MRIs

Alan had his 18th MRI -- full body -- in 9 years. He goes through this torture minimally once a year, and back when he was in full cancer treatment, four times a year. Needless to say a full-body MRI is expensive, a lot of it not covered by insurance. But, it's the only procedure he will agree to have each year, besides his quarterly blood tests. I say torture because a full-body MRI is quite long, although Christ Hospital's full body seems to take a lot less time than the full-body MRIs he's received in the past. I was expecting him to be at the Hospital at least until 3 p.m., and he was home by 11 a.m. While he was in a lot of pain, his biggest complaint was a headache. I can understand that. That drum, drum, drum of the MRI machine makes me nuts.

I've noticed a bulge in the area where he had shingles, and he is constantly complaining about the pain from this. Hopefully, this MRI will give us some light as to what is causing this pain. He also had a bone scan.

He went in at 8:00 a.m. and requested someone to wheel him to and fro, which Christ Hospital provided for him. He used valet parking as well. I just couldn't go with him. My legs weren't moving by 7 a.m., even though I had gotten up at 5 a.m. and was trying to get them functioning. I'm finding that it is taking me longer and longer each day to get mobile. But once I get mobile I have a two to three hour window of opportunity to get things done. Today I got four loads of laundry done. Folding the dried laundry is the most problematic, as it pulls on the sciatic nerve each time I bend over to retrieve the clothes from the dryer. And standing for the amount of time it takes for me to fold and/or hang a load of laundry after it's dried is also more and more hurtful to the knees.

I also was able to cook a decent dinner tonight. Now, it's 8 p.m. and I feel like I've been dragged behind a horse as my whole body feels like it has road burns even the parts that aren't touching anything. Still mid-flare up I suppose. Seems like the meds haven't been working for a few days. And I don't want to up the dosage. So I wait as long as I can before I take another dose of the meds.

I have a dear friend who is in her last few days on this earth. She is in such awful pain that I cannot complain about my pain which is nothing like what I believe she is enduring. She's at the stage where unless she is placed in a drug-induced coma, which isn't in her nature to ask for, she is in the top level of pain. I can only pray that God will ease her pain in these waining hours of her life, and take her home to be with Him where there is no more pain.

mtf