MRI Adventures
Recap: Due to the paralysis on the left side of my face, my doc scheduled me for an MRI on my brain to be sure nothing cancer-related is going on. I have several tips in this blog for stuff in general and things to pass along in case you know anyone who will be going to MD Anderson.
TIP #1: Check your schedule carefully! When I first looked at my schedule and saw 9:30 check-in and 10:00 MRI, I just naturally assumed AM! Turns out, my appointment was for PM! Yes! They actually schedule those things through 10 pm. Chemo can be scheduled that late as well. Who would have thought! I asked the nurse if they had patients show up for morning appointments who really have evening appointments and she said "All the time - and they are not happy folks!"
TIP#2: If you know anyone going to MD, have them sign up for the website. It is https://my.mdanderson.org and it is a patient's personal webpage. Patients can see lab results and doctor notes (because we rarely remember all the information when we are in front of the doctor) and their schedule. Patients can also email their clinical team questions or reschedule appointments, etc. This is how I realized my schedule was PM - I had requested a change and was looking at my schedule to see if the change had been made. When I saw the PM, I emailed my scheduler to verify. TRUST ME - this is much better than calling because no one ever answers their phone down there.
My scheduler said they are booked solid due to the holidays and begged me not so skip my appointment (she knows how I am). So, Faron and I went.
When we were in the waiting room last night, I made a new friend. A five year old named DOT was waiting with her dad for her brother to finish his brain MRI. His name is Josh and he is now doing well at 11 years old, but three years ago they discovered his cancer and the outlook seemed bleak. Now Josh is preparing to run a 3K in January and is just going for check-ups every six months. PRAISE JESUS! Dot even colored a picture for me!
While they were prepping me for the MRI, they had a hard time getting the IV into my arm. I can almost tell now based on the demeanor of the nurse how it is going to go. If they are afraid of hurting you - you are in for it! I kept telling her to go ahead and make the band tighter around my arm to make the veins pop, but she said she didn't want to hurt me (oh know!). She got the IV in ok, but then had to wiggle it and I started having a reaction.
TIP #3: NEVER get an IV put in without some cold (ice cold) water with you. If you start feeling nauseated at all, have someone take off your shoes and socks, place a cold washrag around your neck and on your forehead, and make them drop your chair so you are lying back. Timing (for me anyway) is important - otherwise I will throw up. Ask me how I know.
At MD Anderson, they will not let the same person stick you more than once. The second time I got the head nurse and I could tell we would have IV success because she cared less about hurting me than getting the IV in. The only problem is that we had to use my hand and hands are sensitive. SHe put a tight band around my forearm, popped up the vein and held on tight as she slid the IV in. It HURT and I tried to be still and Faron left because he doesn't like me being in pain. But she got that sucker in fast. Although my hand was very sore and sensitive, I started feeling relief from the nausea. I HATE nausea and when I feel relief from it, it is RELIEF. The only thing going through my head was "THANK YOU JESUS!" over and over again.
(P.S - I usually pray before I have an IV put in and I forgot to pray this time)
The MRI itself was no big deal. The only strange thing (for me) is that there were a few times I started feeling a little panicky. Closed in medical equipment has never bothered me, so I think I was just reacting to being tired (my bedtime is 9 pm), having the IV troubles, and being in the nausea stage of my chemo cycle. However, everything went OK.
Once I got through, I had to wonder if someone didn't slip something in my IV! I could not complete a sentence. I had a thought, then lost the thought, then couldn't think of the right words again. IT was very scary. Faron and I could barely have a conversation on the way home. He would have to finish my sentences for me so we could communicate. For me it was definitely scary.
Now we just hope that we DON'T hear from my doctor. No news is good news. I have 2 more chemo treatments for this cycle, then we go through the CT testing the first week of January to see if tumors are shrinking, then I see my doctor again - unless he sees something on the MRI and needs to see me earlier.
That's it - you are all caught up!
Hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
To my brother in Korea - keep warm and keep your head down!
Love to all! Kelli
UPDATE: Doc just called. There is something at the base of my brain. Have a brain and spine consult Monday at noon before chemo. Will keep you posted
TIP #1: Check your schedule carefully! When I first looked at my schedule and saw 9:30 check-in and 10:00 MRI, I just naturally assumed AM! Turns out, my appointment was for PM! Yes! They actually schedule those things through 10 pm. Chemo can be scheduled that late as well. Who would have thought! I asked the nurse if they had patients show up for morning appointments who really have evening appointments and she said "All the time - and they are not happy folks!"
