Last weekend, I visualised that moment when the week ahead would be over. Where I could actually start typing about that week. Now has come that time. Unlike earlier last week when I didn't do a posting, this one actually is here. At least I think it's here...
I braced myself for what I knew would be a week where I challenged the fears that lurk within. A week where I knew I would be going to the hospital on my own. Yet, despite that, I clutched onto the vibes, the thoughts, the prayers of so many. I went alone, yet I wasn't alone.
It all began on Tuesday, February 12 at 8:00 A.M. I sat in the waiting area until I was summoned for my first test. A very polite consultant explained the proceedings to me and what to expect during my experience within a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner or MRI. He also double checked that I had no metallic objects on my body. They can cause some problems with the scanner. Unless I had some mystery piercings, I knew that there was nothing metallic on me.
Now then, just a few minutes past 8:00 A.M., I was strapped into the scanner by a friendly, informative lady who guided me through the process as it happened via the headphones provided.
Yes, headphones to also block out the noise of the machine. So, in a machine sensitive to anything metallic, what did I listen to on the headphones? Glad you asked. The music was by "Iron Butterfly", "Iron Maiden", "Steely Dan" and "Metallica". Our blogging friend on 'Farcebook', Tammy, saw my profile update in regards to this and noted the "Iron'y" in the music selection. So Tammy, I 'steel' your joke.
Seriously, the actual music selection was "Smoke on the Water" by "Deep Purple", something by "Tina Turner" and "Radar Love" by "Golden Earring". The 'ride' in the machine took about 20 minutes. Staying as motionless as possible, I visualised the capsule transporting me to the 24th century and finding myself on the deck of the starship "Enterprise". Near the end, the ride was kinda' bumpy and it felt kinda' good. Ah yes....moving swiftly on.....
I asked if I could go for another 'ride'. She laughed and then unstrapped me.
So day one of four in one of the most harrowing yet inspirationally defining weeks of my life was almost complete. Remembering to get dressed, I thanked the kind, respectful, caring staff at the hospital and headed for my car. Home to reflect and be proud I was challenging my fears.
Klahanie Blog. Celebrating the all different, all equal diversity we share. Help each other, we help ourselves. Header photo: Penny roaming free in a field, with The Roaches, near Leek Staffordshire, in the background.
I haven't wanted to "metal" in your personal affairs, but sure am glad to see you "steel" have the ol' sense of humor - you must be hanging in there well!
ReplyDeleteQuite jealous of your super journey, sir, it sounds like quite the delight. And honestly surprised they let you back out of the machine...lol...
You know I jest. Hope this whole nightmare will be long past for you very soon!
Hi Kim.
DeleteAha, no 'metaling' in my personal affairs :) I steel have it and I shall iron out any problems. The humour, sorry, 'humor' sure helps me cope at the hospital.
It was quite the 'ride'. I was surprised she unstrapped me. I guess I should have purchased an extra ticket to ride.
Seriously, I appreciate your kind thoughts and the result of this journey will be known on February 25.
Peace be with you, Kim.
Gary :)
Glad you got through it! Nice music selection. I'm sure it helped.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex,
DeleteThanks and the music helped. I think there might be a market in making CD's to listen to in a MRI scanner.
Cheers.
Gary :)
Good for you, major victory, I'd say! Especially the part where you remembered your clothes!
ReplyDeleteGlad that is over for you - beam me up Scotty! Love that you were able to take it there!
Best wishes!
Hi Yolanda,
DeleteThank you and yes a major victory, especially remembering to put my clothes back on.
Indeed, I pretended I was going on some kind of space journey. Or something like an altered state. That helped. Thank you for your best wishes, Yolanda.
In peace,
Gary :)
I'm sure it must be a relief to have that part over with Gary. Sending positive thoughts your way my friend.
ReplyDeleteHi Keith,
DeleteIndeed it was and the more trying tests were still to come. Luckily, all the tests are now over. I'm grateful for your positive thoughts, Keith.
