Distraction Action

Best MRI EVAH! Hmmm, coming from me that sounds mighty odd.

The second MRI in this current series of four, was yesterday afternoon. This means that I started de-stressing, mind smoothing attempts last Thursday. Yes, I am strong with the claustrophobia. A regular Enclosed Space Freak Out super hero, I am.

Tuesday's session was certainly helped that I was taking my calm-me-down meds, in the hasn’t-failed-yet Dr. McKenna  prescribed method. Also, having my traditional pre-No-Fun-Time Cosmo was beneficial, particularly since my pal Paula joined me. We talked bunches about social media marketing type schemes.

Distraction action, that’s where I get traction.

I brought my camera with me too. No, I couldn’t take it into the tube room with me BUT I could go all snap happy beforehand. And I did.

Distraction action, that’s my traction.


Before being entubed, I get some sort of IV put in. Half way through, a ‘contrast’ serum floods the area of study. Yesterday was Cervical Vertabra and jaw area day. The awesome, happy nurses in the prep room put up with my picture taking, bad jokes and deaf rendition of ‘Lydia, Lydia the Tattooed Lady.’
You haven’t lived, apparently, until you’ve tried to put an IV into the arm of a hospital johnnied, middle aged broad, who’s singing a Groucho Marx tune (one of the nice ladies is named Lydia), while attempting to capture a truly resonant shot of the locker doors with all the flowers and butterfly decals.

Lydia succeeded.

So, was I really tranqed and Cosmo-ed out? Is this why I was all cheery-ish? Nah. I was def mellow but not more than that. Some of the upbeatitudeness, the lack of crippling tension, is because the last MRI (the head-in-a-cage-with-me-inna-tube one -- the absolute worst) went so smoothly. Yea, a precedent for ‘maybe this could be NOT so awful.’

Yesterday, whenever I felt a wave of oh-my-god-I’m-in-a-TINY-enclosed-space freak out coming on, I’d do my deep breathing moves while DQing the tension in my neck, shoulders, arms and more. I’d bring scenes of the serene, beauty of home to mind and then start puzzling through what to do next, if anything, with the canvas currently on my easel.


Distraction action, that’s my traction.

Two down and two to go. I CAN do this!