can do this! It ended, and I am getting really hot, and the panickiness is returning, I need to get out, I know the end is near. He announces "I am just checking the pictures", in my head, I was saying, they better be perfect because that will be as good as they get! They were, and he came to take me out!!

For me, the keys to a successful MRI were: A good, encouraging technician, my own music, and keeping my eyes closed the entire time. I have added this to Learn From My Experience/ Mistakes. I hope I never have to go through this again!!! Now the waiting game begins for the results!!!