Honestly

It’s Monday AGAIN.

This really shouldn’t be a big deal. After all, I’m retired. I’m not heading out to a job. Nope. What I am doing is heading into MGH for a two hour MRI (brain and thoracic spine). Mind you it’s an open MRI versus a thin ultra-claustrophobizing tube BUT it still wigs me out (just not quite as much). I began my chill-me-out regimen yesterday morning—half a tab of Lorazepam first thing in the AM and another half before going to bed (plus a gummy, thenkyewveddymuch). First thing this morning, I had another wee half with the rest of my vast collection of meds-Donna-takes-to-stay-alive. Am I done yet? Nope. I’ll take one last half (and maybe a gummy) half an hour before they load me into the machine.
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A weird glitch just now occurred—the MRI shop called Jen. Somehow, two additional spine MRI’s were added to my load (so it would be brain and full spine instead of brain and thoracic spine). The shop didn’t have the time available to do all four scans today but could still do my brain today and the spine at 5:45 AM on Thursday.

ACKAMUNDO!

I emailed my neurologist's office to see if they’d, in fact, last minute added requests for the rest of my spine. NO, they had not. After some investigation, Jen found out that it was the radiologist at the MRI joint who added the extra scans.

WHY? Well, because patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 need to have their entire spine looked at. My first thought (after Gee Golly, REALLY Mister?!) was—isn’t this newbie special. He’s trying to make a good catch, save the day and look like a hero. What he didn’t take into account is that Doc Plotkin and I’ve been down this road already. Quite a bit in fact. If Radiology Guy had checked my history he would have seen that I’ve recently had my full spine done. The hot spot is currently in thoracic land.

What Mister Hubistic Radiologist accomplished in his bid to save the day with his “magnificent” catch, is to elevate my already high stress levels. Until we could get this sorted, we were scrambling for a way to get into the MRI office by 5:45AM Thursday and then back into Boston for my scan reviews with Plotkin at 2:30 that same afternoon. This is to say nothing of how hard it is for me to cool my claustrophobia jets for one MRI let alone four.

The other hard start to today? One year ago last night we had to send my beloved Coco (BEST CAT EVAH!) off to the Elysian Fields. I still miss her. OF COURSE I do.

I need some goddamn soft-serve with butterscotch coating NOW. please.