MRI Nightmare

Sometimes life throws us curve balls when we turn our head to look at the umpire and we get hit in the back of the head. That happened to me this week. Our son needed an MRI to check for a condition called tethered chord. Since coming home M. has been a toe walker and has struggled with potty training. At 6 he still needs to be told to use the bathroom during the day or he wets himself. Previous doctors have told us this was a behavioral issue, saying his ADHD is so severe he is not in touch with his bodily needs (this would go along with the fact that he is "never" hungry). His pediatrician changed her mind at his yearly appointment and decided there must be something medically wrong and so sent us for an MRI.

Having had an MRI myself I figured it would be no problem. M. is not claustrophobic, but I did not account for the fact that he would have to be still for an hour. When the radiologist called to ask if my son could stay still for an hour, I laughed. What 6 year old could stay still in one place for an hour, especially one with severe ADHD? They said no problem they could give him some mild anesthesia. Just bring him in with an empty tummy.

MRI day came and M. only had his medicine with a sip of water before heading out to the hospital. Nothing prepared me for what happened there. He had been "under" before when he had his ear tubes in and out and that was a breeze. Just breath in the medicine and drift off to sleep.

Not this time.

He fought the anesthesiologist, crying and kicking his legs. They finally had me leave (I guess my anxiety was showing) and I spent the next hour reading my Bible and praying my son would be okay. When they brought me back to the recovery area he was throwing up in his sleep and again kicking his legs. He spent the next 20 minutes vacillating between throwing a fit (screaming, kicking his legs, crying) and sleeping!

The nurse assured me he was fine to go home and was trying to usher us out. I told her he really should go to the potty first and I had to argue with her to let me take him. I was uncomfortable taking him home (as I was on this adventure solo) but had no choice. He finally calmed down by the time he was going to the car. He only threw up once on

the way home but spent the rest of the day with a sick tummy. Needless to say, after the much needed bubble bath, we spent the rest of the day watching movies. I was just as spent emotionally as he was physically and SO thankful it was all over.

The good news is the MRI was clear.