Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Finally, A Picture Of Me...



And now for something completely different...

I bring you my chest. Yes, I know, it's a bit adult to be showing a bare chest, but when I saw this x-ray of my chest (taken from the side to help you orient yourself to what you are looking at) at the doctor's office the other day, I had to have a copy. So, 13 phone calls, 2 forms and $20 bucks later, I have my own copy of my own x-ray of my own chest. Granted, I still had to photograph it while holding it up because they don't have copies digitally (hence the horrible bright light in the middle that makes it look like I have been infected with a glow stick), but I finally have a copy.


Why did I want a copy so badly? Well, the red arrow shows my artificial heart valve and the big red circle on the right shows all of the wires that pulled my chest shut (you can click on it for a larger view, that's what she said). And I wonder why I get a stabbing pain down the middle of my chest at times...that's a joke. Honestly, I didn't even know I had wires in me. That's not a joke.

20 comments:

AndreAnna said...

I can see your boobies!

katherine. said...

I pictured you differently...

Patti said...

thanks for explaining that bright white light in the middle of your chest. I was wondering about that.

Patti said...

I just realized you do have a thing for X-rays. I'm thinking of Homer's brain X-ray, of course.

Carrie said...

Iiiiiiinteresting.

Unknown said...

I presume that is your thumb on the left side of the picture? I managed to get a copy of one of my x-rays by just not returning it. Free of charge. Well not really has it cost a couple of hundred to have it taken. I'm entitled. Right?

Awesome Mom said...

Keen! I have always wanted an x-ray of me, but have not had them all that often so the opportunity never presented it's self.

What is even cooler than that is to see the videos they take during a heart cath. It is like a movie that is all x-ray. I got to see Evan's pictures at his last cath. His chest wires showed up quite nicely, plus his pacemaker leads and the coils that they put in some collateral arteries that were growing. He has quite a bit of metal in him too.

x said...

Very handsome photograph of what could quite possibly one of those aliens flying the UFO's in your life. I have tagged you for a "Guilty Pleasures" meme explained on my post today. Participation optional, of course, but I would SO love to see what you come up with, a man with aliens in his chest and flying around his house.

Odat said...

I wonder if you could just plug you IPod into that?
Handsome picture tho. Thanks for sharing.... :-)
Peace

Terri said...

amazing; but it does make you seem a bit more vulnerable seeing stuff like that?

Airam said...

You went through a lot of trouble to get that picture! I say it replaces x-ray Homer!

La Sapphire Fliteur said...

Hey, you are certainly quite a looker, as far as well x-rays go :)

Open Grove Claudia said...

Oh happy dance! What a relief! The pain is just some wires! whoo hoo! Cool value Michael. I think you should frame this one!

Happy dancing ensuing!

Rebecca said...

You actully look kinda like I pictured you - I just wasn't prepared to be flashed your chest!! :-0

Rebecca said...

That, and you baring it all has made me read your blog out of order!!! 8-\

Adam said...

Hey Michael,

Very cool. As a double heart valve surgery patient, would it be alright if I used this picture over at my website?

I wrote a book about my aortic and pulmonary surgery and keep a blog to help future heart valve surgery for future patients and caregivers.

Thoughts? My email is adam@heart-valve-surgery.com.

Cheers,

Adam
Adam's Heart Valve Surgery Blog

C said...

I thought you'd turned into E.T. or something.

So I picture you as the tin man now. (Is it OK to make stupid jokes about stuff like this?)

OK, I still picture you as Homer's X-ray.

I still haven't mailed your books. Urgh. You may flagellate me.

Anonymous said...

MC! IT's you! On your blog! I totally understand the want to have pictures of your X-ray. One of my biggest regrets (other than my love affair with hypercolor clothing in the 80's) was not keeping an X-ray of my foot when I broke it in 4 spots. I just think it would be a great conversation starter on awkward first dates.

Seriously though, wires in you? That's crazy. You are part robot, stronger than an average man now. Remember that.

Anonymous said...

Just came here via Tink's place. Congratulations on your award!

Anyway, when I first saw your x-ray, it looked like a pull-tab in your chest. I just figured in a moment of NASCAR ecstasy, you swallowed a pull-tab by accident...

Unknown said...

Very very cool. Thanks for sharing. Love how clear the valve is on the image.