Peace be with you.
Gary :)
Was that an old closed one or one of the newer open ones? Those closed ones are awful and I'm not even claustrophobic usually.
ReplyDeleteHi PT,
DeleteIt was one of those new, open types. That was quite a relief knowing that. Thank you, PT.
Gary :)
Thank goodness you remembered to get dressed.
ReplyDeleteSo that was day one...a ride in a space capsule. Doesn't sound too too bad as long as you aren't claustrophobic. I'm glad you decided to post about it. I felt so silly the other day commenting on a posting that didn't exist.
Hi Delores,
DeleteVery good remembering to get dressed. It was a cold day. Thankfully, it was an open capsule and I also had an alarm button to grip onto in case I was having problems. What post? What comment? LOL Thank you, Delores.
In peace,
Gary :)
I dontknow GAry, for some reason I thought you would have all your answers by today, not more tests. I must have misread the posts.
ReplyDeleteSo there are three more tests, three more days. more and more waiting for you and us.
But you still keep your sense of humor, the ring that keeps us all attached.
Bert's My Vickie
Hi Vickie,
DeleteProbably the way I write that may have caused the confusion. I'm now writing about the series of tests I had last week. The results of the three tests from last week will be known by me on February 25. Sorry for the confusion, the tests should all be over.
Without humour attached, I would fall apart. The warmth I sense from you and all who visit me here, keeps the circle of hope for all of us, all the stronger. Thank you, Vickie.
In kindness,
Gary :)
Hi Gary:
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear that you made it through this week with humor still intact. Funny, I just realized that my head was asleep, really friggon weird, anyway, just a little side writing for your entertainment. tee hee It sounds like you had some wonderful people caring for you. You have a lot on your plate of life right now, so I send you all the best of luck for an amazingly healthy, loving, and abundant outcome. Never mind about the frozen head thing, I thought a little bit of weirdness would help bring a smile to your face. tee hee
Big hug,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
DeleteThank you and my humour remained intact over the course of last week. Other parts of me weren't quite as intact, but that's another posting :) I assume your head has woken up now and you are practising saying "eh", eh! I have been treated superbly by everybody at the hospital, kind, caring and efficient.
Oh yes, my plate was full. I'm most grateful for your wishing me the very best in a positive outcome to all of this. Hey, I just love weirdness, eh. Suzanne, we shall both make Monty Python seem like serious drama.
Big hug to you and Victoria, as in the city :)
In peace,
Gary :)
Aaaargh MRIs. I am a tad claustrophobic and to be strapped down and to listen to the cacophony of bangs and crashes is torture. And my last one lasted for ninety minutes. I applaud your bravery. And no, you were not alone last week. Not alone at all.
ReplyDeleteHi The Elephant's Child,
DeleteI know, of course, about your not exactly being thrilled with being strapped into an MRI scanner. I took my mind off the 'noise' in the headphones and listened to the MRI instead :) I was okay with it all, had a laugh and of course, mine was only for twenty minutes. Indeed, I was alone, yet I was not alone. I sensed all the goodness sent my way. For that, I humbly grateful to you and all of the rest. Bless you.
Gary :)
Well done Gary, hope all goes your way will be thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Hi Yvonne,
DeleteThank you, dear lady. Your thoughts for a good outcome are greatly received.
In peace and poetry,
Gary :)
Hi Gary .. strange but true - eliminate all metal ... put on headphones and let your ears pump the iron ... well as it obviously is extremely noisy in there - I'd never realised that ...
ReplyDeleteGlad that part is over for you and I guess should another occur won't hold so many fears .. can't say I'd enjoy being in the tube - but needs must sometimes ...
The post sounds more positive ... enjoy the sun we seem to be having at the moment ... many thoughts - cheers Hilary
Hi Hilary,
DeleteYes, that darned music on the headphones! Got in the way of that noisy machine :) Glad to report that no metal was detected on me.
