MRI Day
So off we set at 7.30am to try and find King George Hospital in Goodmayes. We had a really good run and arrived to find an almost empty patient carpark......yes, you did hear me right.......lots of parking spaces!!!
Went inside and looked for the reception/information area - ermmmm not one (quietly I am already thinking, its not like Queens is it). Find the map on the wall and start looking for the MRI department. I now realise I have been very spoilt at Queens and please don't think this is the moanings of an ungrateful brain tumour patient....its not, its merely an observation on how two hospitals in the same group can be so different.
MRI department found.....go in and its a one machine affair (Queens has 3 or 4). They go through the safety list, tell them about Buttercup and her 'weeding' my new superpower called "bolts of titanium" and subsequent MRI's. They insist I tell them my weight or at least guess it. So I give them a figure and off they go.
I get called in 15mins early (now that NEVER happens at Queens so we are off to a good start). On the way in I notice a "DANGER OF HEARING LOSS" sticker on the door, don't remember seeing one of those before. Lay down and I am given two green soft spongy foam corkstoppers (well thats what they look like) so I ask "no headphones here?" and the lovely nurse replies "no we are the poor relation of Queens". So I fake roll my eyes in disgust and say "so thats means no crappy music either" and sigh, to which the radiographer replies "nope sorry, its the DJ's day off"....I smile and think yay no silly head contraption.....but I was wrong! This one slid forward from the back of the bed and was not adjustable, so they padded me out with cushion/beanbag type things (ohhhhh not sure I like this).
All set and in I slide, each time I am shocked at how far in you go just for a head scan and seem to let out a little gasp. Those who are not used to seeing words that do not comply with the Queens English cover thine eyes now - effing hell that machine was LOUD. Now I understand the warning sign on the door! I close my eyes and do something very childish probably but it gets me through the scans. I think of words that go with the rhythm of the banging and whirring. So for the first 5 mins of my scan I was chanting "go Chrissi, go Chrissi" to the beat of the machine. In case you don't know why - ChrissiQx2 was having her CT scan at 9.15 and I wanted to send some good vibes to her x
The noises change every so often and so the next chant was "knock knock knock knock" replying with "there's no brain tum-our here" as it fitted the bangs and clangs. The last chant was "all clear, all clear, all clear!".........ah well positive thinking can't hurt eh! In between my chanting, the machine stopped and I was slid out for the gandolinium contrast.
I had warned them about my cruddy veins and the radiographer looked over my arms and tutted and my worst fear "we are going to use your hand"..........*GULP* the nurse reassured me they would use the smallest needle possible, it would still hurt but bruise less. OK Debs, time to be a brave girl (ha ha) and they were right, it did freakin hurt and they had to keep prodding it a few times cos the dye stopped going in......"sorry, its such a tiny vein!" the radiographer said..........well if you saw my hands I hate the fact the veins stick out so much in them......so whats that all about eh!
Overall the scan took a little under 30mins and I couldn't wait to get the dwarf swimming floats out of my ears. A totally different experience to Queens, a quieter hospital but obviously much older equipment - that I didn't like, I like the creature comforts of the new modern hospital but who wouldn't. However, yes it was a whole bunch noisier and at times I felt like my whole body was shaking from the rumbling of the machine ............. but the staff were excellent and helpful so it could be worse, I could have had the fabulous new machine with a totally rude and unhelpful radiographer ........... gotta weigh it all up folks.
On our way home I asked Tony to do something I never thought I would (get your minds back on track folks!), I wanted some scales!!!!!!!! Well, considering I had pigged out during our anniversary weekend........I am now 4kgs lighter than I was in May and a whole 6kgs lighter than I guessed at for the MRI LOL
Wooooooooooooo and bloomin hooooooooooooooooooo. My pedometer hadn't arrived from BT Buddies yet so we got a cheap backup one so I can get stockpiling the miles towards my pledge. It's a great plan to raise awareness, you don't need sponsorship (but I have been very lucky, Kerry off here has and a another friend) but you just pledge to walk so many miles during the month of August. I have only pledged 15 miles because I hate failure but I hope to do that and a little more. Besides, it will also help my weightloss.
So, now I am off to cook the dinner with a very sore hand (and I didn't even get a sticker for being brave pffffffffffffft) the nurse did say to tell my husband that I couldn't do anything today but I said "this is my fifth MRI, it wont wash" and I was right.....
Just the torturous 15 day wait for my results now 