TIP#2: If you know anyone going to MD, have them sign up for the website. It is https://my.mdanderson.org and it is a patient's personal webpage. Patients can see lab results and doctor notes (because we rarely remember all the information when we are in front of the doctor) and their schedule. Patients can also email their clinical team questions or reschedule appointments, etc. This is how I realized my schedule was PM - I had requested a change and was looking at my schedule to see if the change had been made. When I saw the PM, I emailed my scheduler to verify. TRUST ME - this is much better than calling because no one ever answers their phone down there.
My scheduler said they are booked solid due to the holidays and begged me not so skip my appointment (she knows how I am). So, Faron and I went.
When we were in the waiting room last night, I made a new friend. A five year old named DOT was waiting with her dad for her brother to finish his brain MRI. His name is Josh and he is now doing well at 11 years old, but three years ago they discovered his cancer and the outlook seemed bleak. Now Josh is preparing to run a 3K in January and is just going for check-ups every six months. PRAISE JESUS! Dot even colored a picture for me!
While they were prepping me for the MRI, they had a hard time getting the IV into my arm. I can almost tell now based on the demeanor of the nurse how it is going to go. If they are afraid of hurting you - you are in for it! I kept telling her to go ahead and make the band tighter around my arm to make the veins pop, but she said she didn't want to hurt me (oh know!). She got the IV in ok, but then had to wiggle it and I started having a reaction.
TIP #3: NEVER get an IV put in without some cold (ice cold) water with you. If you start feeling nauseated at all, have someone take off your shoes and socks, place a cold washrag around your neck and on your forehead, and make them drop your chair so you are lying back. Timing (for me anyway) is important - otherwise I will throw up. Ask me how I know.
At MD Anderson, they will not let the same person stick you more than once. The second time I got the head nurse and I could tell we would have IV success because she cared less about hurting me than getting the IV in. The only problem is that we had to use my hand and hands are sensitive. SHe put a tight band around my forearm, popped up the vein and held on tight as she slid the IV in. It HURT and I tried to be still and Faron left because he doesn't like me being in pain. But she got that sucker in fast. Although my hand was very sore and sensitive, I started feeling relief from the nausea. I HATE nausea and when I feel relief from it, it is RELIEF. The only thing going through my head was "THANK YOU JESUS!" over and over again.
(P.S - I usually pray before I have an IV put in and I forgot to pray this time)
The MRI itself was no big deal. The only strange thing (for me) is that there were a few times I started feeling a little panicky. Closed in medical equipment has never bothered me, so I think I was just reacting to being tired (my bedtime is 9 pm), having the IV troubles, and being in the nausea stage of my chemo cycle. However, everything went OK.
Once I got through, I had to wonder if someone didn't slip something in my IV! I could not complete a sentence. I had a thought, then lost the thought, then couldn't think of the right words again. IT was very scary. Faron and I could barely have a conversation on the way home. He would have to finish my sentences for me so we could communicate. For me it was definitely scary.
Now we just hope that we DON'T hear from my doctor. No news is good news. I have 2 more chemo treatments for this cycle, then we go through the CT testing the first week of January to see if tumors are shrinking, then I see my doctor again - unless he sees something on the MRI and needs to see me earlier.
That's it - you are all caught up!
Hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
To my brother in Korea - keep warm and keep your head down!
Love to all! Kelli
UPDATE: Doc just called. There is something at the base of my brain. Have a brain and spine consult Monday at noon before chemo. Will keep you posted
posted by Kelli @ 10:05 AM
2 Comments:
At 7:28 PM,
Adrienne Divin said…
I feel like I'm with you, Kelli, as you chronicle your travails through MRI, chemo, IV's, and am heartened by your attitude. I like what you said about not being brave, but simply put unwittingly in the position of having to suffer, endure, and eventually conquer. Stay strong, and even though we don't communicate regularly please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.
At 7:15 PM,
Jody DuBose said…
I'm praying for you everyday Kelli and I will also pray for your brother to be safe. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family.
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