[SeamsLikeStitches]

Hope they find something! It was pretty cool! The machine is really loud! It's like being inside a machine gun, maybe that's what it feels like to be inside a tank. You have to wear ear plugs, and they put my head in this contraption that looks like head gear that people with broken necks wear. Then they padded my head all around (to keep me from shaking, due to my tremor in my neck). Then I got lots of pillows under my knees and arms. A nice warm sheet over me, (it was cold inside all that metal!).

Then they slide you inside the tunnel..... and they tell you not to move. That's like telling you not to giggle... or laugh, or think about food , it's all you think about. Did she mean, don't swallow? Can I move my eyes? Should I open my eyes? Should I close my eyes? If I move my eyes will it mess up the images? And you have ear plugs in, so you hear everything around you muffled.
Then you hear her voice, coming in through speakers. She says "can you hear me?" So you answer her... "yes" She says to go ahead and relax, take some deep breaths, and the firt test will take about a minute and a half. During that test, try to stay as still as you can. Well, they've pretty much got me tucked in every where I could move, so I can't do anything but swallow and blink my eyes, so as long as I don't do that, I'm good.

A minute and a half isn't bad.... Really LOUD, but not bad. Lots of clicks... then booms... as the machine goes up your body, then back down. I closed my eyes, because I didn't know if there was a light or something that would hurt my eyes. Also, I thought it would help me to relax if I wasn't watching the machine move around me.

Then there was a two minute test. I did good.
But, the four minute test was a challenge. I swallowed during that one. I was sure I messed it up. When it was finished I asked the attendant if she noticed that I swallowed, she said she didn't see it, so I was fine! she said it must have been at a good time.

I can see how some people get a little claustrophobic inside those machines. It can get pretty tight feeling. It is loud and make you feel "closed in".

I'll find out next week the results of the test.