On the second last Sunday before Christmas I went through to another hospital appointment. I went to the MRI unit for a scan in the clanky tunnel – only it was a modern one and the clanks were beeps – but I was subjected to this procedure for what seemed eternity (an hour and forty minutes) and I don’t know whether it was long because I was breathing or just the necessary time taken to get clear pictures. But the machine spat me out only seconds before the squeals had finally gotten to me and I pressed the panic button! Lucky not to have to admit to my fears…

I won’t know what the pictures show until a follow-up neuro appointment but they did say when booking it that I hadn’t had one at Addenbrooke’s in a while. Well not for my brain but I’ve had a few for the other health issues I’ve been endowed with. There is one at Lister and a standup one at Welwyn. The latter is also not noisy but you are left alone when the radiographer presses the buttons.

The Addenbrookes ‘bed in a tunnel’ MRI is super new and not clanky as I’ve said but they replaced the clanks with squeals and beeps. Not sure which is worst to be fair. Over an hour and forty minutes of trying to remember whether I have to hold my breath or keep breathing and no one telling me over the speakers like they do in Lister. But if the beeps were also indicative of something a patient is supposed to do, they DIDN’T tell me!

Results will follow but hopefully in person not by post as the appointment letter arrived on Wednesday, so I was fortunate also to have received text info prior to my appointment.