It was probably better than being on the "Tube". "Mind the gap."
It turned out to be a challenging week with magical moments of humanity at its most profound. What a nice sunny Sunday :) Thank you for your thoughts and cheers, Hilary.
In kindness and peace,
Gary :)
It's good to hear some positive things about the NHS!
ReplyDeleteI hope that things continue in this positive way after your scam, sorry I meant scan.
Click here for Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
Hi bazza,
DeleteYes, despite the awful situation you might be thinking of, my treatment by the NHS has been top rate.
The scam tells us we are all in this together. The scan, I hope, reveals a positive result. Cheers, bazza.
Gary :)
Oh, that dreaded machine - when I had an MRI scan, I must admit that I began to panic as I was slowly put into the machine because it felt as if I was in a tight tunnel with nowhere to go, then I began to think about what would happen if all that heavy metal fell on top of me. I'm sure I gave the hospital staff a good laugh for the first 10 minutes.
ReplyDeleteGary, I'm so glad that you managed to get over that hurdle, and you had some good music to listen to at the same time and you wanted a second go - naa, not me. Hope all turns out well.
Hi Rum-Punch Drunk,
DeleteI'm sorry that your experience was rather frightening. If it had been an enclosed capsule, I would have been just as worried as you. I suppose, even with the emergency cord they hopefully supplied you with, the thought of the top falling on you, made it of little comfort.
I just wwnr with a joky approach and thought, gee I want to listen to that Tina Turner song again. Cannot think what the song was. Thank you for your well wishes, my friend.
In peace and goodwill,
Gary :)
I'm so glad that you made it through the dreaded week, and I love that though you went there alone, you didn't feel alone. You are an inspiration to us all. Our of curiosity, do you find that you are drawn to metal objects after being scanned in a magnet, or are metal objects attracted to you? Be well, Gary and may this week be better than the last one!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca,
DeleteLovely to see you and I believe you have done another posting! I got through an incredibly scary week. Alone, but not alone, I clung onto that thought as all around me were folks with somebody there to support them. I hope we all can inspire each other. Not sure if I'm now drawn to metal objects. Although I did get stuck to the fridge. Of course, I've always been a babe magnet! Ha ha...Thank you, Rebecca and I look at this upcoming week with a sense of accomplishment and hope. You be well and you know I'm very proud of you, Rebecca :)
In peace and warm wishes,
Gary :)
Good man, and well done all round. I liked the scans when I was in hospital, it was somewhere to hide from everyone else lol. I laugh, but this is quite true. You're doing really well chuck, keep posting,persevere, the bloggersphere needs your brill input :D x
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle,
DeleteWhy thank you and an all round good result for the week that was. I understand. The scanner is a great place to hide and listen to music. I wonder if they looked at me and figured the old hippy would like that particular music. You are very kind and I draw much inspiration from you and all of the good folks in blogsville!
Peace and hope, your way,
Gary :) x
I had no idea the scans took so long. You are right to be proud of yourself and I am so glad the week is now over for you x
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa,
DeleteThey can be a lengthy, noisy process. At twenty minutes, mine wasn't that long a duration. Thank you and I'm proud that I challenged myself, visualised the week being over and yay, here I am. Thank you, Teresa.
In peace and kind wishes,
Gary x
Glad you had some great music to listen, too. When I had a scan, I thought I'd go insane. Tomorrow, Sweetman goes for another CT scan.
ReplyDeleteHugs and chocolate,
Shelly
Hi Shelly,
DeleteThe music helped and taking my mind to somewhere else, helped. You didn't go insane from your scan and you should be proud. Tomorrow, your "Sweetman" has another CT scan and your love and support will be of much comfort. I desperately cling on to the kindness and caring that I sense from the other side of the computer screen. Thank you, Shelly and wishing the best of outcomes for his CT scan.
In peace and hope,
Gary
Did you get a metal when you were through? haha keep on keeping on.
