Follow up to gamma knife

Tomorrow I go for my follow up brain MRI. It's been seven weeks since I had the gamma knife procedure and the doctors follow up with a repeat brain scan to see how things are progressing (or hopefully, not progressing). Mine is scheduled for 8:15 AM (uggh - I hate getting up early). The good news is that I see the neurologist later that same morning to get the results. Watch this space for news, we hope good news. 

The thing about a brain MRI is that you have to go all the way into the MRI tube. I don't think of myself as particularly claustrophobic, but there's something about being completely inside the MRI tube that makes me more than uncomfortable. I wear an eye mask (one of the best cancer-related gifts I've received!); the machine blows cool air over my face and torso; the technicians give me ear plugs to cut down on the clanging and banging; and of course, I take some Ativan to take the edge off my anxiety. The downside on Ativan is that it is sedating. I have to take enough to be relaxed but not so much that I fall asleep for hours afterward. I sure wouldn't mind falling asleep in the MRI tube but I want to be alert for the report!