Local Access to MRI and CT Scan [Paul David Gillespie]

My name is Paul David Gillespie. I am originally from Pasadena, California, the Rose Parade City, but my grandkids moved here along with my daughter and her husband. And so we came, and we eventually ended up living here to be around the grandkids.

What caused your back pain?

I was a gymnast my whole life, ever since seventh grade all the way through college and I was fortunate to be on a gymnastics scholarship. I was doing an exercise on the steel rings, and I was doing a dismount, and I fell off the...and I didn't spin enough, and I landed improperly on my knees and hyperextended my back, which put my vertebrae out and caused me a great amount of pain as I got older actually. I did fine with it when I was young.

Why did your surgeon request a CT scan and MRI?

I went specifically to Minnesota to have my operation done because that's where the surgery was available that I was interested in. They had a series of CT scans and MRIs to evaluate it so that he could see how bad it was.

How was the coordination between Brookings Health System and your surgeon?

The two communicated with each other rather well. There were some scheduling change on the other end, so we had to juggle some things around, but we got that done and it was no problem.

How was your CT scan and MRI experience?

They'd send me to the waiting room, and I was there no more than five minutes before I was called in, which, I mean, I barely cracked open a magazine, and they took me in. And it was very quick, very thorough, very professional. And, you know, the ease of the operation...not operation, the technique was very, very favorable.

What did you appreciate about the imaging staff?

The staff was very helpful, very professional, very courteous, you know, making sure you don't have a belt on with a metal buckle, different things like that. So, that part was good, and it was over so quick that really I was back out in the parking lot in my car before I realized it was, kind of, like a cartoon. Woop, I was out there.

Why is it important to have imaging care close to home?

Well, it's four hours away as it turned out. And I wasn't about to make a four-hour trip really for, you know, a 20-minute session or less in MRIs and so forth. When I heard that you had it here, I was absolutely appreciative and thankful that it was so close. I had no thought of going anywhere other than here once I realized it was fully available here. And then once I saw the machines, I go, "Wow, they're just as good as any other machines that would be an hour away or more."

Would you recommend imaging at Brookings Health System?

My main recommendation is, if somebody lives within an hour away from here, and that would mean, you know, maybe a two-hour drive, you know, for them. So, if you did a radius of a mile around, this is an excellent place to come to save the driving. And it's completely professional, thorough, good communication between the staff and my doctors' staff, and got that job done. So, I guess I would recommend it because it's excellent service. And if it's closer, why not?

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