Thanks, I Hate It

Though it wasn't nearly as bad as the last time. 

An image of a U-shaped red and
white magnet with gold lightning shapes
to indicate electricity.

But then an MRI for one's knee is an almost certainly less stressful experience than the one they tried to do on my head a few years back. That one was a very scary experience because it was at the end of a (later diagnosed) massive panic attack and I wasn't having a stroke at all. And, you know, going headfirst into a very loud and very cramped machine (at my size) when I was already so panicky that there were half-moon grooves in my palms where my fingernails hit my palms in my clenched fists.

This one was not pleasant, of course, but it wasn't horrible either.

For one thing, it was planned ahead of time. My momma brought me in and took me out to lunch after.

For another, I was only in the MRI machine up to about my waist. And I've lost just over eight pounds in the last couple of weeks, which is probably not enough at my size to have an actual, physical effect; it's enough for a psychological effect, though.

There was a video screen on the ceiling with a soothing sea scene of colorful fish and shells and stones and coral and so forth.

I had expanding earplugs.

Over the earplugs I had headphones, and the technician asked me ahead of time what kind of music I wanted. I was a little surprised that it was something I had a choice about, and said so. She said, "Oh, it's just Pandora," so naturally (being the 55-year-old woman that I am), I said that I would like 80s pop, please. I got Hungry Like the Wolf, Whip It, Footloose, and Eye of the Tiger, and so I was content.

I could feel my pulse in the right knee that they were scanning(?) Oh... Imaging, I guess.

I did my deep breathing a la Emergency Calm, which worked pretty well, though I have never tried to do my Calm breathing at the same time as 80s pop music before.

Afterward, I had a bit of a headache and felt slightly shaky/lightheaded. This only lasted a few minutes, and the tech assured me that these are really common reactions to being the focus of a giant magnet.

I just looked in MyChart and the results are not up yet.

So I guess we shall see.