JKB, thinking about you and hoping for the best. 10 days is a long time to wait for a MRI. If they really felt it was cancer I'm sure you could get on a waiting list or go some place in the middle of the night. There is an open MRI unit outside my window at work here and there are some MRI machines that run around the clock.
I agree with those above about trying to put yourself in another place in your mind. Although I've never been claustrophobic, if you stare at the steel plate that is about 3" above your nose you start thinking about the times when you were young and you tried to shimmy through a long culvert and started to wonder if you were going to make it to the other side or get stuck inside. It is best to relax, use music if that helps, keep your eyes closed and pretend the sky is far above you, the wind is blowing, etc.
