MRI-i-i-i

This morning, my 4 year old son had an MRI. He routinely gets ultrasounds to check for the childhood cancers he is at risk for due to to his syndrome. Those are easy, a piece of cake.

Not so, the MRI.

He started out chipper, despite the fact tht he was denied all food and beverage this morning. We had a great time beforehand, and even the IV start wasn't too bad. A balloon man came around and made him a dog, a hat and a sword. He thoroughly enjoyed wielding the sword while we waited to go back (see yesterday's post, re: violence). He got numerous stickers and a sucker for after the procedure. He was pumped about going to sleep and getting his tummy's picture taken in the big machine.

When it was our turn to go back, he did great as they gave him the sedation drug in his IV. He drifted off, needing only 3/4 of the allowable dose. I waited outside, reading People (I seem to have a penchant for that magazine in waiting rooms). Soon they came out and said they had to readjust some of the equipment that had shaken loose when he coughed.

It was all downhill from there.

He was coming out of the sedation and trying to sit up. They gave him the last 1/4 of the dose, but to no avail. The remainder of the tests were not going to happen. We gave up and moved him to recovery. He immediately asked for his balloon sword and began fussing and crying. For the next forty-five minutes, he tried to sit up, stand, push me away, grouch and whine, all while brandishing the sword.

Right before they released us, he began begging to go school. By the time we were home, he was in full, hysterical tantrum mode. He screamed at a fevered pitch for another half hour. Finally, he passed out in my lap on the couch.

I wonder if I could snag some of that sedation drug. . .