MRI Bear

In the early bits of the morning, I gently scooped a sleeping Bunny from her warm and cozy bed, and we drove across town for her MRI. I just wanted it to be over. And I know I couldn't have handled a repeat of the EEG fiasco. I said a little prayer in the car- I begged for this to go well. This test involved IV sedation, and I was nervous about that.

In the waiting room, complete with a too-loud television blaring and giving me a headache, we heard the screaming of the little boy before us. His cries scared me. I glanced over at Bunny, hoping she wouldn't catch me, to see her reaction. She was petrified. I gave her a good squeeze. "Please don't freak out! Please don't freak out!" played on a loop in my mind. I meant it for both of us.

As the nurse lead us back into the IV room, the little boy before us was brought in to wake up. He was Bunny's age. And his Mom sat on the foot of his bed in tears.

No. Bad. This is not a good way to start things out!

My heart went out to that woman. She was so scared. She looked how I felt in the early weeks of all this testing and specialists. I was fighting back the tears for her... for me... for her little baby... for mine.

The Anesthesiologist came in and inserted her IV. No crying. Not even a flinch from my little trooper! I wanted to jump off that gurney and do an end-zone dance. Boo-yah! My baby rocks! The sleepy drugs burned in her IV, but that was the only hiccup. She fell right to sleep on my shoulder and was carried into the MRI room to have her beautiful head scanned.

The mother of the young boy across from us apologized for her tears. I wanted to get up and give her a big hug. In hindsight, I should have. But I was trying to be brave. I need to be the brave one sometimes. I shortly explained that I felt like the medical veteran. It was hard, no doubt. But this was just a taste of what my past two months have been.

I didn't cry in the waiting room even. If the crazy lady with all the newspapers hadn't been there, I might have, though. Why is there always a crazy person in every waiting room? It must be some kind of requirement. The crazy quotient in every waiting room.

Before her IV was plugged in, the sweet nurse brought Bunny a little green bear. I could see this nurse saw exactly how nervous my little munchkin was. That bear made Bunny's day. She has cradled that bear the whole day, never letting it out of her sight. That odd green Beanie Baby with a soccer ball on the front.

I was called back into that room as Bunny was getting ready to wake up. I stroked her hair, whispered in her ear, I searched her face for any sign that she was coming to. That ten minutes was the longest of my life. I knew that she'd wake up. Her vitals were fine. However I simply couldn't breathe until she opened her eyes and crawled into my waiting lap. Happily, we triumphantly walked out of there and went home to show Papa Bunny's bandage and green bear. My little Bunny was back to her adorable little self.

Yes, we're still waiting on tests. We'll get the results of the MRI soon, I'm sure. For now at least, I have two amazing and splendid little girls who stuff my life full of whimsy and laughter. And that's enough for now.