November 1st.
Today started out much like every day seems to start lately.
·
4 AM was the first wakeup thanks to Eleanor, 18
months old and with little concern for Dad getting his beauty sleep. Fortunately I was able to fall back asleep..
·
5 AM was the next wakeup. This time let’s blame my MS, my recovering
broken leg, my pending 40th birthday and every other reason my body
tingles and hurts all the time. Now that
I’m awake my brain starts thinking about everything that needs to happen to
start out my day.
·
I managed to stay in bed until 6 AM. That was barely enough time to get everything
done in time: prepare Ellie’s breakfast (Brie has wakeup and dress today),
prepare my breakfast, walk and feed our loyal pup Monte! Once all my chores are done for the day I
dash out of the house for my car and the quick trip to work.
·
7 AM and I am already two cups of coffee into
the day perusing my work emails and forming a plan for the day. 9 open contract negotiations, 32 open and
active purchasing contracts, 2 new-hires still under training and a few, well,
let’s call them “problems”. It is going
to definitely be one of those days!
Yep, this seems like every other day. It can get rather monotonous sometimes;
lately it has grown close to overwhelming.
Nothing better to do now than just put my head down and work. I definitely need to make headway on some of
these projects.
A few hours later and I’m really in a groove. It’s a good thing that I love my job, and
coffee (5 cups down now). 10 AM and my
computer calendar pops up with an appointment reminder. These days everything in my hectic world
outside of “standard workday chaos” is carefully planned and scheduled on my
calendar. Synced with my computer and my
cell phone, if it isn’t on the calendar then it probably won’t happen. That calendar is my lifeline…
I look at the appointment reminder, 11:00 AM: VA Hospital.
Crap. Now is not the time. I have spent way too much time lately in
hospitals lately, at the VA and elsewhere.
I broke my leg in June and that caused a flurry of ER visits, surgeries
and follow ups. I would up in the ER
again in September, this time from a leg infection possibly due to my MS drug
injections. Multiple hospital visits for
this one finally brought the infection under control without surgery. After 12 years and two threatening leg
infections I am at a crossroads; evaluations and test to see if I am a
candidate for a new drug treatment.
Blood tests, eye tests, doctor visits upon doctor visits. I don’t even remember what they all are
anymore (thank goodness they are on my calendar). I open the reminder to see what is scheduled.
MRI – 2nd Floor Imaging
Woo Hoo! My
topsy-turvy, hectic day just took a turn for the better. Relaxation and spa-like pampering awaits me.
Let me explain myself a bit.
I love MRIs. The humming of the
imaging machine is perfect for me. It’s
so soothing to listen to the rhythmic pounding that I actually lose every other
thought as I enjoy that beat, at the same time trying to imagine what the next
sequence will sound like. At that point,
there are no worries in the world; just that beautiful beat.
Now for those of you who have never experienced and MRI (Magnetic
Resonance Imaging) let me explain. An
MRI uses a magnetic field and radio frequencies to align the atoms in the body. The machine reads and measures these
alignments to form the images that are your body. MS and MRIs go together. It’s one of the best ways to see ‘activity’,
better known as the damaging effects of this disease on my nervous system. That’s where my technical understanding of
the machine stops. Beyond that, it’s
just so wonderful!
Now there are many who dislike MRIs for various
reasons. Let me explain why it is like a
day at the spa for me:
First, the noise.
It’s loud, too loud for some. For
me the sequential cracking, clicking and beeping are just so soothing. To ease the noise a bit you do wear ear
protection, but it’s still loud enough for an old helicopter maintenance
officer who tends to think “if it’s not making a lot of noise, it’s broken.”
Now the small enclosed space inside the MRI machine can be
claustrophobic to some. Add the little
cage that demobilizes your head and it can be overwhelming to some. . Not
me though. All they have done is taken
away every bit of visual stimulation.
There’s nothing at all out there to look at so just close your eyes and
lose yourself in those rhythmic harmonics…
The Imaging Floor of the VA truly is a day spa. Most every patient in the waiting area is
there for a scheduled one-on-one appointment.
The machines are expensive and in strong demand. There’s not a lot of waiting around; get ‘em
in and get ‘em through! With the typical
professional care I see throughout the VA, my paperwork is processed
quickly. I didn’t even have time to find
an interesting magazine to read before I was called back.
A quick change into some comfy pajamas and I am whisked into
the imaging room. The room is sparsely
decorated, except for the big magnet over the table I need to lay on. Any angst that I may feel is immediately
diffused by the imaging technician who talks me through everything that I need
to do.
·
“Lay down here and put your head up this
way. Scoot your head up a bit. That’s prefect.” (I love the praise!)
·
“Here are some ear plugs and ear protection.” (I
love the concern for my safety)
·
“It’s kept a little chilly in here. Would you like a blanket?” (They offer me a
blanket…then tucked me in, all; comfy and cozy!!!)
After this is 45 minutes of sheer bliss and relaxation. Granted, I could do without the needle
injection of contrast halfway through.
That, however, is a small price to pay for the most relaxing spa
treatment that I could think of. At the
end of the session, when they awaken me by sliding my bed out from the MRI, my
only wish is that they would slide me back in for another round.
But alas, the spa treatment is over. I follow up my wonderful VA experience with a
delicious meal at the 1st Floor Canteen (their pizza is my other
hospital decadence…but that’s another story).
After that I am back to work.
Every hectic issue is still there waiting for me, plus a few more. Not a problem today! I am calm, relaxed and clear headed. After a morning like that I am ready and able
to tackle anything that comes my way.
All the time I will be looking forward to my next
treatment! Nothing beats Spa Day at the
VA!
Kevin Byrne - Portland,
OR
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