Hello, Asa.
I had the same tests prior to my first surgery: cardiologist for an ECG test (I am also diabetic) and an MRI to check liver and other organs to make sure the cancer did not appear anywhere else. I told my surgeon that I would not be able to tolerate the enclosed MRI. Even though you do go in feet first, your head also goes in all the way, trust me, we tried it and I scrambled off the table. He said he needed that MRI done no matter what, so he gave me a tablet called Ativan. I was directed to take it 15 minutes before I climbed onto the MRI table. I clutched that tablet in my hand like a lifeline, and I told the techs to let me know in advance when it was my turn so I could take the pill. I don't remember anything other than getting on the table and lying down. I fell asleep, or was so out of it I didn't mind anything. It worked, and I lay perfectly still inside the machine and they got the images, clear as a bell. You won't be asleep for hours, it's just long enough for the images, but ask your doctor if you need only one tablet, or higher dose depending on your size, age, tolerance, etc. I don't want you to come to consciousness inside the machine.
i couldn't lift anything after my surgeries because the tightness of the staples and adhesions inside that developed quickly, prevented it. You'll know when you should not lift because you'll feel tension and pain in your surgical site. You do not want to split open your staples or stitches. Immediately after surgery, I needed help from the nurse just to rise from my bed. Don't be shy, ask for their help, and if you're having a home care nurse for the first few weeks, they will help you manage your temporary ostomy, your bag, and any skin erosion you might have around the ostomy. When you wake from surgery in hospital and you need to sneeze or cough, remember to brace your stomach with a pillow or a book because it will hurt a bit, and it will pass. You'll be hooked up to a morphine pump. That small button to the pump is your friend while you recover. Pack a big leakproof water bottle so you can drink all the time in hospital. You will be okay!