Alex's First MRI

Alex has had bad headaches and intense pain in his arms and legs. Alex danced up to four hours a week in class last year and to see him in pain, crying that he can't walk, is heartbreaking. His pain started three years ago when I clearly remember talking to him about growing pains and it has gotten progressively worse. After the nightmare with Gabriel, and noticing that he isn't growing quickly, I asked for an MRI for Alex to check for abnormalities, specifically chiari.
When I mentioned my concern about Alex to the room of specialists who were happily enjoying Gabriel's company during a neurologist's appointment, the room went silent. The first person to speak was the neurosurgeon who said that he would have an MRI done for Alex but it's only a ten percent chance that Alex has chiari as well. I didn't mention that our family tends to deal with rare things.
Chiari is a progressive disorder. Worst case scenario includes fatality, permanent nerve damage, and paralysis. Typical symptoms include leg and arm pain, digestive issues, pressure headaches, and much more. Some people have no symptoms from chiari but when chiari is found on an MRI due to symptoms, it's evident what is causing the pain. There are only a couple medication that can be used to help the headaches but they have strong side effects and don't always work. The cost-benefit analysis often shows that the medications aren't worth the risk, especially in young children.
Alex has never had an MRI. Overall, he has been a healthy 8 year old boy. I explained the machine and showed him pictures. I told Alex that he had three choices in order to get through the MRI. He could do the test without medication, with a little liquid medication, or he could go to sleep with medication.
When we arrived at the hospital, Alex was in a great mood. I noticed that he was extremely talkative. It was much like me when I'm nervous because I get chatty or I laugh in an almost inappropriate way in order to deal with my anxiety.
Alex picked out which movies he wanted to watch during the MRI. The anesthesiologist talked to me about the medication he would use if needed. However, Alex told us that there was no reason for medication. He wanted to remember everything. He also asked me to explain how the machine worked and I couldn't remember enough to explain it to him.
We were called in for the MRI. I sat near his head during the MRI and his eyes darted from me to the movie. He laid still the entire time and didn't need any medication.
It was a neat experience to talk to one of my children about a test and what worked best for him. As much as I didn't want to put Alex through the MRI, it was a neat experience to have with him. I was impressed by his bravery and his interest in knowing what was going on throughout the procedure.