Okay, I guess that I now know that I am claustrophobic. I try to be a good patient. I really do. Today did me in. I had the MUGU test with no problem. You lie down on your back and the machine only covers your left side to take pictures of your heart. You have to be still, but most of your body is out in the open though the machine is very, very close to your body.
I lost it during the MRI. Ochsner has this new machine that has a smaller opening than the older MRI. The radiologist likes her breast patients to use the new machine. I was prepped for the machine with the smaller opening. There is a bit of prep work to get your breasts at just the right position. I was sent through the tube. When the machine moved into position, I just could not take it. I insisted that I be removed. I refused to be put through that machine again, and I asked for the older one. Once I got settled in there, the hot flashes started. I was so hot and that made the whole experience worse. I was sticking to the heavy hospital sheet. Several times I thought about screaming to be freed from the tube. Halfway through they came to see if I was okay because there was movement in my body when the machine was making its loud proclamations. I wasn't moving; I was just breathing heavily because of my anxiety.
They had to repeat some of the pictures because of movement. I may have to repeat the whole thing as they said the radiologist is very picky. Next time, which I hope there is not one, I will demand to be sedated. I can't go through the paces like that again. It was nightmarish. They told me at the beginning that it was 25 minutes for the whole shebang, but since they had to repeat scans I was in there longer.
Cross your fingers for me that the pictures that were taken today are readable because I really, really, really don't want to have to go through that tube with the loud pounding anytime soon.
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