Ever Wanted to Feel Like a Mummy?
Then have an MRI.

I was able to sneak into my MRI 1 1/2 hrs earlier than expected, which was nice, but I hated the experience all the way.

First, I had to lay flat on my back. Not a good thing for someone who can't lay on their back to begin with, let alone doesn't really want to. Then, I had to cross my arms across my ample chest in an effort to make sure my arms didn't interfere with the scan and superimpose images. Okay, normally I don't have a problem, except when I lay down. Then my ample bosom becomes Anna Nicole's bosom. Now cross arms over them. And hold still while they inject you into this long, ivory colored tube *just* big enough for you on the all-around, but long enough for a soccer field. Okay, for the next 35 minutes, don't move and don't think about the claustrophobic fact that even if you wanted to, you could not get out of this death trap, while it makes horrendously loud, rythmic sounds all around you.

I had earplugs and I tried self talk, deep, slow breathing and counting. When the technician would come over the loudspeaker and say "this part of the test takes 4 minutes", which is really my signal to not move whatsoever for 4 minutes, I would start to count. Pretty soon, the rythmic sounds would remind me of something, like a song, and in my head, I would sing the song... and suddenly, the test would be over. Or I imagined I was in a helicopter, flying over Hawaii, lots and lots of open space, looking down at the crystal azure waters - that part of the test was the longest at 5 minutes. I was in flower-covered fields, at an open air concert, swimming with dolphins... anything I could think of that made me feel free.

It took three people to get me off the table.

Needless to say, I made it home, into a hot shower, into jammies and allowed myself the indulgence of both pain medication and a little chocolate. Screw Atkins. I deserved it.

The low carb thing is tougher than I thought. I had the pleasure of grabbing lunch on the go yesterday and spend my entire 30 minutes just LOOKING for somethinG low carb. Besides the fact that because of the lack of refined sugar that my body has depended on for soooo long, my brain seems to be slower, and I feel like I almost have the flu, when I don't. Lorene warned me about it, so I am watching it very, very closely, making sure I eat every 2 hours, and if I feel I am getting a little too low, I will have something with a little carb in it - not go crazy, but something still in my program but on the other side of the low carb sidewalk.

And I did something I can't ever remember doing. I ordered my coffee this morning and bought a bottle of water, too. I have actually been craving water. Something is seriously wrong with me. But it has to be ice cold or it doesn't satisfy my urge. So, so odd.