My MRI

So today I had an MRI done on my shoulder.  WCB flew me to Edmonton to a clinic to have it done.  I was there and back in one day which was great AND got to kill time at West Edmonton Mall while waiting to go back to the airport.

Let me tell you… me and MRI’s are NOT made for each other.

I’m not claustrophobic in the least so being confined in the small tube wasn’t a problem.  BUT cramming substantial me into a foot in diameter tube wasn’t comfortable … at all!!  The tech told me to breathe slowly… huh, right, I couldn’t breathe at all!

My left shoulder was put in a brace to position it to be scanned and they stuffed padding between my arm and body and in my hand to brace it all to keep it still I assume, my right arm and shoulder were jacked up over my chest (this happened as they rolled me up to shove me in the hole) and both shoulders were sort of shoved up around my ears.  They stuck the “panic ball” in my right hand in case I had any trouble… if I’d had any I don’t think I had any leverage to squeeze it!

I was in this… pipe… for about half an hour… breathing occasionally, trying not to move at all as I didn’t want to have to do this again.  There was cool air blowing in (maybe it was oxygen?) that was nice, but my mouth kept drying out and I was trying to NOT swallow while the machine was making noise as it would make me move slightly and possibly blur the image.

When it was over and they (two of them) yanked me out – I honestly heard a loud pop as I cleared the opening!  I was really sore by then.  My left shoulder was killing me and all I wanted to do was flex it but, of course I can’t yet cause it won’t work.

As I was leaving they handed me a CD of the images.  COOL!!!  It is a private clinic so they send a copy to WCB and I get a copy to KEEP!  I can share it with my doctors but they were very clear that it is MINE and the doctors are not to keep it.

I got home and loaded it into my laptop to have a look… um… THAT’S a shoulder?????  MY shoulder?  Looks like a slice of head-cheese.

And why is there a cow head in my shoulder??? A cow head hovering by an ostrich (or is it a t-rex?)

I’m allergic to beef!  No wonder the shoulder won’t work.