This is the BT tower as seen from the top of the hill one street over from our flat. I caught it just at sunrise on my walk to work the other day.
The video banner at the top seemed to be carrying a birthday message:
I'm not sure Mason is fully able to appreciate that, but maybe he'll see pictures when he's older!
Yesterday I went for yet another medical test, an MRI related to my CT scan a couple of weeks ago. I've had an MRI before so I kind of knew what to expect, but it was still a little unnerving, being slid into that big tube and having that machine buzzing and clanking around me. I was given earplugs to block most of the noise and I found if I kept my eyes closed I could relax more. When I wasn't being given the "breathe/hold your breath" instructions I could even sort of doze. The whole thing took about 30 minutes.
The weirdest part was the sensation of mild heat during the scanning. I don't remember feeling anything on my previous MRI, but this one definitely made me feel warmth at times. I couldn't help wondering what it was doing to my cells, although supposedly MRIs are safer than CT scans and x-rays.
Anyway, hopefully I'm done with scanning for a while. This is all related to my chronic cough and my recurrent gastritis -- and, to be honest, my own paranoia and hypochondria -- and I paid for these scans out of my own pocket so I'm not hitting the NHS with the bills. I'm just trying to practice good preventive medicine. (By the way, the doctor's office called yesterday and said my blood tests from Thursday morning were normal except for my lipids, which is usually the case. They want me to come in for a consultation about my cholesterol, which I suppose I'll do after the holidays. My cholesterol is always high, but I think it's hereditary and there's no heart disease in my family. I really don't want to go on anti-cholesterol meds.)
So, yeah. Fun times.
Last night Dave and I had drinks with our former head of school and her husband, a teacher, at a wine bar around the corner. They live nearby and we hadn't really spent any time together socially, so it was interesting to get to know them both a little better. I had red wine, which is good for my blood vessels, right? See -- I am practicing preventive medicine.
The comma after the word "teacher" in the last paragraph is vital. Without it, I would have got the idea that the ex-head of school's husband taught in a wine bar! "Settle down everybody! Today we will be learning how to guzzle red wine. Head back and pour down! That's it!"
ReplyDeleteYou should find out what side effects your high cholesterol might have (constant gastritis?) before you decide you don't need the medication.
ReplyDeleteBeing slid into that huge machine is a rather intimidating experience.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize there was a big sign at the top of the BT tower. I love that photo of it against the red sky.
I have only had an MRI done on my once and the entire time I was waiting for some piece of metal I had forgotten about to come ripping out of my body. (I grew up on a farm around chopsaws and welders where metal slivers are a thing.)
ReplyDeleteRed wine is healing. That's MY theory and I stick to it.
ReplyDeleteNot so healing, with my feelings of claustrophobia, would be the MRI.
I had an MRI in May, prior to having shoulder surgery ... I am not claustrophobic, however, the noise that thing makes was tough to endure for the 20 minutes mine took. And, the position I had to maintain was difficult, as well. The cylinder does create a warmth ... I felt it, too!
ReplyDeleteCT scans are much easier and I just had one of those on the 1st of December. They are a low dose x-ray!
All I can say is that I'd just as soon never have an MRI in my life.
ReplyDeleteI have had several MRIs and I keep my eyes closed and sing songs in my head to the beat of the machine banging. It helps! Isn't it great that they can look inside of us to find what might be wrong! I think in the olden days we would more often hear of "exploratory surgery" which always sounded more ominous and would require hospital stays.
ReplyDeleteI take high cholesterol medication and have no side effects from it.
My cholesterol is high so they say but I don't think they really know what a 'safe' level is as it depends on so many other factors like heart disease or inflammation and who knows what else and they change what 'safe' is all the time. No heart disease to speak of in my family but both parents died from stroke. My one and only complete heart workup 5 years ago showed no inflammation. Still I refuse to take statins as they are implicated in dementia. I'm on a blood thinner so I figure that helps.
ReplyDeleteI've had more than a few MRIs. The toughest one to endure was one on my head (they thought I had a small stroke, but I had not). They place a hard mask over your face, so not only are you inside a tube, you are also inside a mask with a relatively small area of open squares in which to view your surroundings. I told the technician I felt like Hannibal Lecter. But I managed it using breathing techniques and keeping my eyes closed. I even had a 3D MRI prior to ankle surgery. It shows fascinating images as you rotate them to look at the inner structures of your body (part). I always ask for my own CD disk of any MRI and have a great deal of fun reviewing them on my computer. Helps that I know a fair amount of anatomy and physiology and a significant amount of medical jargon.
ReplyDeleteHope that your MRI results indicate that all is well.
I practice that preventive medicine routine every night with dinner. No wonder I'm not on any pharmaceutical medications and I'm 70 years old. Cheers to good health!
ReplyDeleteGood description of the MRI with clanking and whirring. Yes, close your eyes and relax.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get some results from this stressful testing. I was reluctant to get in statins, but eventually did, no side effects, because heart disease in old age is a thing in my family, as is stroke.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the red wine is implicated in the gerd? I can't drink it now for that reason. Sorry to be a downer.
I'm pretty sure red wine is health food. lol
ReplyDeleteOof - I'm feeling claustrophobic just thinking about getting another MRI. Deep breaths Dana!
ReplyDeleteRegarding YP's comment - I have a friend who teaches ESL through zoom classes. Last week she had a student from Macau (I think) who messaged her that he would be in a bar & probably drunk for their lesson & that he hoped she would teach him about American bar culture. She sent him a picture of the Cheers gang, which is the extent of her bar knowledge. Ha! She said he ended up NOT being drunk but it was a really fun lesson with him that day.
