Got the MRI on my knee done today

This is where I went today

Oh joy! (Random Googled pic)

Visited the MRI place today. Strangely it was at the Sydney football stadium next to Moore Park. I thought it was a very strange place to put a medical imaging place, but it turned out it serves a lot of sports injuries that happen at the "Allianz" Stadium (latest sponsors). Including I assume from the main footy clubs of the NRL. All very private looking and plaz, with a procession of fit and built footy type blokes coming in for whatever scans. 

But it turns out they also bulk bill people like me who are normal non-sporting types of which the procedure requested is covered by Medicare. Not all procedures are. In fact one of the receptionists behind the desk was talking to someone on the phone as I filled out three forms, needed at the desk, telling them that it would cost over $300 for the one they were talking about. No doubt all the professionals are on private insurance.

As it seemed quite a walk from the nearest bus stop my extremely pregnant daughter was happy to drive me in. Picked me up at home and took me very near with cheap parking. I'd scoped it out where to go on Google maps before leaving, and was able to show a much shorter way there and where the cheap parking was. Gladly I can walk a bit better now from a couple of weeks ago and was happy to go the short walk from there. 

Daughter also came in and waited for it to be done in the waiting room. They were a bit late but we chatted and the time flew by. She'd been having terrible reflux problems with the pregnancy, which I can completely relate to after ending up in Emergency some years back not being able to stop spewing all day. After that I was put on Somac, which makes your brain tell your stomach not to produce so much acid. I was a different person after that. Likely she will be too once her daughter Amira is born.

So I was eventually called. As an MRI is a powerful magnetic thing there was no metal allowed. Meaning they wanted everything off except my undies, giving me some sort of weirded out disposable robe. I'd already removed my rings (including wedding ring) at home, along with my nipple ring. I had to get David to get my earing off as it's one of those ones that the ball sort of clips there in the middle by the two prongs of the ring. A real hassle. Going to replace that one I think to get one like my nipple ring that has two balls either side that screw off, with a gap in the middle. Much easier.

No metal means NO METAL, I found out. They even wanted my partial plate teeth out as they had bits of wire clipping them on to my surviving teeth. Egad! So I go in there from the change cubicle with nothing but my undies and a weird robe, missing four front teeth. Got to laugh I suppose. What else can you do?

MRI only took about 15 minutes, bloody loud. They put earmuffs on me to block out the noise with soft music playing through them, but the music was pointless as the noise was at an industrial level of loud. It occurred to me that some heavy rock would have been more suited to the experience.

The muffled noise from the MRI machine however I found a bit hypnotic. For a bit I closed my eyes and drifted of to an MRI la la land. So much as to be a bit disoriented getting off the bench at the end. Meh, just another bloody test to endure....

They came out with the images in 5 minutes. Now it's off to my GP for him to peruse. I feel like opening them to peruse myself, but again meh. Another test another question. Will leave it up to my doctor.