Scans

Fashionistah - not!

A Friday night - what better way to spend it than in the Radiography Department of Ipswich Hopsital.

My first scan was the MRI - this will determine what Gertrude is made of and how embedded she is in my gut. The MRI machine was quite comfortable but loud, as expected. I had headphones but not music - so I made music myself.

There were different scans, and different scans made different noises:

The 'underwater hurdy gurdy' - a repetitive thrum on a single note, I made up tunes that leapt around the base note.

The 'sewing machine' - a higher less musical note, a lot faster. I imagined a room full of sewing machines.

The 'food mixer' - this one shook the bed and was a lot lower in tone - I imagined myself being spun round as part of a very lumpy pesto.

Back again to a higher note, and slightly out of tune 'amateur hurdy hurdy' and I made up some more tunes. What a shame I'll never remember them!

I think some of my imaginative interpretations of the sounds may have been down to the intravenous Buscopan, which was rather relaxing. All in all I was in the scanner for around half and hour.

Still gowned up (ain't it a great look?) I was taken down to the CT scanner, and and IV drip put in. The scans were a lot quicker (and a lot quieter) but when they released the liquid in the IV into my veins (so that they are easier to see on the scan), it gave a weird sensation of a warmth all over and - that of having released fluid unintentionally (I hadn't, but they did warn me it would feel like this).

The CT scan will show whether Gertrude has any sisters anywhere else. I'm seriously hoping she's an only child.

So after the scans we headed back home (via the chip shop), and now I have to wait. I am hoping for an appointment soon so we know what happens next and can plan.

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So long and thanks for all the...
The people who went before

Useful links:

Bowel Cancer UK
Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals Charity