Bring it on!

It's late, so I'll just ramble about my day. This morning, we made our way to Manhattan for the functional MRI that I spoke about in the previous post. In 2009, I was in such a different place both mentally,and emotionally. I had anxiety and panic attacks in the MRI machine.

Today was very different. I was in a very positive mood and ready to tackle the day. The first thing that was done was to place these round stickers on my head as you see in the photo above. They are utilized by the neurosurgery team with regard to mapping out my brain. They strapped me into the head "cage" thingy, which is tough because it is very close to my big, Italian nose!. I have learned from previous experiences to ask that the mirror attachment be set-up. This allows me to see out of the machine, which makes it a little more tolerable. I can then see the technicians and radiologist on the other side of the glass. The technician also put on these large headphones so I could hear her giving me directions. These headphones were so big, and they squished against my ears and it became more painful as the test continued. Soon after the test started, the functional section began. First, I was told to wiggle my fingers and move my tongue around with my mouth closed. She had me repeat this 3 or 4 times. Next, I was told to think of words that started with D, then, T and a couple of others. Finally, I was asked to think about different types of fruit and then names of countries. When I followed these directions, different sections of the brain apparently lit up on their screen. This information is then used by the Neurosurgeon during surgery to protect me from permanent brain damage. When this was completed...the technician let me know and told me that the remainder of the test would be starting soon. I immediately asked if they could take the headphones off. I felt so much better when they agreed. During the remainder of the test, I was allowed to fall asleep, which I did from time to time. I remained very calm and I was very proud of myself when it was finally over. It was a total of about 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the machine.

Soon after leaving the hospital, Dr. Gutin's office called to notify me that I need to arrive tomorrow at 5:45am....ugh! I'm in great spirits and totally ready to move forward. I can't believe calm I have been. I think it has been great for the household, because anxiety is easily picked up on by the family. So, here I am, ready to get some sleep before heading in. Mom and Dad just arrived home from Florida and I'll get to see them after surgery. The next several posts will most likely be written by Sue. Thanks for all of your messages of prayers, love and support. BRING IT ON!