Woke up in a timely fashion. I had most of everything prepared, and took my sedative in the hour before check-in timeframe. Unfortunately after that point I started forgetting things. Like putting the milk in my instant breakfast. Oops.

Forgot to bring my purse. Realized this at the check-in desk. Got checked in anyway.

Belovedest had to park across the street, so was a little later than I expected in catching up with me, but arrived before I went upstairs.

I felt equal to walking when I didn't see anyone at the pushchair coordination podium, and it wasn't that far. Technically.

They did have a None Of Your Clothes policy, due to the amount of modern cloth that has unannounced metal fibers in it, which are a burn risk even if they don't try to fly into the magnet. I abandoned my glasses at the locker (cranky about it but with no discussion other than inquiring whether I could bring any ferrous objects past the waiting room, because I wear glasses), along with my cane and clothes. The pants were large enough for the legs part of my lower half, but I did wear a gown rightwise and another backwards as a jacket to avoid showing a plumber's crack. For my next MRI, I will request some kind of cloth to put between my tits and the rest of me, since that could conceivably be a burn hazard. (I've been reading up on MRI literature afterwards, it's a great rabbit hole to go down.)

I have the one dental implant which is titanium and been in there substantially longer than 6 weeks. I did some metalwork as a teenager, but between using hand tools and having eye protection, I was unlikely to have metal splinters. I'd taken the precaution of removing all my jewelry the night before, except for my watch, which I'd left with Belovedest (along with my phone).

I left my mask and locker key on a counter in the same room as the instrument, got a new mask without a metal nosepiece, and got positioned on the bed. Since they were scanning my hip, they couldn't prop my knees up as far as they ordinarily would, but I did get a pillow. Also some stuff around my feet and what must have been "coils" on top of my midsection. I had my arms over my head, but that was a bad decision due to my bad left shoulder. I got a pair of what I learned are called pneumatic headphones (similar to classic airplane style) with fascinating clear sides (I guess the better to see whether the earplugs had fallen out) and a squeeze bulb to hold in my hand and signal that I had a problem or Things To Say.

I requested "Alternative" as my music genre, but the first two songs on that playlist were both Nickelback or near enough as to make no difference. I was already uncomfortable enough and going into the THIRD Nickelback song after an ad break was enough to break me a little. I squeezed the bulb, and allowed that pop or rock would work. There was some audible futzing with the inputs, and after a clip of one of the SAME Nickelback songs as before, I got some nice classic rock. This saw me through to the end of the first set of scans, even though my butt was going numb in there and my shoulder was Having A Moment. (I was actively distressed and did rearrange my arms a little, putting the bad one over my eyes and giving myself permission to cry if that would help me remain still. I didn't cry, but I thought about it.)

I got the contrast put in by a second guy, and since it was gadolinium based (and they described that as a heavy metal in the handout, even though I see it's technically a rare earth), I requested heavy metal as my genre for the next portion. I enjoyed this much better than the alternative and classic rocks, because heavy metal is very suited to a rhythmic buzz remix. My position was also improved, with my hands on my belly and elbow pads to keep me from coming into contact with the long doughnut tube.

That scan was shorter, and the second guy rolled me back out, and lowered the bed closer to the ground so I could get off more safely, and gave me a hand up. I reversed my clothing with much more ease than I'd done the original procedure.

I was still loopy, and declared that now was probably not a good time for a burger, because I didn't think I'd have time to eat it before it would be time to leave for the next appointment.

The jewelry was in my purse, so I put my omnipresent necklace and medical alert bracelet back on, and my usual ring, and the enamel pin I'd selected for the circumstances of the next appointment.

Last week's Monday and Wednesday trips to handle the car situation did interfere, just a bit, with my hydration. The weekend had been rather hot as well. So I'd gone into this week giving my thanks for phenazopyridine hydrochloride. I also scheduled a Wednesday afternoon appointment with my primary care. Whee.

She appreciated my pin. There was also an encounter with some Conservatives in the waiting room. That was Less Great. The emergency cord in the bathroom was still knotted around the rail. Also Not Good.

We got a burger on the way home. Yay. I have started to compile a shame-cleaning agenda for the visit of Belovedest's family in July.