My MRI Spaceship

Last week, I had another MRI. Getting an MRI is really weird.

I am not claustrophobic, so I am not scared of MRIs.

Well, actually, I am scared of them…but not of going in the machine. I’m always a little scared of the results of the MRI, because what the test says determines what damage is being done, or how my MS is changing over time- or sometimes, how things are stable and good! But it’s the unknown that is scary – and isn’t the unknown always a little frightening?

Facing the unknown of an MRI is what I have to build myself up to ahead of the appointment. When I get there, I let my imagination take over…

With the earplugs in, the cage around my head, and a blanket covering me, I imagine I’m preparing for some kind of interstellar trip. When they slide the table back, and I’m enveloped in the tube, it’s like a compact spaceship ready to be launched and shot through the stars.

During these appointments, I disassociate and imagine that I’m flying through a galaxy or floating through space, passing planets and asteroids. I imagine the high and low-pitch tones and metallic clanking are communications from an alien ship. Are they trying to tell me something important? Or just saying hello?

The last few MRIs I’ve had, I didn’t have an option to listen to music, so it was just me, my thoughts, and my intergalactic pals. I was so deep in space this last time, I was nearly asleep by the time it was over.

Everyone has different strategies to get through these strange appointments, and I know that not everyone is able to just zone out. Next time you have to get an MRI, though, try to let your imagination take over. You might even meet an interstellar friend.