NewMexiKen had an MRI this morning to see if all of my spinal disks are herniated or just most of them. (Indeed, one of the reasons for my break in blogging last month was to see if less time at the computer would make the lower back and, more recently, leg pain go away. Stopping for more than a week didn’t help. Jacuzzis do though.)
Anyway, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) takes place while you are inserted in a narrow tube. I have enough claustrophobia that this otherwise straightforward procedure freaks me out. I had to been taken out of one a couple of years ago, but decided I would tough it out today. And I did, really without too much anxiety.
Claustrophobia is generally defined as a fear of enclosed places. Actually though it’s a fear of not having an escape route. For anyone who experiences it, the overriding characteristic of claustrophobia is the feeling that you need to be able to get out quickly — and, of course, you can’t.
Phobias are interesting in the way that those who don’t have them fail to grasp what it’s like for those who do. In an effort to be helpful one of the attendants asked if I would like a cloth over my eyes. Well, no, thank you for asking though. Covering my eyes could only make it worse.