ReplyDeleteHi Pat Hatt,
DeleteI got a medal made of metal marking memorable moments maybe. I shall hang on, my friend. Thank you, Pat.
No time for a rhyme, how sublime....
Gary :)
Earth to Mothership. I'm looking for Gary. Time can go fast or slow. I've found it isn't consistent. Waiting for somethings makes it limp along, something like waiting for Godot.You, my friend were brilliant and I know when you got back to your home door, there was someone waiting for you with all the love in the world. Love and the best of good wishes to you and Penny.
ReplyDeleteHi Manzanita,
DeleteGary is floating around the garden and singing songs of peace and hope with the wee folks :) I know how to slow down time and I know how to speed up time. If I had visualised a toaster toasting, time would slow down. If I had visualised the end of the ride and finding myself in a space time warp, time would speed up and yes, it did. Upon arrival at my home door, a beloved dog named Penny greeted me with affection. A great ending to the first of the days in a challenging week. Thank you for your love and good wishes, Manzanita.
Peace and positive thoughts, your way,
Gary :)
my kind of music, my kind of test!
ReplyDeletecoffee time!
Hi Ray,
DeleteI noted some smoke on the water, my friend. What a test and good music for this old hippy :)
Enjoy your coffee. I shall have another hot chocolate with marshmallows. Thank you, Ray.
In kindness and rock music, your way,
Gary
I'm glad to hear the test went well. Fingers crossed about the results! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Misha,
DeleteThank you for that, my dear friend. And thank you for your fingers crossed wishes for the results :)
In peace and happy writing, your way,
Gary :)
Congratulations, Gary, on tackling such a hurdle. I LOVE how you took your ride and will have to remember to be more creative next time I find myself in another one of those machines. I hope the results can help heal what's ailing you.
ReplyDeleteHi Leslie,
DeleteThank you for the congratulations, Leslie. I do try to take on situations that might induce fear and try to look at it from some sort of inventive angle. Hopefully, you wont have to go into one of those machines again. However, a bit of creativity would see you through. I'm grateful for your hopeful wishes. Thank you, Leslie.
In kindness and peace,
Gary :)
A delightful post despite the very difficult subject! An inspiration to others.
ReplyDeleteHi Carole,
DeleteThat's most kind of you. It was a difficult subject to speak of. Yet, I hope it eases some minds and I can inspire by trying to see things from a more zany approach. Thank you, Carole.
In peace and kindness,
Gary :)
Keeping still would definitely challenge me!
ReplyDeleteHi Annalisa,
DeleteThat was the toughest part. Keeping still for five seconds is bad enough :) Thank you, Annalisa.
In kindness and trying to stay still,
Gary :)
Good to hear you made it through. I've never had an MRI but I'm pretty sure music would be vital. Now I must find you on facebook. (;
ReplyDeleteHi Elise,
DeleteThank you and "hear" may well be the key word. Good grief, did I hear some strange sounds from that machine. Or maybe those sounds were coming from me! Chilling to the sounds on the headphones was a good distraction. Would of been neat to have taken my own soundtrack. Not, not me singing, but some tunes to make it easier.
Thanks for finding me on 'Farcebook'! That was a lovely surprise, Elise :)
In peace and kind wishes, your way,
Gary :)
All jokes aside, I'm glad to see you have retained your sense of humour amid terribly trying times.
ReplyDeleteTake care, Gary.
Hi Wendy,
DeleteThank you, Wendy. I do find that having a bit of a laugh at the hospital really takes the edge off. I think I might be stuck in a "Carry On" film:)
In peace and hopeful thoughts, your way,
Gary :)
Yay for funky Claude!
ReplyDeleteGlad it wasn't musak! But seriously Gary! You hang on in there! I continue to have everything - all my bendy bits - crossed for you.
