magnetism

Boy it's been a long week. I don't know why some weeks are just harder to get through than others. I guess I had a lot of running around to do (made more difficult because I didn't have a car), added to stresses at work, added to stresses with friends, added to stresses with health...added to...added to. It all just kept going.

I had my MRI yesterday, which I found quite a fascinating experience. The people at the St Vincent's Imaging Clinic were very friendly and thanked me for getting there early (they did some extra scans on my neck cos they had the time). I got changed into a fetching navy shift thing and lay down on the bench. I put in the earplugs they gave me, they packed all sorts of foam bits around my head to keep me still, and then shut an antenna cage around my face. It had a mirror in the top, angled so I could see the room and the two guys doing the scanning behind the glass. It definitely helped with the claustrophobia (not that I get claustrophobic) once they slid me into the MRI machine.

It was pretty comfortable in there, even though the surfaces of the machine were very close and the noises were loud. I have to say I found the noises kind of interesting. The first lot sounded like I was inside a giant washing machine during the spin cycle. Then there was another set, apparently the sound of the magnets moving around, that repeated in beats of four, so after a while it felt like the drumbeat on a trance track or something. I was in there for about 20 minutes and I think I actually started drifting off towards the end.

When it was all done, the receptionist told me I had to come back in 1-2 hours because they "don't deliver to that doctor". I didn't mind on one level, but on another I thought it pretty poor that I paid $550 for the scan and they couldn't even deliver it two suburbs away. But anyway.

I had a quiet, relaxed lunch at Berkelouw's and was delighted to see Helen Garner's latest novel on the shelves. So I bought it and have read about half. Am still in love with her writing, although the book is intense and sad.

My doctor (the acupuncturist) told me that there was an 'artifact' on the scan, that may or may not be 'something'. He said often it's just a problem with the scan itself, but can occasionally turn out to be something that needs to be checked out. Anyway, the only thing I can do is wait for a few months and then have another MRI. He assured me it wasn't a tumour. I wasn't especially worried or nervous about the results, but I guess the fact that there is still the smallest of question marks over my head makes me a little sad.

After going back to work, then picking up the scans and having an acupuncture session, I was exhausted. I got home and was dead to the world; slept very, very deeply. Something which I hope to do again...right about now.