It's diagnostic, not a treatment

[redbird]

I have had my shoulder MRI'd.

The immediate result of this was that my right elbow was painfully stiff, and all the fingers on both hands were numb. (In order to get the images they need, the technician propped up my right shoulder, insisted I hold my right palm up and put a sandbag in it, and otherwise arranged me in ways that weren't comfortable for more than a moment. The MRI took about half an hour.) The stiffness wore off, but it took a little while: the technician had to help me put my bra back on, because I couldn't bend my right arm enough to do it myself. When she slid me out of the MRI machine, I told the tech that this was worse than a head MRI; she expressed surprise. Then she showed me the cradle Inter-County Imaging uses for head MRIs, and I saw her point: it seems designed for extra claustrophobia, despite being a white lattice with plenty of space between ribs.

Now, I wait. She said the radiologist would read the films tomorrow and my doctor would have the results for me by Friday. But the X-ray place said the same "two days" last month, and that took over a week, so I'm not holding my breath.

In the meantime, I have an ice pack on my shoulder, and will take more ibuprofen when I get done typing this.

Comments

[suecochran.livejournal.com]

Ouch. I'm sorry that the MRI was such an uncomfortable experience for you. I hope that it provides your health care folks with enough information to help treat the injury and help you heal properly. I also hope that the ice and ibuprofen will make the immediate pain go away. I'm sure that you will keep us posted on further developments. *gentle hugs*

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Urgh.

I'd offer a hug, but under the circumstances, it seems...

[redbird]

Hugs are fine: I've put the ice pack away, and we can just be a little careful of that shoulder, as I asked people to do in Seattle last weekend.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Ow. I've had a head MRI ... yours was worse...

[papersky.livejournal.com]

It's a disgnostic procedure, not torture.

That sounds absolutely vile. I hope you're moving freely again this morning.

[redbird]

I was moving okay by the time I got home, probably by the time I changed buses (it's a schlep to get up there by mass transit).

And yes, if I need another MRI via my GP, I'll ask to go somewhere else. But I'd only been in there for mammography and follow-up ultrasound, and they were fine for that. (Okay, it wasn't comfortable, but from what I've heard, it was better than many places: mammograms aren't a comfortable procedure.)