Donna in Hollywoodland

MRI, Blood Test and Veins

The testing is starting. I drove to Glendale Adventist Hospital to have an MRI on both Breasts. Turns out they are the only hospital in the area with the fancy MRI machine that does this.

It was kind of fun being in the room with the MRI Machine. Its very powerful.
The first technician has told me to just undress from the waist up, and put the smock on.
When the second technician came in - a woman - she asked me about any jewelry.
I said, "No, but my jeans have a metal snap."
She replied "You have to go take those off. The machine will rip those right off of you."

When she came back, she was getting me ready for the MRI. She had a bobby pin in her hair and she said could feel the machine trying to grab it. I asked "What do you mean?"
She took out the bobby pin, and held it up - It flew out of her hand and attached to the MRI machine.
Wow. Pretty interesting.

I asked how come the MRI machine didn't rip out the fillings in my teeth, or the titanium marker they placed on the tumor in my left breast.
The machine only grabs metal. Magnets won't grab silver and titanium.

As they prepared my hand with a IV catheter for the contrasting material, we joked about engagement rings. They said you can always tell if your engagement ring is real gold - because the MRI won't grab it if it is. Only if its a cheap phony engagement ring.
I told them they could earn some money on the side by providing that service to newly engaged woman.

As usual, my veins were not cooperating with the needles. They are to small, and they hide. Most of the time they have to use a Baby Needle or a Butterfly Needle on me.
The male technician started to make Vein Jokes, which got me giggling.
"Gee, looks like you left your good veins at home."

I ended up with the IV Catheter on top of my hand. When I had been in emergency, they had placed in on the side of my wrist.

Lying in the Breast MRI machine is not comfortable. You have to lay on your stomach with your breasts in cups underneath you.
Your arms above your head, and your head tilted to the side.
The MRI machine starts its clanging, and it gets warm inside the MRI tunnel. I kept saying "Its warm in here."

I told them I like to know how long each test is, to please tell me when it starts. So they would say "Ok, this next test is 7 minutes."
And I would listen to the clanging, and try to count out the 7 minutes.
I tried not to fall asleep - it was warm, and I was counting. I toss and turn in my sleep, and I didn't want to fall asleep and roll over in the middle of a test.

Finally, they inserted the Contrasting Agent in the IV Catheter. It was cold, but did not hurt.

After the test was over, I went to the Cafeteria to eat lunch. Glendale Adventist really has a nice cafeteria. I got a chicken salad.

Then sitting in my car before driving home, I realized that the car was really Hot inside. It was easily 5 times hotter than the inside of the MRI machine. But being in the MRI machine, the warm temperature really bothered me. The heat in the car (which can be dangerous) didn't phase me one bit.
It made me realize that alot of the fear from these medical tests is psychological.

I drove over in the hot, hot car to Glendale Memorial for the blood tests that the Breast Surgeon had ordered. Gee, two hospitals in one day.
When I walked into the Lab, they looked at the bandaids on my hands and were alittle freaked out.
"Did you already give blood?" asked one person behind the desk.
No, I told them, I had an MRI, and I was told that the contrasting agent would not interfere with the blood tests they were going to do.

Of course, once inside the Lab Technician poked and prodded.
I said "My veins are to small. You have to use a Baby Needle or a Butterfly Needle".
She didn't want to at first. But after giving me a good sized bruise on my arm, she changed her mind.