(no subject)
I saw the inside of my head today. My ventricles, my corpus collosum, my optic nerves, the lenses in my eyeballs, and even the bit of fat that gathers at the back of my neck when I tilt my head back. It was pretty darn nifty. It looked a little like this, except it was MY brain:
I am quite fond of my brain, except when it makes me worried or lonely or unhappy. But all in all it's served me well. So I was quite happy to volunteer as a healthy young control for an MRI research project on dementia.
It was also extremely useful to know what it is like to have an MRI. You feel quite constricted. You have to keep still and your head is held in place by this helmet-type thing and cushions. I had trouble swallowing. There are loud noises all around you and all you can see is white plastic. Some of them sound like Mario, and some of them sound like helicopters, and some of them sound like someone is banging on and then drilling into your white plastic coffin. And it take a long time (about 45 minutes). I was really fidgitty by the end, although I dozed off for part of it. So I can definitely imagine how incredibly unpleasant it would be if you were claustrophobic and/or didn't trust or know your health care provider and/or were experiencing some mental confusion and/or expected the results to be negative. I also now better understand why shutting people into boxes would be really evil torture. And screw the tortured up pretty darn quickly.
So add this to the giant bruises on my arm still remaining from my blood draws, and I think I am starting to learn about "The Patient Experience". And how much it sucks even when you're not sick.
By the way, my immunization requirements are all fulfilled. I have received 10 vaccines in the past year. And I am officially TB free.
In other news, I am still packing, and I find that more torturesome than the MRI. I'm going to have to give away some of my stuffed animals. It kills me. I am going to have to throw away some of my gazillions of keepsakes. That also kills me. I am going to have to find space in my apartment for much of this crap, and negotiate with my parents to keep the rest here. Also killing me. Official pack rat, who feels burdened by her material possessions, but just can't get rid of them.
I'm going to start becoming a doctor in 19 days. =D
I am quite fond of my brain, except when it makes me worried or lonely or unhappy. But all in all it's served me well. So I was quite happy to volunteer as a healthy young control for an MRI research project on dementia.
It was also extremely useful to know what it is like to have an MRI. You feel quite constricted. You have to keep still and your head is held in place by this helmet-type thing and cushions. I had trouble swallowing. There are loud noises all around you and all you can see is white plastic. Some of them sound like Mario, and some of them sound like helicopters, and some of them sound like someone is banging on and then drilling into your white plastic coffin. And it take a long time (about 45 minutes). I was really fidgitty by the end, although I dozed off for part of it. So I can definitely imagine how incredibly unpleasant it would be if you were claustrophobic and/or didn't trust or know your health care provider and/or were experiencing some mental confusion and/or expected the results to be negative. I also now better understand why shutting people into boxes would be really evil torture. And screw the tortured up pretty darn quickly.
So add this to the giant bruises on my arm still remaining from my blood draws, and I think I am starting to learn about "The Patient Experience". And how much it sucks even when you're not sick.
By the way, my immunization requirements are all fulfilled. I have received 10 vaccines in the past year. And I am officially TB free.
In other news, I am still packing, and I find that more torturesome than the MRI. I'm going to have to give away some of my stuffed animals. It kills me. I am going to have to throw away some of my gazillions of keepsakes. That also kills me. I am going to have to find space in my apartment for much of this crap, and negotiate with my parents to keep the rest here. Also killing me. Official pack rat, who feels burdened by her material possessions, but just can't get rid of them.
I'm going to start becoming a doctor in 19 days. =D