The cheerful poster on the changing room wall claimed that the MRI scan would be just “like being in a washing machine”. This got my attention: I had never had an MRI scan before and I had never been in a washing machine either! The poster also promised that the experience would be an “adventure”. The message seemed to be aimed at children, but I was happy to be aimed at too.
As it turned out, the MRI was more like being on a fairground ride - only without the fun. If there was any fun, it was of the extremely complicated variety. The sort a person might have on ‘The Flying Walzer’, when a crucial safety feature unexpectedly falls off, so that the constant focus is on remaining completely still, holding on as if for dear life and having superhuman calmness.
Afterwards I thought: it must be so difficult to market the joyful aspect of this type of machine - especially more than once to the same person. But it was a good try. A really, really good one. The staff were so kind and professional. And of course even the MRI scanner itself was lovely in its own way: absolutely nothing fell off. I just think that next time I am going to see if there are any different motivational posters to look at. Ones that target people who have realised that they are not particularly keen on washing machine adventures after all.