Take care
x
Hi Old Kitty,
DeleteOh yeah, "elevator music" in the tube. I would have gone even crazier :) I shall hang in there, my friend. Your bendy bits crossed are most appreciated. Thank you, Old Kitty.
In kindness and peace,
Gary
x
I love how you listened to "metal" where no other metal was allowed.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and take care, my friend!
Hi Mark,
DeleteThanks and listening to a bit of 'metal' was really a heavy trip.
Thank you, my friend. You take care, Mark.
In kindness and good wishes,
Gary :)
you are FAR more brave than I am. I had one MRI and thought I would lose my mind. Next time I told them they are going to have to drug me up to put me in there. You are so brave, you amaze me!
ReplyDeleteHi Caren,
DeleteI'm really sorry to read your experience in the MRI scanner was so stressful. I'm not brave as such. I just challenged my fears and joked around. It's my defence mechanism. Thank you, Caren. Remember, you are amazing!
In peace and goodwill,
Gary :)
Oh Gary... you and music! I'm surprised there were no Moody Blues' tunes. That machine has a chord all it's own.
ReplyDeleteNo problems here except I kept falling asleep and they kept waking me up. Us "Fibro-mites" like sound... low, deep, groaning... I best close, dah-ling!
Cheers for surviving this step; much success and good health. :)
Hi Dixie,
DeleteAh yes, the Moody Blues and "In Search of the Lost Chord". That darned scanner was a hummin' and a whirring and vibratin'
Quite bizarrely, I dozed off in the capsule and woke up in the 24th century :)
Thank you, Dixie and the other hospital experiences that I shall post about soon, were bordering on something out of "Gary Does the Comedy Clinic!" Peace and I hope you are well and embracing the goodness in your life.
Your friend,
Gary :)
The only stuff I really know about M.R.I. machines comes from watching the show "House." I've always wanted to take a ride in one, but I don't want a legitimate reason to do so. Those all sound too scary. Oddly enough, I know how magnetic resonance works too. It's really quite interesting and has to do with descending electrons and the light they give off while in orbit.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael,
DeleteAh yes, "House" with that British dude, Hugh Laurie. Of course, he'd know all about universal healthcare. Indeed, I'd much rather go for a ride on the MRI for just a thrill seeking reason. I shall see if I can find my spare 'ticket' :)
Oddly enough, I was in orbit and then found myself typing away on my keyboard. Thank you, Michael.
Happy orbiting, your way,
Gary :)
I felt humbled by your experience, Gary. My life is so uneventful right now. Calm before the storm. I can't explain what that means, but a family member just found out she's seriously ill. I'm still trying to digest the information. Hearing how well your day went has helped.
ReplyDeleteHi Joylene,
DeleteMy experience and the rest of the experiences of that week were of such extremes. From anxiety to inspiration. I am deeply sorry to read of your family member's illness. We look for a hopeful outcome for your family member. If what I experienced can be of some comfort, that is profound. Thank you, Joylene.
In peace and hopeful wishes to you and your family member,
Gary
The scariest part of those tests is knowing that they can reveal something yet not yet knowing what it might be. The MRI is particularly horrible with all that clunking it does. I heard of a guy once who didn't know he'd been shot so he didn't realize he still had a bullet inside him, and when he got in the MRI, it pulled the bullet out and left him screaming and ruined the machine.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the outcome is here, just know that, although we might not be there in person, we are in spirit. You obviously have a lot of people who genuinely care about you, including me. You touch a lot of lives, Gary.
Hi Nancy,
DeleteIndeed and I'm nervous about the outcome of my tests. I keep a positive outlook through all of this. That poor guy's situation must of been horrific. You might of thought he should of be X-rayed first. Yikes....
I truly embrace all the vibes that resonate in my life thanks to you and all those who have shown such caring and concern. I hope that I can ease the worries of somebody who might read my experiences and realise we can adjust our minds to see things in a more positive light. I'm grateful to know you, Nancy. Thank you.
In peace and positive thoughts,
Gary