‘I couldn’t figure out what I had done to my back or how to ease the pain’
“I’m … supposed to fit … in that?” I eyed the narrow opening of the MRI machine warily. The hole – or the bore as the technician called it – looked so … small.
Whatever. The size didn’t really matter, I was in so much pain that I would have squeezed my 6’4” frame into a cardboard box if they’d told me it would help lead to answers and a solution for my back.
I had been suffering from debilitating back pain for almost a year. The pain started in my lower back and despite exercise, relaxing baths, stretching and massage, nothing seemed to get rid of it.
And the pain just kept getting progressively worse. To the point where I was in tears getting out of bed in the mornings. I couldn’t move the way I was used to – and it was so frustrating.
But on a cool November afternoon, my doctor sent a referral for me to have an MRI. Finally! A step in the right direction! I waited.
And waited.
While I waited, I remember the daily pain and discomfort. I remember not being able to ride my bike, squirming in my chair at work and having to stand, only for that to become unbearably uncomfortable after a brief period of time.
I remember not being able to go for a walk in the park or even manage the pain for long enough to buy groceries for the week. I had to get my friends to carry things for me, or stop and wait for me while I took a ‘back break.’
My quality of life was suffering. I was one frustrated 28-year-old.
It took just under three months for me to get the MRI. I consider myself pretty fortunate because I know that there are people who wait much longer than that.
So there I was, lying on a narrow slab, slowly being moved into the bore of the MRI – the donut hole, as I liked to think of it. My shoulders rubbed on either side of the opening and I couldn’t make myself any smaller, no matter how I tried. It was a little uncomfortable but what really got me was suddenly feeling incredibly claustrophobic – something I had never experienced before. I felt a bit pinned in position and I wasn’t allowed to move. That was really hard. I had to lie very still while the machine whirred and clunked until it was all done.
The MRI made all the difference for me. It was the only test that was able to determine the cause of my back pain, which turned out to be a bulging disc. Because of that scan, my doctors were able to diagnose my issue, which resulted in a treatment plan to reduce my pain and start on the path to healing.
Prior to the MRI, I was so frustrated because I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. I couldn’t figure out what I had done to my back or how to ease the pain and I couldn’t understand why my body wasn’t just healing itself.
Suddenly, it all made sense. After the MRI, I understood why bending a certain way hurt, and why the physical therapist was having me do certain exercises. That scan was the start of my healing journey and was absolutely invaluable.
I know that there are a lot of people out here experiencing similar pain and I feel for them. I know first-hand how uncomfortable and frustrated they must be – waiting in pain for a scan that can make all the difference and change their quality of life for the better.
Bringing this 3T MRI to Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) is important to me, not only because I may need it in the future, but because it will increase capacity for MRI scans at KGH which will reduce wait times for patients, and it will help our clinicians provide faster, more accurate diagnoses.
On Day of Giving, please help bring this advanced technology closer to home. It is a gift for all of us.
“While I waited, I remember the daily pain and discomfort. I remember not being able to ride my bike, squirming in my chair at work and having to stand, only for that to become unbearably uncomfortable after a brief period of time. ”
Michelle B.