Thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions.

I will have an IV placed, because I am a horrid stick, and they cannot get a site once I am in the chilly room. It must be placed before hand, so they wont pull me out for the gad. I have a miracle man who works there on standby. Anytime I go there and need any IV/blood work, he will come.

I have drugs. Xanax, and so forth. I WANT to be half awake for my appointment an hour after the scan. They are going to show me the films, and show me my glioma, and ms lesions. They are going to tell me IF the copaxone is working for me or not. Many questions I want answers to.

IF I get so panicked that I cant take it, a nurse is on standby with a syringe full of drugs. She is happy to zonk me if need be. The MD said he would rather sedate me, and place me in a CLOSED machine, than have me up and in an open one. Since I have the glioma, I MUST do more frequent scans for now. I dont plan on doing this every six months. I will be mental.

I have a pair of black out goggles. They are soft, foam, and will make it completely BLACK! no light at all gets in. I can and will rip that machine apart if I open my eyes and see just how trapped I am.

I have paid a prior visit to the center, while NOT scheduled for any tests, so that I could actually SEE, touch, and examine that machine. its not the scary monster I once thought it to be, but I am still not happy about laying in it.

I have a prior back injury, and muscle spasms that make it hard to lay still for that long. The xanax will help.

it does help me to hear the tech tell me ...1 min test....3 min test...or We are half way done! great job. I need the cheerleader. I LOVE the leg block they place under your knees. I must get me one of them.

My MS center has satillite radio, and you get to chose your music preference. Swing, rock, jazz or country...they wont let you bring in your own music, or I would hear a book on tape. I love being told a story.

One trick I use, is to pretend that I am doing this for my child/kitty/friend. and that I must hold still, and do this for them. Funny how I can do this for my kitty, but struggle so hard to do it for me. I can do this for my child anytime, anyday, anywhere. I just trick myself into thinking its for him/her.

So, I will leave at the crack of dawn Thursday, and be in the scanner at 10:30am EST. out of the scanner by noon.

Thank for all of the support and great tips.