Waiting

Unfortunately, things haven't gotten any better with my back. I had an MRI yesterday and get the results back tomorrow. The MRI was a real challenge for me. I am extremely claustrophobic and while it was an "open" MRI with the sides open, the machine is still only 17 inches at the most from the face. It was a long 28 minutes.

They had me lie down with my feet propped up with a pillow under my knees. Then then moved the table into the machine. My husband had warned me how loud an MRI is (think jackhammer noises). The tech gave me headphones and played music, but I couldn't even make out the words part of the time because the machine was so loud. Luckily, the extremely loud part comes and goes.

The tech also gave me a panic button if I needed it. The first two minutes, I was really tempted not only because of the anxiety but because I wanted to make sure it worked. But I didn't. I also wanted to have asked him to count down in 5-min increments so I'd know how much time was left. Too late for that question too.

I decided I would figure out the timing on my own. I'd asked for the local station that plays Christmas music. I figured that each song lasts 2 to 3 minutes. So surely after 10 songs, the test would be over. I tried to do deep breathing to relax, let my mind wander to my favorite beach (Destin, FL) and count songs. Sure enough, after roughly 7 songs and several commercials, it was over.

My back actually felt better during the test than any other time in the last several days. So now I'm spending a good portion of my day on the family room floor and pillows under my knees. It is actually the only time I am almost painfree.

If this is a bulging disc, looks like no running for a few months while I do therapy and focus on strengthening my core, etc. Thank goodness it's winter here in Ohio. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my favorite running months of the year.

OK, I've been sitting at the computer for 10 minutes or so and the pain is saying "time's up." That's it for now.