Showing posts with label MRI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MRI. Show all posts

Friday, January 03, 2020

MRI IV Bruising

I had an MRI a week ago. I spent a week and a half drinking at least 64 oz of water every day. And it seemed to have paid off a little. The IV only needed one poke, even though she had to squirm it around a bit so it hurt a lot and bruised.
I had to get my brain and spine done with contrast. By the time it got to my last round (spine with contrast) I couldn’t stay still. My muscles kept giving me spasms. 
I got the email with the written results, and it reconfirmed that I had moved too much for the spine. Which is unfortunate because it’s what the doctor wanted to see. Oh well. 
This is today, a week after the IV:

A couple of days ago, I noticed the bruise moving toward my hand:

The day after shot, after I took the bandage off:

At home, day of MRI:


Friday, October 03, 2008

Sickness, Study, & Signs


So I've been sick for about two weeks (a week and a half) and I'm about to take part in the MS Drug Study for Fingolimod. I've gone through all the steps and was supposed to be randomized (wether I'm taking a placebo or the real thing) this upcoming Monday. But they just called today and said that since I've been sick, my immune system is at risk, because one of the side effects of Fingolimod is an even weaker immune system. They want me to be completely healthy before I start. I can respect that.
The catch is that I have been praying to God wether or not to go through with it. I started praying when I saw that one of the side effects was potentially extreme birth defects. That really worried me, and so I started to pray. I asked for a sign on if I should start the study or not. Because having children in the future is a super big concern of mine. I know that if I did the study, we'd have to wait at least three years before we could start, by then I know we'll be ready, but at the same time... what if this new, unstudied drug does something adverse? It's already been recorded of two different birth defects durring the last study of it. Besides, I wouldn't mind starting a family soon. I know Chris is a little bothered by the idea that he's already 30. He doesn't say it, but I know that before we started dating he mentioned he thought he'd already have kids by now.
I'm worried/wondering if this is the sign? I've put so much into this study already, but when I talked to Him, I said "even if it's last minute." I guess I shouldn't have been specific. I can't wait too long, because the cut off date for the study is October 30. I have to be randomized by then if I'm going to be a part of it. If I'm not, this is a perfect time for me to drop out, because I haven't started taking anything, I've just been doing baseline tests, so I don't have to worry about follow up tests... or adverse reactions.
Because they're having to move my randomization date, I have to get another MRI. I got one on September 18th, but I have to have it done before the 30 day mark of the randomization date... and I miss it by 10 days. I can't do the randomization date earlier, beacuse the doc isn't in except that one day next week, and he's not in at all the following week. After that, I'm on my honeymoon.
I just don't know what to do, so I've added the poll at the top to get opinions.

I just got a call from them again. They're able to get me in to do randomization on the 15th, so I don't have to do another MRI. But it still makes me wonder and worry. I mean, those two/three hours that I thought I was going to have to do everything again... they really shook me up. Is this a wake up call? An "answer" to my prayers? If so, what does it mean, since I've gotten calls both ways? Suggestions, answers, and prayers are all greatly accepted.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Reactions

Okay, so I wasn't feeling well after all the tests on the 18th. It's the first time I've had a reaction to the flaire dye from the MRI. But then after I got home, I was feeling really bad in the stomache. I got nausias and diariahe.
I also noticed a bad reaction to the ECG stickers. They were really itchy towards the end there, and I noticed once I got them off that I was scaring. Even after I've showered, they're still a bit itchy, and it's hard to ignore. But they're getting better now. But there are a few that are raw and scared. Chris has washed them with alcohol, but... anyway, I've started putting Neosporine on them, hopefully it's not too late.
I noticed that my throat was itchy. It was hard to not caugh while I was laying down for the MRI. If I remember right, I caughed a bit with the asthma medication on the 16th. The caughing got worse, and my throat is really raw now.
I wasn't able to go in to work on Friday because it hurt so much. I was dizzy with vertigo, and had a headache. It wasn't good. I spent the day sleeping myself well while trying not to move too much.
I still have the coughing and the vertigo. But Chris got me some caugh supressant and it seems to be slowing them down. Hopefully I'll be ready for work tomorrow.
The thing is I'm not sure what the coughing/itching is from. I have a few theories. 1) A number of people at work, especially the ones I work closesly with, have been sick the last couple of weeks; so maybe I got it from them. 2) The asthma medication. 3) Just another bad reaction from the MRI Flair injection. 4) I have a weakened immune system due to all the running around poking & proding my body for all the tests.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

More Doctors

Today was another long day. It started at 8:30am with meetings with my physciatrist and psycologist. That took a total of 1.5 hours.
Following that I had to redue my labs. Ugh! They hadn't pulled all the viles out, so the didn't have enough blood for the tests. Yup, they had to do it twice.
After that I had an MRI at 12:30 pm. I was told I could get a topical numbing gel put on my arm for where they were going to have to do the injection, as well as getting an anti-anxiety pill. They didn't give me either though, because I was told to arrive 30 minutes before, and when I got there they told me, it had to be an hour before. Grrr!!! So mad was I! They did put a towel over my eyes so I couldn't watch. Anyway, so I had to have the regular MRI, and then one with flair (the dye injection).
After that I had to have a chest x-ray. They also made me breathe normal, hold my breathe, and do deep breathes. It was all in the same place.
Then I was swept over to the neurology place to do an ECG Test. For this one they just did a blood pressure test and then hooked me up to a heart monotor for 24 hours. I was able to go home with a traveling monotor. I had a whole bunch of stickers all over my body. Ugh, but at least I could take it home with me.