I had an MRI today. It was a big deal for me, even though it was just a routine checkup. There are two reasons for that.

I usually calm and relaxed at the doctor's office. I'm also fine with loud noises and confined spaces. But it was the first MR since I got my titanium implants. I contacted the hospital, where I had my surgery. It took almost a month of phoning, messaging an emailing, but it was confirmed that the implant is MR-safe. I trusted the answer, but I knew that I should actively communicate this topic to the radiology staff. And that was a bit stressful.

And that is related to the other reason. The healthcare system can make people feel vulnerable, worried, and powerless. And in country I came from, people compensate these feelings with snappiness. The staff that has to endure this is stressed, underpaid and often frustrated. Some doctors and nurses are kind, of course (like my GP was), but there are also many who are rude, outright abusive, or just indifferent. They treat you condescendingly like you were a mix of a broken device and a silly child.

If you're used to that, it's hard to forget. Even though I knew that I'd be treated humanely since this is Finland, but I couldn't really imagine it.

It's hard to emphasize how seriously impressed I am. I spent less than 25 minutes in the building. During that time, I helped an elderly lady catch the elevator. A nurse checked my appointment. 5 minutes later, a different nurse called me by name, and led me to a room where I could change. We discussed my implants. A few of minutes later I was let into the MR-room. I got all the instructions kindly from both her and a radiologist. The checkup went well, we said goodbye, and I got dressed and left.

The hospital was huge and clean and everyone was supportive and treated me equally. It is totally normal, I guess. I'm still having a hard time believing it.

The original version of this post is part of the Blaugust 2025 series on my blog along with:

• Win 3.1 Nostalgia
• Poets of the Fall
• Project done!
• Video games that made me learn
• Blaugust