More Checks
I went back into Addenbrooke’s today to have the arteries in the neck checked. Apparently, if they’re clogged these can be a cause of strokes.
But mine were fine. Or at least the ultrasound guy said that it wasn’t necessary for me to see a doctor.
I will be thankful for small mercies.
By the way, I’ve had a few ultrasound scans and seen lots with horses, and this is another technology that gets better and better.
I Can Still Ride a Bicycle
Just went out and rode round the buildings on my bike.
So that all works!
Indian Premier League on ITV4
I like the Indian Premier League. It’s good fun and when I’m trying to relax, as I am today, it fills the day.
Unusually, the female presenter, Mandira Bedi, is in a sari. That is very appropriate, welcomed and adds to the enjoyment of the whole programme.
Experiencing an MRI Scan
I’ve heard from several people that they don’t like MRI scans. My late wife didn’t, as she found them claustrophobic and noisy. I’ve had two; one on my shoulder and the other yesterday on my brain. They are both, but at least in the second, I was able to see out through a mirror. I’ve also had a CT scan in Naples and apart from the technology, that was a similar experience, although less noisy.
So how does an MRI scan work. This is the first paragraph of an excellent article in Wikipedia.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI), is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structure and limited function of the body. MRI provides much greater contrast between the different soft tissues of the body than computed tomography (CT) does, making it especially useful in neurological (brain), musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and oncological (cancer) imaging. Unlike CT, it uses no ionizing radiation, but uses a powerful magnetic field to align the nuclear magnetization of (usually) hydrogen atoms in water in the body. Radio frequency (RF) fields are used to systematically alter the alignment of this magnetization, causing the hydrogen nuclei to produce a rotating magnetic field detectable by the scanner. This signal can be manipulated by additional magnetic fields to build up enough information to construct an image of the body.
Note that they call the technique by its real name NMRI. It was called that when I worked on an NMR machine in 1969 at ICI Mond Division. I seem to remember that the guy who ran the department, Eddie Clayton, claimed that one day it will be used instead of X-rays. I don’t think he was believed, but then the first images were taken in 1973, so it wasn’t far off.
The Wikipedia article also explains all the noise.
…These fields are created by passing electric currents through solenoids, known as gradient coils. Since these coils are within the bore of the scanner, there will be large forces between them and the main field coils, producing most of the noise that is heard during operation. Without efforts to dampen this noise, it can approach 130 decibels (the human pain threshold) with strong fields.
So it’s just mechanical interaction and not somebody trying to operate on your head with a road drill. I’m partly deaf, or rather I have frequencies missing, so it doesn’t bother me.
But the real power of MRI scans is that show the body in amazing detail that enables problems to really be diagnosed. In the first use of the technique they looked at my shoulder that had given me trouble all my life. They ascertained that there was no serious problem and that exercise rather than surgery was the best way to proceed. That was good news, not like yesterday’s.
But only a few years ago, neither diagnosis would have been possible.
Dribbling in Style
I now dribble and find drinking difficult.
Today, I’m going to find some large linen napkins, so that at least I can do it in style.
Cannulas
I’ve never had a cannula fitted until yesterday. As Addenbrooke’s might have wanted to take a lot more, they fitted one.
I didn’t feel it all day and today, I just have a slight mark on my arm.
So don’t worry about having one fitted. There are worse things in life.
I’ve Had a Stroke
Yesterday morning, I woke up about five and I felt rather strange around my top lip. I was dry and put a lot of this down to half-a-bottle of red wine the night before. I thought nothing more of it until after I went downstairs and tried to talk to one of my overnight guests in the kitchen. My speech was all slurred.
In the end I phoned NHS Direct and they put me in touch with the on-call doctor, who phoned within about fifteen minutes. He suggested that I get to hospital quickly, as it was a possible stroke.
Perhaps by a quarter past eight, I’d been driven to A&E at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. I was interviewed by a triage nurse and then registered. I then had all the usual tests and the feeling from the doctors was that it was more likely a virus that had got in a facial nerve.
But they wanted me to have an MRI scan just to make sure.
But as it was Monday and that is usually a busy day, so they were talking about an overnight stay in hospital. But I’ve never spend a night in hospital since our first child was born over forty years ago and I really didn’t want to break that seqence now. But luckily I got a cancellation.
If you’ve never had an MRI scan, everybody warns you about the noise and claustrophobia. It’s not too bad, although I’d like to see a big counter that would tell you how long each phase has got left. I had a small window and I could she the reflection in the glass of a counter, but I couldn’t read it. Although, I could tell when it was coming to the end, as a digit disappeared. This was my second scan.
I said luckily I got a cancellation, but perhaps it was unlucky as it confirmed I’d had a stroke. And this had not been the first, as there appeared to be another older one.
I saw the Stroke Team before I left with my middle son at about five.
How do I feel now? Miserable! But at least the fact that I’m fit might have meant that the stroke wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
At least I was able to eat a good meal last night.
Perhaps the worst thing is that I won’t be able to drive for a month!
The Anonymous Widower 