MRI - a solo day in TO

Finally had my MRI.

Funny, when everyone thinks you have cancer, you get MRIs in a week, or even less.

This time was 5 weeks from appointment to MRI.  I know - still less than the average wait time.  But it felt like  a long long wait.

During this time my pain had been increasing again.

Lots of pain, lots of heat, lots of swelling.  Generally miserable all the time.  Managing pain with two extra strength tylenol and two extra strength ibuprophen four times a day.  Still hurts.  But I can get through it.

I had a lovely chat with the MRI tech before going in to the tube.  She was very friendly, and was full of questions, and just general perkiness.  I love those kinds of techs.  The hospital is big, and scary, and has lots of really sick people in it.  Techs who are positive and kind counter the rest.

My MRI took ages.  It was supposed to be from 10-1030.  I was in the tube for an hour.  Or more.  I got out at 11am.  There was lots of shots, both without contrast dye and with.

Then the tech helped me out.  And she wouldn't look at me.  She was trying to keep a neutral face.

She asked when I was going to be following up with my doctor.  I said "next month".

The tech "NEXT MONTH!  That is too long!  He'll get these today, for sure".

Crap.

They saw something.  Again.  My leg isn't better.

Bought a fancy coffee.  And waited for my blood work to be done.  Which will no doubt be normal. My MRI, however, will likely not be.

Crap.

Two Evils

That was the longest long weekend EVER.  I wait, as patiently as I can, at home, beside the phone all day.  I carry it with me everywhere.  I doesn’t ring, so I try it occasionally with my cell phone.  It is working just fine.  Just fine.

My doctor finally calls after 5pm.

She is calm, but concerned about the pain.  Offers me a prescription for stronger meds.  I’m hesitant to take anything strong – as I need to be 100% with it to parent the kids and get through my day.  But she suggests and anti-inflammatory, and I figure it won’t hurt to try it.  I’m using my pain as a reminder not to over do things, though, so although the pain is annoying, it reminds me to take it easy.

She says the MRI shows something in the bone.  Nothing in the muscle or tissue of my leg, but that there is something in the bone.

Likely a bone infection.  Or Cancer. (I’m pretty sure she said it with a capital C)

To be honest – this doesn’t really surprise me.  It has been what we have been worried about for weeks.  Bone infection or cancer???  I was really hoping the MRI could show us one way or another.

My doctor had already spoken to the orthopedic specialist at GRH, who had told her that it needed to be sent to a specialist at Mt. Sinai in Toronto.  So a referral has been sent.  And she will get back to me by Thursday, if not before.  If his office hasn’t called by Thursday morning, she will call them herself.

The good news is that my blood tests came back normal.  Normal glucose, normal CBC, normal liver function, normal kidney function, no heart muscle damage.

So this is good – whatever is wrong hasn’t made my body sick yet.

However, if it was a bone infection, it is likely that my CBC counts would be off.

So I’m not sure if the normal blood counts are good or bad.  I was hoping that it would show that I was battling a MAJOR infection, and that it would trigger some high dose antibiotic treatment, then I’d be fixed up and pain free in a couple of weeks.

Alas.  Still no firm info about what is wrong with me.

Results are in

My family doctor calls.  And leaves a message.  She has gotten the results of the MRI.

What the fuck???

She has gotten the results in less than 24 hours????

The message gives me no details (privacy laws), but does assure me that there is nothing emergent that needs to be done this weekend.  And that things are looking serious, but I’m not to panic too much, and that she is working on a plan to get my leg fixed.

She does want the results of my blood test.  So if I haven’t done that yet, I need to do it right away.  I had gotten it done already, so I feel on top of that, at least.

Oh – and this is Thursday before Easter.  And she isn’t working Monday.  So she’ll get back to me Tuesday.

I try not to panic too much.  I still have only told DP and small-c about what is going on.  They both have to put up with my freakouts and my denials all the very long weekend.

MRI

I pick up a requisition for blood work in the morning on the way to our activities.  I’m not sure if it was because of the letter, or if the doctor just wants the information.  Regardless, I’ll fit it in the next day.

The MRI goes well.  I had one years ago for my shoulder, so I knew what I was up for.  It is loud, some people find it very hard to lay there.  I don’t.  A pillow and a blanket and someone else looking after my kids for an hour?  I’m in.

I worry after the scan.  There are FAR too many techs in the observation room.  My MRI tech who did my contrast injection and had gotten me settled doesn’t walk me out of the room as she had the other patients that morning.  She doesn’t even look up.  No one walks me out.  I’m just told “We’ll get the results to your doctor next week”.  There are four MRI techs looking at the computer screen in the observation room.  Shit.