When in the cylinder a person should stay as still as possible. In the beginning it sounded like someone was knocking on the door. This noise wasn't too bad but then the really loud knocking started. It sounded like someone was banging on a metal bucket which a shovel. I dozed off a couple of times but always woke up when that metal bucket was getting banged on. If for any reason the tech does have to pull you out then they have to start the test over from the beginning. Since I didn't want that to happen I stayed as still as I could. After about an hour the tech pulled me out because he gave me a shot of dye. I think the dye makes the pictures better but don't quote me on that.
They now make open sided MRI machines for people with claustrophobia. I guess those machines don't do as good a job so I always choose the cylinder type. When the test was done I drove the 20 miles back home and relaxed. An MRI is not that big a deal but I guess for me personally it's kind of stressful. I don't mean sitting in the cylinder but thinking about my life and my MS. Is it getting worse? What is my life going to be like in the future? All these things go through my head. For me that is the stressful part!
The next day I met with a physicians assistant and he explained my MRI to me. I didn't have anymore plaque but he said there were some areas that showed that the disease was unsettled. I don't know what that meant but I left that meeting knowing that I had secondary progressive MS. It's not getting any better which I knew before I did the MRI.
Then I went to a physical therapist in the afternoon. He asked me a lot of questions about my MS and my physicality and then he showed me how to properly walk with a walker. That may sound funny but what he showed me did make a difference. I was moving the walker first and then stepping. He said take a step and then move the walker. It just makes you move your legs instead of relying on the walker. I drove home Thursday night and I was pooped! Between the appointments and sitting in that cramped MRI for an hour and a half I was just toast. I rested Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I consider sitting at my computer desk typing as resting. So I was doing some work but nothing too stressful. That is the way I want to live the rest of my life.
Jon Wegner is a resident of a small town close to Fargo, ND. He's lived there for four years after being a lifelong Minnesota resident. Jon now rides a three wheeled electric scooter to get around. He can be seen scooting all over his little town. Jon's website, ebook, free newsletter and articles can be found at
www.mymsbookandnewsletter.com Jon's articles and e-book can be purchased there. Jon's best affiliate is Hometown Quotes at
www.jonwegner.com
tweet this!
