I wasn’t looking forward to the MRI I had yesterday morning. I could barely stand it when I had the same test about a year ago, and barely made it through those 30 or so minutes in the tube.
I’m not usually claustrophobic, but for some reason my wild imagination got the better of me and I was on the verge of pressing the panic button. I was ashamed of myself.
This time I agreed to a mild sedative, which helped a lot. But I think the real difference yesterday was the nurse who got me ready for the exam. Talk about an angel on earth.
READ MORE: A DAY WITH A CANCER NURSE
She was patient, kind and cheerful, like any good nurse should be. But, even better, I recognized this woman from a hospital visit ages ago—a completely different hospital, in fact—when she’d given me an IV that didn’t make me wince. The first IV ever that didn’t make me wince, or worse. (I’m an absolute wimp when it comes to needles!)
She couldn’t believe I remembered her, after all this time. “I would have recognized you anywhere,” I told her; she’d made such an impression on me. I knew I was in good hands.
So this year I rolled into that tube with a mild sedative and a positive attitude. My wild imagination didn’t have a chance. And I think I might even have had a little nap.
