Did you ever have an MRI scan? (I sure hope you didn’t and you wont EVER). Is it only me, or is this thing a torture machine?
My doctor recommended I have an MRI scan a while ago; as it is the case with almost all doctors here in Dubai, no matter how silly or serious your complaint is, they’d request extreme measures, but let’s not get started on that now. Back to the MRI. After a couple of weeks chasing the radiology department, I finally got myself an appointment, in the last week of Ramadan. I went, the doctor there asked me to get changed into the embarrassing hospital gown, and to follow him to the MRI room when I’m done.
It took me exactly 5 minutes to get ready, but just as I was actually going out of the room I took a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror, and thank God I did, or else I would have humiliated myself… because although I was sure I tied up all ropes of the gown, turns out they’re attached to only one side of the gown, I picked a torn gown, which didn’t look that… let’s say “decent” in the end. Luckily I found a bunch of other neatly stacked gowns, I tried them all, only one was appropriate to go out with, so I wrapped it around myself and went out.

Doctor: Ok, there’s where you’ll be lying down on your back, for 30 minutes, no moving, no shaking, no talking, nothing. You stay still, when we’re done I’ll notify you and get you out of there.
Eman: ok (piece of cake). I bravely go there, and it’s not that bad really, a bit cold, but it’s fine, nothing to fear.

The doctor clicks something and in seconds I’m actually INSIDE a horrible horrible machine, I’m facing a wall, all I can see is white, I’m freezing and I FREAK OUT as I hear his footsteps moving away from me.

Eman: WAIT,  listen, do you have to leave? can’t a nurse or anyone stay with me? at least so I’d feel the presence of a human being around?

Doctor: no, no one can stay, but I didn’t leave yet, I went to activate and test the panic button, here you go, you press this if anything goes wrong.

Eman: (What the ?) Panic what? what do you mean?
Doctor: (handing me tiny little earplugs), you MUST put these on right now, or else you’ll… he sees the shock on my face so decides to stuff them in my ears himself… before I can hear the completion of his sentence.
Eman: (freaking out more than ever), I take the earplugs out of my ears: what are these for?
Doctor: the acoustic noise, you wont be able to take the loud frequency of the sound without these, trust me. (And he leaves, as simple as that!)

30 minutes later:
I actually did pretty well, ok I’m freezing,  my back’s stiff and I can’t feel my shoulders or neck, but it wasn’t that scary, I barely even heard a sound, I must say, those earplugs did a great job  for their tiny little size. And as I happily removed them I heard the doctor say: ok get ready.
Eman: for what?
Doctor: there has been a technical problem, we couldn’t start the machine, we’ve been trying to start it for the past 30 minutes, and now it’s finally working, put your earplugs back on, NOW.

To be continued…