Not so bad

The MRI wasn't bad at all.  Yes, you are enclosed, and yes, it is noisy.  But they gave me earplugs and a cushion to put under my knees and a warm blankie, all of which helped.  And every time claustrophobia stirred, I channeled my inner Xena and denied all possibility of fear.  The hard part was keeping my eyes still.  I kept them closed, yet they wanted to wander up, down, sideways with my thoughts.  I decided to concentrate on the big toe on my right foot.  With my eyes closed, I stared at the big toe on my right foot.  I visualized and focused on the big toe on my right foot. I felt, sensed, and appreciated the big toe on my right foot.  I really zeroed in on the big toe on my right foot, and I thanked it for all it's many years of excellent service.  And before I knew it, it was time to be slid out of the tube and get the dye injected into my arm. (thet took pictures with and without contrast dye)  I could feel the stuff moving up my arm.  It wasn't painful or uncomfortable, just - noticeable.  Then it was back into the tube and back to big toe on right foot for the rest of the one hour session.

The variety of noises your MRI machine makes would delight a cub scout.  There are clacks, raps, bangs, ZzzZzzZzz ray gun noises, bongs, whamming on a steel garbage can clatters, and, very faintly, a submarine radar sort of pinginging.

I saw the rheumatologist today.  She's on the team because she's the  Prednisone specialist.  She pulled up the MRI pictures and let me look at them.  I wanted to kiss her!  They will be studied by a neurologist to make sure everything is good, but they looked great to me.  No worms or cockroaches in my brain.  No ominous tumor-like masses.  No empty spaces that should have been full of leetle grey cells.  I was surprised at how asymmetrical my skull is.  And wow, it's neat  to look at the sinuses!  Eyeballs are fascinating, too.  I think I have a good, brain-shaped brain, with all the appropriate pleats and folds and ruffles where they should be.

Since I am a female over 60, and since Prednisone can deplete bone mass, I now have added Fosamax to my list of prescriptions. One pill a week.  That's going to be a pain to remember.  And you have to take it on an empty stomach, then wait half an hour before you eat, drink, or lie down.Wait half an hour for my morning cuppa?  That's barbaric!  Well, if this is the price I must pay for unbroken hips, I guess I'll just suck it up and get tough.

Friday I will have a field of vision test to make sure the blind  spot is really gone.  Next Tuesday I talk to the neurologist.  Still don't know for sure what caused it, but it's nice to know the things that didn't.
No brain-eating cockroaches.  Whew!  Dodged a bullet there!