Not For The Claustrophobic

Yesterday, I got up at the crack of dawn....Something I haven't had to do since I was in the military...Something very liberating about getting up that early in the morning, Watching the sun come up!...

I quickly showered and shaved and brushed my teeth , though not in that order and got dressed and without breakfast headed downtown to the Pennsylvania Hospital.

I walked down into a cold, clinical basement...signed a few papers and then was led to a locker where I deposited all of the contents of my pockets and took off my belt.
I felt like I was in prison or on my way there....

I was let to a tube like machine and placed on a gurney...I was belted down and given some weird reflector glasses and then told to relax...

Yeah right... I felt like the air was being sucked out of me....I felt trapped....and I nearly freaked out...This is clearly not for the claustrophobic and guess what?/ I have to do it all over on Monday!!!

At least I know what I'm getting into this time.

Since I like to use this blog to teach...It occurred to me that some of you (like me) might not know what an MRI entails....

Just what is this procedure anyway? Glad you asked...

An MRI or Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body. In many cases MRI gives different information about structures in the body than can be seen with an X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scan.

MRI also may show problems that cannot be seen with other imaging methods.

For an MRI test, the area of the body being studied is placed inside a special machine that contains a strong magnet. Pictures from an MRI scan are digital images that can be saved and stored on a computer for more study. The images also can be reviewed remotely, such as in a clinic or an operating room. In some cases, contrast material may be used during the MRI scan to show certain structures more clearly.

 

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is done for many reasons. It is used to find problems such as tumors, bleeding, injury, blood vessel diseases, or infection. MRI also may be done to provide more information about a problem seen on an X-ray, ultrasound scan, or CT scan.

 

In my case...They are looking at my injured shoulder...(I've already had an x-ray and they have determined that nothing is broken. ) An MRI can check for problems of the bones and joints, such as arthritis, problems with the temporomandibular joint(wow, that's a mouth full), bone marrow problems, bone tumors, cartilage problems, torn ligaments or tendons,(which is what they are looking for in my shoulder..) or infection. An MRI may also be used to tell if a bone is broken when X-ray results are not clear. MRI is done more commonly than other tests to check for some bone and joint problems.

 

So with that said...I'm home...and resting....and using my ipad mini....Pretty cool huh?
Pretty nice to be home chillin too!