[2023-01-20] Passing the time in an MRI

I went to the General Campus of The Ottawa Hospital this evening for a pelvic MRI and was struck by how eerily quiet the hospital entrance was. Gone were the lineups, the COVID screeners and the tablets for self-screening. I walked directly to the MRI department.

Today's MRI was a follow-up on my perianal skin cancer. After completing radiation treatment in February 2022, my radiation oncologist had ordered an MRI. She had requested it for September, but with the backlogs in the system and the low priority of my request, I was told that it might take a year before I would get the diagnostic test.

However, because I had put my name on a cancellation list, I got an opportunity to fill a spot when others cancelled. I was given three options: Friday at 5:30 PM or Saturday at 7:30 PM or 9:30 PM. I opted for the earliest appointment.

During my last pelvic MRI, just over a year ago, I used this technique to stay calm during all the clanging and banging:

I pictured myself in various situations, depending on the sound. For example, I imagined that I was stepping onto a train (the Orient Express, to be more precise) and hearing a conductor call out: "All aboard!" I envisioned myself diving deep beneath the waves. I fancied myself playing laser tag. I dreamed that I was at a rock concert. I visualized myself operating a jackhammer. It was quite amusing, and very effective. The time passed quickly.

Today, I thought about Portuguese. Since I had passed my time in the waiting room doing Duolingo, my brain was primed for thinking about languages. When I got into the MRI, I closed my eyes and translated English sentences into Portuguese: Eu gosto de biscoitos. (I like cookies.) Eu como uma maçã. (I eat an apple.) Obrigada, mas eu não bebo álcool. (Thank you, but I do not drink alcohol.) Later, I imagined entering my house, and pointing out all the objects: a porta (the door), a janela (the window), a sala de estar (the living room), a sala de jantar (the dining room), a cozinha (the kitchen), o banheiro (the bathroom).

In no time, the MRI was done, and I had ticked one more item off my health to-do list.