My New Life: Purr-fect Peace

Ok, let me make sure I understand this correctly. You want me to lie down on a tiny little bed and then they will slide me into this giant magnet for about 30 minutes??!! All of this AND I have to lie perfectly still?

But I am claustrophobic AND I am more anxious NOW that I have Interstitial Cystitis (IC), Fibromyalgia, IBS, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Vulvodynia, etc. etc.!! But I knew a MRI would be the next suggestion.

Since I have had sciatica http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/tc/sciatica-topic-overview
for over 8 months now I went to my "regular" family doctor. At first he ordered an EMG or Electromyogram. This simple test given by a Neurologist measures the electrical activity of muscles at rest and during contraction. After the EMG was over I asked the Neurologist what he thought. He said something similar to "It confirms that you have sciatica." Hmmm, I already knew that, but I guess that was the first step when choosing to go the "Western Medical" route.

When the pain first started I was going to Physical Therapy. I told my therapist that I have chronic pain and numbness that starts in my bottom and goes all the way down the back of my left leg and into my foot. The constant pain is usually on the 5-6.5 scale. When it is really bad it is 7-8. This is not an unbearable pain, but it makes it hard to sit or stand for more than 10 minutes without pain. And as I have mentioned in other posts, if the seat is hard, forget about it!!! I just can't deal with the pain.

At the end of my treatments my therapist was mainly focusing on my Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, sciatica and pudendal nerve pain. She did connective tissue mobilization, stressed the need for and showed me exercises for core stabilization and taught me stretches to do at home. We even tried a few rounds of "dry needling" just for fun...just kidding it was NOT fun, but I was desperate!! It didn't help me.

The thought of the MRI made me very anxious. I asked the group at my Bible Study to pray for me. After Bible Study a friend came up to me and said "I will be praying for you." She went on to say that she had a fear of water, but when she was baptized (in a river) that the Peace of God came over her and she was fine. I felt like the guy who was bonked on the forehead in the V8 juice commercial...why didn't I think of that? I just needed to ask God for his peace.

It didn't make me feel any better that the doctor's office waited until the day before the MRI to call and ask me all those questions to see if you are able to have the test done. But the strangest thing happened during this conversation. After the young lady asked all the questions she said "Well, you are healthy, so you can have the test." I said "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute I'm not healthy I have IC, Fibro, etc. etc. She said "My Mom has IC."

She went on to explain that her mother suffers a lot and is constantly trying new treatments. This is usually the case with most of us IC patients, because there is "no one cure fits all" plan. Most of the time there is much adversity in the life of an IC patient. As I fought back the tears I asked her to please share my blog address with her Mom. I also let her know that the ICA has a Facebook page for support. I told her that I haven't met anyone in my hometown that is struggling with IC and I would love to make a connection with her if she is interested.

The next morning when I had the MRI I took the medication that the doctor prescribed to help calm my nerves. The technician covered me with a blanket, gave me earplugs and asked if I wanted a washcloth to cover my eyes. I said yes to the washcloth and lied down on the table and continued to pray for God's Peace. By the time the MRI was over I was asleep...talk about Peaceful!