Today I’m off to Southampton for an MRI scan of my neck. The scan should take about 25 minutes. Getting there and back by bus and train will take roughly five hours.
I’ve got bone spurs in my neck and a recurring sore throat. The doctors want to know if the two are connected. Fair enough. So do I.
What I don’t understand is why I’m going to Southampton when Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham has MRI scanners and is about 40 minutes away.
Perhaps the five-hour journey is part of the examination.
Then there’s the scan itself. Twenty-five minutes lying inside a narrow tube. Not particularly looking forward to that.
And, of course, the safety questionnaire. All those questions about metal in your body. Sensible enough, considering the enormous magnets involved, but I’ve got fillings.
I know ordinary dental fillings are safe, but being warned repeatedly about metal makes you wonder whether your teeth will survive the experience.
Five hours on public transport, 25 minutes in the tube, and the completely irrational possibility that my fillings will explode.
Just another Monday.