I'm having the same issues with my cholesterol. A little high and I keep hoping my lifestyle will get it down instead of going on pills. I'm 60 and have managed to avoid any daily meds up till now and would like to continue to do so. Probably pride or fear more than anything.
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange gift for a two year old boy! Surely he would have appreciated a ball or a stuffed teddy more.
ReplyDeleteI've only had one MRI and it was on my ankle, so very little of me had to be inserted into the tube. It was still loud, though!
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand wanting to rule out more serious problems. I'm a firm believer we're our own best advocate for our health!
Yes, very odd to spend that money for a 2-year-old’s birthday.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never had an MRI. Hope all is well there. Didn’t Shakespeare say “your eyes are like lipid pools of blue... or something like that...
It amazes me that I can sleep in an MRI tube. The equipment used to be called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, but people reacted badly to that word Nuclear.
ReplyDeleteMy cholesterol is also somewhat high but I'm very anti statins so I'll have to try some other way to lower it.
ReplyDeleteIf the results of the scans are ok, will you leave things as they are ?
ReplyDeleteThe more red wine, the better your blood vessels are? I hope so. An MRI is not the most pleasant experience. I was pleased when mine had finished. Time passed so slowly.
ReplyDeleteI have had MRI's before but not since I got my Pacemaker. Something about the magnetism stopping my device and we wouldn't want that to happen. The first one (MRI) is the scariest, after that I just relaxed and, perhaps, dozed. Red wine is good. As is vodka, white wine, rum, tequila . . . WAIT! I don't sound like an alcoholic, do I?
ReplyDeleteLook at you, practicing preventative medicine with your red wine. You're such a good man:)
ReplyDeleteMRIs do produce heat but it won't tell you anything about your lungs. You need hydrogen atoms, water, to produce an image, something lacking in most lungs. My husband installed the second MRI scanner in Canada and did that for a number of years until he started dealing with digital xrays equipment.
YP: I feel certain a teacher in a wine bar would not use the word "guzzle." He'd be talking about "subtle notes of chocolate and berries" and that kind of thing.
ReplyDeleteRiver: Well, that's a good point. Are they related? I don't know.
Sharon: Yeah, it's a circular banner that shows different messages and images.
Ed: It didn't happen, I take it?!
Bob: That's my theory too!
Marcia: Yeah, the CT scan was easier and faster.
Ms Moon: It's an interesting idea, though -- creating a detailed image with a magnet. Who thinks this stuff up?!
Ellen D: OK, good to know about the meds! My mom took it and she didn't have any problems either. (Well, dementia in later life, but hopefully that's unrelated!)
Ellen: Exactly. This is why I'm reluctant to get on that bandwagon. As I understand it some of us have naturally high cholesterol but it's balanced out by other factors.
Mary: I think I am supposed to be able to get the images from this procedure. I'm curious what they look like!
Robin: Definitely! Moderation in all things, as they say. :)
Red: It really WAS relaxing to lie down in the middle of the day! I need to do that every day. Maybe under my desk? LOL
Boud: I drink red wine, the (very) occasional martini, and coffee every day. I'm sure all those things are problems for my GERD. But the GERD isn't constant -- it's more of a flare up every now and then. So then I just try to back off for a while and take a PPI to reduce stomach acid until things calm down, and then I go back to normal.
Colette: Maybe not for our stomachs, but definitely for our hearts! (And minds.)
Bug: That's funny. Imagine having that level of confidence in your teacher -- "Oh, by the way, I'll be drunk for class!"
Linda: I've also managed to avoid daily meds and that's my goal, but like you, there is an element of pride involved (and also a reluctance to bother with it).
Debby: It's definitely more for the parents than the kid!
Kelly: I think so too. It pays to keep an eye on things because for many conditions it's all about early detection.
Mitchell: "Lipid pools of blue" -- bleccch.
Allison: I remember when I volunteered in a hospital back in the early '90s I used to always pass the Nuclear Medicine section, and it sounded scary!
Margaret: I try to eat vegetarian (when I'm on my own) and get exercise but mine is still high. Dave's French cooking doesn't help. LOL
John: I'll probably try to be more careful about what I eat and drink, and about taking a course of the PPIs when I need them. There's not much else to be done about the cough, as I understand it.
Andrew: Well, I'm sure there's a point of diminishing returns! LOL
Catalyst: Yeah, they kept hammering home questions about pacemakers and implants before I got in that tube!
Pixie: The MRI was more for stomach & upper abdomen. The CT scan was for lungs.
I have never had an MRI incident... knock on wood. But the thought scares me.
ReplyDeleteThat's a gorgeous view of the tower. In 1973 when I first went to England with my mom, we had lunch there, very slowly spinning around, overlooking the city. I'd love to do it again if they still have a restaurant there. Or even if the food was good. It was all of London below me with my mom, just a couple of years before she died. I wish I could do it all over. Thanks for the memory.
ReplyDeleteI once described an MRI as being on the deck of the Titanic while Al Capone and his buddies were shooting it out. That was before ear plugs. I've been told the same thing about MRIs v. CT/XR. You are wise to be on top of things as you are even though it's scary as all get out. But as one with lung stuff, I know many things can be managed, especially if they relate to GERD. And having good blood tests is huge. Lots of stuff shows up there first, so good news! I'm sending all good vibes your way. Please keep atop of it.
Red wine rocks!
I hope you get to the crux of what's troubling you, and that it is relatively benign. MRIs are nerve wracking and claustrophobic to me. Glad you weathered yours ok.
ReplyDelete