Funny how the mind protects us from trauma and stress by shutting off memories and emotions. I did not understand why I have been so on edge about the MRI my doctor ordered for the pain in my shoulder. They gave me earplugs, strapped me down, covered me in a blanket and started sucking me into that tight tube with only a panic button in my hand. As I lay there, gripped by the claustrophobic panic, the technician told me t...