Monday 04.15.2013 MRI Day; Tax Day; Another Bombing Day

Whew, what a day....

Got up and went to Lansing for the MRI of the breasts. I got to Registration about 0922 (told to be there at 0930). Called to Register at 0946. (Yes, I was anxious.) When we are nearly through the Registration process, Mo, the nice lady who was registering me, noticed that the Pre-Authorization number was from BCBS, not Priority Health.  And I forgot to pick up the Pre-Auth letter that I had received to take with. Ugh!!  Another nice lady went somewhere else to make a phone call to Priority Health, while Mo called Radiology to let them know I was there and it was their delay.  A few minutes later, Nice Lady #2 came in smiling, saying all was well, and I went on down to the Radiology window.

From there, the Volunteer walked me through the building back to where the MRI machine is. Another waiting room, un-staffed.  There is a phone to pick up and you announce yourself.  Carol answered, and I told her I was there.

Another several minutes, and she came to get me.

She's a nice lady--I think she's done each of the previous MRI's I've had.  She and her co-worker (forgot her name) said this was number 5. Probably is.

Carol showed me to the changing area, and she had her clipboard in her hand. She was talking away, completing the paperwork, and I quickly changed. She was surprised when she looked up from the forms and saw I had put on a gown already.  I knew that their schedule has now been totally put off schedule because of that pre-authorization snafu.

Anyway, we went into the room with the MRI machine, where Carol was talking with me like a long lost friend as she put the IV site in.  Tried to put the IV site in.  Got the needle in, but it wouldn't "flush".  Ack.  She looked around for another site, and finally got one in the hand.  Ok, now let's get positioned on the table.  Have you seen our new table yet??

I hadn't--this table has a wedge-shaped structure, so that the upper part of the body elevates, with rectangular openings for the breasts to suspend. As you might imagine, some breasts are quite large, and on some large women. The angle of the wedge was not comfortable for my lower back; my torso isn't very long and I didn't fit well on it. But the girls got me as comfortable as possible, with a folded up towel or sheet or something under my hip/pelvic bones. And the arms come forward to drape on the table, instead of down alongside the body. Again, being smaller, the device was a bit wide, and we adjusted me a few different times to get the pressure off of my underarm area and the edges of the frame.

With the fine tuning done, the contrast hooked up to the IV site,  my face resting on a horseshoe-shaped cradle that allowed my nose and mouth to be able to breathe, the little bulb to squeeze if I needed something was placed in my left hand, the headphones were put over my ears, and the procedure began.

45 minutes later, the rhythmic jack-hammering-like noise stopped and didn't start up again. Carol's voice came through the headphones saying we were done and they would be in in a few minutes to get me. Hold still....

I felt the IV being disconnected, and the table was moved out of the machine. Carol  removed the headphones from my head, and helped me get up.

Wow.

My back was out of whack from being hyperextended that long, and I was surprised at how "fuzzy" my brain felt.  My left hand/arm felt a little swollen, and my right foot had fallen asleep. She stayed right with me as I slowly pushed myself to my hands and knees on the table to stretch my back into place, and turned into a sitting position. Yikes.

She removed the IV site from my hand and helped me stand up. I went in to put my clothes back on, they got the room turned around for the next patient. I looked at my   images on the screen while they got that person set up.

Of course she can't say much about the images, other than they "look good, as usual".  I hope that means that she didn't see anything that might be cause for concern. The radiologist will look at them and send the report to Dr. Williams. I'll see him in a couple of weeks.

Carol hugged me and sent me on my way.

A safe drive home, thank you God.

I fixed lunch and ate, and went back out to pick up milk.  When I got back, the temperature was in the high 60's--I had to do something outside.

So I took the shop vac out,  moved the car out of the garage, put the convertible top down, and proceeded to get the interior of the car cleaned.

3 1/2 hours later, all vacuumed and armour-alled. I swept out the garage before putting the car back in.

A snack, a little television, and I'm ready for bed.

I'm thankful for the wonderful people God sends to take care of me.

Please pray for those affected by the bombing in Massachusetts...these killing events are becoming way to common....

Thank you for reading. Hugs.