Wednesday, January 28, 2009

MRI experience

Pads went for an MRI scan yesterday. He was most worried about the needle and was asking earnestly for it simply not to happen. I may have said this before, but it is striking, considering the amount, level, intensity, frequency of pain he's experienced over the last six months, that, rather than increase his pain tolerance threshold, he sees it coming, recognises it and knows he doesnt want it.
The needle was required to inject dye into his bloodstream so that the scan would show up clearly. In the event, the remarkable skill and patience of the nursing staff meant that, by the evening he didnt even mention that part at all. Higher up in his recollections was the tremendous heat he felt as they injected the saline and then the dye, and, after the scan, the surprising amount of blood that escaped when the syringe carrying the dye was taken out. The scan itself took almost an hour, which is quite an ordeal. Lying inside the scanner when it's going full tilt is deafening and intimidating. Ally was exhausted too, having been denied a chair or a book, she had to stand the whole time watching Pads count the seconds down.
Reading about the raising of Lazarus in the mornings at the moment, as we go through John in our family worship time. I noticed that the Saviour uses essentially the same reply to the disciples as he did to them when the man 'born blind' received his sight (compare chapter 9:3 with chapter 11:4). But this higher purpose does not just apply to great and/or tragic events. It applies to everything. Many wonder, 'Surely, there must be more to life?' - there most certainly is.
Please pray for Pads, he's just popped up, that he'd be well to make and enjoy the long-awaited trip to stay with his Uncle Will and Auntie Vic this weekend. Moli's been, sampling the delights of Borough Market, for example, and so he's been wanting to go to keep up with her.

2 comments:

Susanna said...

He did well- my dads claustrophobia meant that when he needed a scan they could not do it becasue he was shaking so much. Children do have a remarkable ability to cope. When Daniel was in the hdu and they were trying unsucessfully to get lines in him, although he was crying he was not struggling or fighting it...mind you, he was probably too poorly to! Since then we have found that alkthough he does not want the various appointments/injections etc, as long as we explain to him what is happening, he goes along with it anyway.Nothing like what Pads has to face, but I have some concept of the child and hospital emotions.

Mike Johnson said...

Thanks for that message Susanna!