Comfort in strange places

Certain situations or places are just not lekker to be in. Like the municipality offices or an exam room. A long queue in a bank or sitting next to the fat oke in the cinema when you are 8 months pregnant... you know what I mean? Another one of these places is inside a MRI machine/tubey thingy. I remember the first time I saw the machine.  I had to sit inside the room and watch and comfort my eldest child while they scanned her arm.  I was so proud of her and thought she was incredibly brave. I only knew how brave when I went for my first MRI.

We were still trying to figure out what was wrong with me so in one day I had x-rays, an ultrasound, a CT scan and an MRI. The CT is semi OK except before you go into the donut they feed you a litre of this kuk liquorice tasting stuff so whatever needs to, will show up nice and brightly. Hideous!

But the MRI is far more intimidating. 'Sorry for you' if you are freaked out by small spaces because they slide you into a white tube and tell you to relax and lie there very still for oh, and hour and a half. The thing vibrates, turns and churns around you and screams so loudly you have to wear earphones. To top it off I had to breathe in and hold my breath every so often for up to 40 seconds at a go and midway they stuck a needle into my arm with some more of that funny dye stuff.  You try doing that for over an hour and see how relaxed you are!

Needless to say I have done that same MRI too many times to count and tomorrow I have another one. I take comfort in the fact that I know the nurses and staff, they are friendly and always ask about my progress.  I know what is expected of me so there is no need to feel apprehensive or scared. I also love the fact that last year I couldn't get there by myself, Dave had to drive me, but tomorrow I will be steering my own chariot. (Don't get me wrong I love going with Dave, its just a small victory that I like to celebrate.)
A MRI is not an environment that I ever imagined I would get use to or feel comfortable in but there you have it... I'm comfortable in that very strange place.

FYI:

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structure and limited function of the body