I was sent to radiology for x-rays of my feet, primarily my big toe joints. Over the last decade I've grown increasingly anxious because my back has grown more painful on a good day and often the positions I'm asked to move into hurt. Both my lumbar and cervical spine have problems and I cannot lie flat without severe pain. Yet that is what was required for these x-rays. However, it wasn't necessary. And I saw various types of wedges nearby as I left that could have been used. I did ask for a second pillow since the one I had wasn't firm at all so my neck wasn't supported. Frankly I will never go back for an x-ray unless I bring my own gear. I now have a folding wedge and I have small pillows.

The other problem was a smooth sheet on top of a slippery surface. My feet kept slipping; there was nothing to grip on to. Nothing I can do about that unless I bring a mat with grip tape on both sides. SMH.

Everything I am finding on google about patient comfort or care in radiology is about alleviating emotional anxiety. How about helping patients who are not in their twenties or thirties not hurt themselves. I'm home icing my back now. I could barely get back into my car and out again once I got home. I was planning on going to the store while I was out but knew I had to come straight home.

My neck hurts too but not like my lower back. I hope I recover enough to enjoy my birthday. I wasn't even expecting to have an x-ray today.

I had the sense that while the x-ray tech was sympathetic, what I was experiencing was so far outside his own experience that he didn't really understand how severe my pain was. And he doesn't need to know--but should have been trained to accommodate it anyway. I'm going to have additional pain for days now--I know how this goes. They ought to have a repertoire of techniques to assist patients with limitations and you should be asked if you need them before you even get on their table. My back and neck didn't need to be in agony for FOOT x-rays.