I Fell

I suppose it's one of those inevitable things that you are waiting for and just wanting to get it out of the way.   I must admit, I assumed my first fall would be on an icy/snowy walkway, and that I'd crack my head on concrete. I know I have the tendency to do things I might not be ready for, or to overdo things, but it didn't happen that way either. It still hurts when it happens ... and with witnesses, is mildly embarassing. While it felt like a real smack, judging by the lack of people rushing to my aid, the general population must have felt that I was just fine.  Which I was, generally.

What irritated me most is that I shouldn't have fallen in the first place ... I just forgot. In that brief moment I forgot that I can't reach, turn and stay vertical all at the same time any more.  Vertical multi-tasking is out.

What irritated me second most is that I KNOW how to fall and in that moment I fell wrong.  I'm lucky I didn't break my wrists (they hurt like the dickens this morning but there isn't anything pysically wrong with them).  I know how my arms are supposed to catch my fall, but I did it totally wrong.

What irritated me third most is that I didn't do anything else to break my fall properly and I landed hard on my butt. Judging by the pain in my back muscles this morning, I gave myself quite the jolt, and judging by the sore butt, I'm going to end up with quite the bruise in a couple of days.  That'll be sexy.

All that being said, I'm happy with my fall and I know I'll get no sympathy for it.  But maybe it will provide hope to people out there in my situation who are earlier in the process of recovery.  When you have balance issues there are things you think you may never do again.

I fell because I briefly forgot that I can't jump, turn and reach all at the same time.

But I was throwing a football with my son, on the beach.

Shot Up and Shoved in a Tube

MRI is such a fancy acronymn ... really it should be called a STPROS .. A "St. Pros".   Screaming Toilet Paper Roll on Steriods. 

Friday was my six month follow up MRI.  Well ... it was supposed to be at six months, but maybe I kinda ignored the letter in the mail from the hospital thinking it was a donation request and missed my original appointment.  Yup, hospital was super-pleased with me about that. They got their revenge by rescheduling me for 8:30am on a Friday morning ... not so bad, except that I live an hour away from this particular hospital.

I arrive, duly contrite, with all required documentation filled out properly and am actually ushered in ON TIME !  Wow .. didn't know that happened. 

Now, I've had these before.  Several.  But this was different. 

Technician "we're doing your back?"
Me "yup"
Technician "wearing any jewellery?"
Me "nope"
Technician "wearning anything metal?"
Me "nope" (no bra, decked in full sweats and no shower - I was a prize)
Technician "Okay then, let's go"

No gown? clothes on? shoes on?  AWESOME! It was like going through airport security somewhere other than the US.  Shoes stayed on, laptop in the bag, liquids are allowed.

The MRI itself was easy-breezy.  I have zero claustrophobia issues and was comfortable ... if anything mostly bored.  A few "pictures", then the gadolinium experience.  I get the nausea.  Not a common side effect but you'll find it buried in the fine print if you research gadolinium side effects.  Inject chemical, wait for it ... wait for it ... wait for it ... there it is !!!  Wave of nausea rolls through me and just as I think I'm going to hurl my cookies on the technician, it passes, and back I go into the Screaming Toilet Paper Roll on Steroids.

Round two .. slightly different and I'm sure, had the technician peeked through the window, he would have thought I was loony.  The MRI starts up, screams into my ear and I start laughing.

The sound is the exact music to Dragonette's Hello ... and I can't stop singing it in my head as the MRI goes on.