Click Click

I don't mind sliding into the MRI machine, but I certainly don't love the experience. That was until today.

My back has all kinds of issues, and since my last MRI was about ten years ago, my doctor thought it was time to get some new scans. I can't say I remember much about the experience ten years ago, but I do remember it wasn't pleasant. It could be that I had a higher level of pain back then, and lying on my back was the last thing I wanted to do, especially for 30 minutes or more. 

Today's experience was the opposite. After lying back on the table, the tech raised my legs and placed a pillow under my knees to take the pressure off my lower back.  A second tech was gently placing earplugs in my ears. Tech one then explained that she would give me a pair of reflective glasses that would allow me to watch a calming video while the test took place. She placed headphones on my ears, reflective glasses on my eyes, and pressed the button to slide me into the machine.

The next thing I knew, I was watching sunny beach scenes, followed by swimming dolphins and other underwater life. At the bottom of the screen was a countdown bar that showed me how much time had passed and how much time was left. Yes, all the loud clicks and machine groans were still there, but I just dreamed about being at the beach. Just about the time a playful group of pandas showed up on screen, it was over, and I was slowly emerging from the MRI tube.