Despite nearly being stuck at O’Hare airport in Chicago due to thunderstorms, my flight managed to depart for Reagan Washington National. For anyone looking for a hotel near the NIH, I’m staying at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda until I’m admitted on Sunday. The Hyatt is very conveniently located right atop a metro station. One transfer between the airport and hotel, very handy.
My next day started at 8AM. The NIH was one stop away on the metro. After checking in through security, I walked to the main building, #10. Registration was relatively quick, with fewer forms than a typical office visit. The nurse who had been corresponding with me via email (Celene) then met me to show me where I’d be going throughout the day. My next stop was at the lab for blood and urine samples. Then to radiology for a chest X-ray. Then to have an EKG. Everything was very efficient, so much so that I finished over an hour earlier than scheduled and had time to take in a light breakfast. The staff has also been very professional all around.
My 3T MRI with spectroscopy was delayed a little, but went without a hitch. It was quite an extensive scan, taking about 1 hour and 10 minutes in the tube. Even with earplugs and headphones, it was fairly noisy. I also had the displeasure to experience the “Endorectal Coil” used to enhance the images. Getting it into place wasn’t very pleasant, but it was tolerable for the rest of the exam. Another set of enhancement coils was set on top of me. Near the end of the scan, they injected me with gadolinium to enhance the last set of images. They also took additional images at without the coils before I was finished. Continue reading First Day at the NIH