Trust, Courage, and Faith

After two days in ICU, I was moved to acute care. Shortly after arriving in acute care, a nurse appeared and announced I was scheduled for an MRI. Off we went to the MRI area. I was wheeled into the MRI room where two technicians and a nurse were waiting for me. The room now contains the nurse that accompanied me to the MRI (she had the doctor’s orders on a clipboard), my wife Audrey, the two technicians and the MRI nurse.

There was a problem. The techs were curious if I had staples in my head. No metal can go through an MRI because the MRI generates a strong magnetic field. Metal staples would be pulled out if exposed to an MRI field. I was asked if I had metal staples. Of course, I had no idea. A quick inspection confirmed that I did. Next, a round of discussion ensued to determine if I should or should not be placed through the MRI. The techs refused unless Dr. Rose, my surgeon, confirmed the order. Dr. Rose was paged. He arrived shortly to explain the MRI was very important at this critical point. He further explained the MRI would not pop out the staples in my head. (Helpful hint, ALWAYS close your eyes BEFORE entering the MRI chamber and keep your eyes closed.)

Meanwhile, I was becoming uncomfortable and anxious. Without my asking or complaining, the MRI nurse walked over to the gurney where I lay on my back motionless and felt my bladder. She concluded my bladder was full and she drained my bladder. I had 1100 cc of urine, where 500 cc is considered a full bladder. I felt much better and was no longer uncomfortable or anxious.

The decision was made I should be placed through the MRI. The MRI techs were outwardly concerned as they positioned me on the MRI table. They placed a ball on my chest. They said if I squeezed the ball an alarm would sound and they would stop the test immediately. They went on to explain I should not hesitate to squeeze the ball if my head started to feel hot or if I could tell the staples in my head were becoming warm.

The test began. I was nervous. I began to try and sense if there was any extra heat on my head. I remember hearing Dr. Rose indicate the importance of the MRI. I was afraid. In an instance, the word TRUST jumped into my head. I began to ponder the word trust. I should trust Dr. Rose. I should trust the MRI machine and the engineers who designed and built it. I was still afraid. The word COURAGE jumped into my head. Now I understood, TRUST requires COURAGE. Having both TRUST and COURAGE, I calmed down and was no longer afraid. I concluded I would not press the alarm. I began to pray, thanking Jesus for the lesson, and the MRI test was over. When I got out of the MRI, everyone seemed relieved.