Category: MRI

I saw the ear specialist last Friday. I didn’t like the news. He said I don’t have a brain tumour or an enlarged blood vessel, he was hoping for. Since its not, he doesn’t know why I have tinnitus in only 1 ear.

He thinks it may be my heart beat echoing in my ear. Oh and I have “cerebellar tonsils that are slightly just over 5mm below the foramen magnum which raises the possibility of a Chiari 1 malformation”. What ever it is, its fucking loud sometimes and extremely annoying. But on the bright side, I may be able to get a free hearing aid.

I was tired after waiting for over an hour and didn’t register what he had said. Then he felt my pulse and he wanted me to listen to my ear and see if it synced up with my heart beat. I was distracted because the specialist is very handsome, so I couldn’t concentrate.

He said I don’t need to see him any more but if it gets worse or I become paralysed on my face, go to the emergency with my MRI results immediately. Then shook my hand. his skin was smooth and cool.

Then we left. My partner wanted to get home to avoid traffic, so I have to go back to the city on the train to get my MRI scan results from the radiologist.

I don’t want anything else wrong with me. Its like a bad game show:

Surprise illness!

A game show I didn’t choose to be on, that I find very boring, tedious, painful, annoying and that I can’t leave.

As for the title, did you know brain had tonsils, do an internet search for “Chiari 1 malformation”, if you want to ruin your day.

(c) ASD and me 2019.

I had an MRI on Monday. It wasn’t as bad as I had catastrophised in my head for months.

We arrived early, sat in the waiting room for a while, which is when I started to get anxious.

Then I was called in.

The Dr introduced himself as Tom. He asked me questions, and took me to a small cubicle to change. Yes, into a crepe paper gown that was black but some how felt transparent.

Then I entered the large room with the giant electronic doughnut, also know as the Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine. He gave me bright yellow ear plugs that were the size of pool noodles and stuck out from my ears a bit. I’ve never liked earplugs, but these, I like.

I laid down on the metal bed part and he gave me the buzzer button, then asked me what music I wanted, I said Classical. It was around this time I cried. The Dr was nice an reassured me it was okay.

I laid down, he put the headphones on me, put a cage thing over my head and put foam bits around my head and neck to stop me from moving.

The MRI is very loud. The earplugs and music don’t block out all the noises, just lower it to a less than deafening volume. It makes jackhammer noises, alarm noises, photographic camera aperture opening and closing noises, which I assume are the photographs of my brain.

The ceiling isn’t as low and I had thought. Its at least 30 cms above my face, possibly more. I was afraid to look up and move my neck.

You’re whole body isn’t in the tube, I’m short so I went in past my waist, but my legs were out. It would be less for a tall person.

Truth is, the MRI is loud. And closed in and not comfortable. Its not painful and things don’t touch you. Even though photographs are being taken, there is no flash or lights. The worst part is the magnetic field created heat and that made my face very hot.

I didn’t want to do the MRI, I did try to avoid it, but, I was worried more about what would happen if I didn’t have it.

Edit: I think a better name would be a “Claustrophobic Disco”.

(c)ASD and me 2019.