Isla had an MRI at the Women’s and Children’s hospital scheduled for the week following her last EUA in Melbourne, but this was postponed as we were in self-isolation. The MRI was rescheduled for Tuesday the 21st of April; a couple of days after our self-isolation period was over.
The MRI ran pretty smoothly, admission time was 11am, so Isla had to fast from 7am. She was second on the afternoon list, which started at 1pm. We headed in to the hospital at about 10am. COVID screening at the door was pretty straightforward, we just had to answer a few questions. Instead of being admitted through the busy day surgery area, we had to be admitted through a ward. After standing at the nurses’ station being ignored for a good 5-10 minutes, we were eventually admitted and shown to our room. Having our own room was great as Isla had started toilet training during isolation and having our own bathroom available made it much easier to continue with that. A nurse came in to complete some obs and all of Isla’s admission paperwork. Again, Isla did a really good job and stuck out her finger for the pulse oximetry monitor, held out her arm for the blood pressure cuff and held still for her temperature to be taken under her arm.
An anaesthetist then came in to complete their paperwork. I mentioned we had been experimenting with pre meds in Melbourne and that the last EUA was quite successful using a nasal spray, but I was certainly happy not to worry about a premed if he didn’t think she needed it. He thought she would be fine without it. He said they should be ready for Isla around 2pm and left us to it.
Just before 2pm I started getting Isla ready and in her gown. As I was doing so, the nurse and orderly came in to take her down to MRI. I walked down with her and we waited in the holding bay for the paperwork to be completed. Another anaesthetist came to do their final checks before bringing her in. She actually did really well with the gas mask without a pre med and didn’t fight much at all. She went off to sleep well and I left them to it.
I went and got something to eat while she had her MRI, as I basically had to fast with her from 7am. I came back to the hospital and waited in our room for her to return. Isla didn’t spend long in recovery and was able to come back to the room as soon as she woke up. She was back in our room just before 4pm. She was still pretty sleepy, but soon woke up a little bit more and had plenty to eat and drink. Isla hardly even cried when the nurse removed the cannula from her foot, which is not usually the case! We were discharged just before 5pm and as always Isla was 100% back to herself as soon as we stepped outside the hospital.
Having something to eat after waking up
I had a phone appointment scheduled for that Friday with our oncologist to discuss the results of the MRI and she called me Friday evening. The MRI report had not actually been done yet, but from what she could see and what the radiology registrar told her, everything looked pretty similar to her last MRI. Her main lesion was still a similar size (although we believe it is hopefully all dead), it is all still contained to her eyes and her brain is still clear.
© Alison Davey 2021