steve having mri scan

[hev]

went to epilepsy doc last week and he wants steve to have mri scan

 

anyone had one of these?if so do you get results that day?i think steve will be ok having it i just dont know much about them

 

any experiences good or bad so i can prepare him,thanks

[bid]

My son had one when he was only 6, so he had a General Anaesthetic because you have to lie completely still as you go therough the tube-thing.

 

If you Google I'm sure you will find a picture of one so that Steve could see what it's going to look like to help him prepare.

 

Let us know how it goes.

[hev]

thanks bid,they dident mention a general,they would have told me wouldent they?

 

did you get the results for your son that day?

[baddad]

thanks bid,they dident mention a general,they would have told me wouldent they?

 

did you get the results for your son that day?

 

 

I think the general 'was 'cos he was so young and bouncy... Steve'll be fine - will probably think it's exciting like something out of Dr Who... that piccie is a good idea -

 

http://www.newvictoriahospital.co.uk/media/mri2.jpg

 

Thats 40⁰ non fast coloureds, I think

 

[Kathryn]

Hi hev,

 

L had an mri scan a couple of years ago and she actually enjoyed it! I think she imagined herself in some sci - fi drama or something.

 

As they scanned her whole spine and head it took a while - at least an hour if I remember rightly. The machine was exactly like the one in BD's link. It's a bit noisy but the noise is constant and not too jarring. The person has to lie still the whole time, but she managed very well. She didn't have anaesthetic or anything. I was in the room with her and very bored as I couldn't talk to her - I just remember being cold and needing the loo!

 

I posted on here at the time about it but I think it's disappeared.

 

Hope it goes OK

 

K x

[hev]

I think the general 'was 'cos he was so young and bouncy... Steve'll be fine - will probably think it's exciting like something out of Dr Who... that piccie is a good idea -

 

http://www.newvictoriahospital.co.uk/media/mri2.jpg

 

Thats 40⁰ non fast coloureds, I think

 

thanks for link,i will show steve it tomorrow,hes sleeping up my sisters tonight

[witsend]

Good luck with it Hev and Steve

Luv Witsend.

[shadow cat]

My Husband had an MRI recently ,there are different types of scanners ,the one my husband was in was very loud i could hear it down the corridor he had to wear ear defenders and he was given a button to push if things got to much for him he was in the scanner for 15 mins , he did find it very close in the machine, i was not aloud to go in the room with him and i noticed this happening to all the patients ,we get the results the end of this month my husband also had an EEG after the MRI (not the same day ) he found the EEG harder as the lights they shone at him gave him a terrible head ache after ,he was poorly for the day after his EEG

[hev]

steves got an eeg on thursday at kings college in london,im not looking foward to it,apparently its really hard to get to by train,has anyone been there by train?

[krystaltps]

R had his when he was 5. I have to say, he thoroughly enjoyed it. He was supposed to have general anaesthetic because of his age, but the docs thought they'd try him without and see how it went. He was given a choice of story tapes to listen to on special headphones that the staff could also talk to him through. It was loud, and I was sitting behind the scanner so that R could see me in the mirror (specially set up this way for kids), and the strength of the magnetic force took my hair clip out. He had to wear a kind of plastic helmet around his head to help keep it still, which he thought was quite cool.

R's scan lasted about 45 mins (which is, I think, about the average for a full brain scan). He fell asleep! Bless. When I went up to school at parent's night about 4 months later, I read his news book - he'd written about his fantastic adventure going into the "big washing machine".

He's due to go back to hospital next week for a check-up with his paediatric neurologist, and he was gutted when he found out he wasn't getting another go in the scanner.

So, it can't be all that bad.

We got the results about a week later, which is pretty fast.

I always use bribery when R has hospital appointments, so now getting something new is a big part of the "adventure" too. If Steve's worried, it might be a good idea to "dangle a carrot". Also, considering his age, he might not appreciate dinosaur stories through the headphones - maybe be a good idea to take along a couple of his favourite CDs just incase you're allowed to use them.

Like Shadow Cat said, EEGs are not so much fun. R hated his - the lights made him feel sick, as did the rapid breathing part, and the glue they use for the sensors hurt when he was getting it rubbed back out. I would advise a really short hair-cut beforehand. But it's quicker than the MRI. Our EEG results took about 2 months, which is longer than most - I think the average is about 3 weeks.

Good luck with it all, Hev and Steve.

Edited June 9, 2007 by krystaltps

[hev]

krys did they find from the mri what kind of epilepsy your son had?

[krystaltps]

krys did they find from the mri what kind of epilepsy your son had?

Yeah, the EEG was useless (for us)- it just told us he had "abnormal activity" and some kind of weird "spikes" in the parietal lobes. But the MRI told us he had a malformation of the cortex in the frontal lobes. BUT it's very unusual to find anything abnormal in the MRI - R is one of the unlucky ones. Most people get most of their information from the EEG, then an MRI is conducted just to make sure there's nothing structurally wrong. We're just the opposite from most people.

[pearl]

I think an MRI is what my mum had the other day Hev. She was in & out in 5 mins. We havent got the results yet.

[smiley]

I've had MRIs. Assuming it will be like mine are (they're all of me 'ead!), he will just need to lie still for a while (mine were 45 mins each - but i don't think they're normally that long depends what there looking for i suppose). Your given a little buzzer, so you can press it if you've had enough - they sometimes play music to help you chill, and they can give him something to calm him if he's feeling too stressed out by it. I can remember a constant tapping noise, they may be able to give him earplugs - - not sure.

 

I'd probably ask if you can take him along to look at it first - and then go from there. It's not a scary as it looks , if it wasn't for the tapping i would have fallen asleep!

 

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[smiley]

Forgot to say ....

 

You normally have to wait to see the consultant before you get the results of the MRI.

 

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[KarenT]

Hev, would it be possible for you to contact the hospital to arrange a pre-visit? That way Steve could have a look around, maybe you could take some pictures, help him to prepare for what would happen on the day. I've heard people say that some hospital departments have been very helpful with this sort of thing, so it might be worth a try. They can only say no.

 

Good luck with it.

 

Karen

x

[Mumble]

Hi Hev,

 

Just had a look at train map - if you change at Dartford you can avoid going into London Bridge. That way the journey takes just under an hour and should be much less stressful.

 

There's loads of good advice here - the MRI should be fine particularly if it's a modern scanner - take some CDs etc. Perhaps best to check out details with the hospital. King's have a number of 'mobile' scanning units (scanners in caravans parked in the carpark) so it might be worth checking if Steve will be in one of these - if he's expecting to be in the hospital building and you're directed out to the carpark, that could throw him completely.

 

With the EEG, the advice about the short hair cut is really sensible (and much easier for a boy). Again, finding out as much info as possible will help - I had a letter which went through flashing lights, breathing, small cognitive tasks - but it didn't really prepare me - it was the flahing lights bit which hurt most and the glue on taking the electrodes off.

 

As for results, well it must be quite quick but they probably have a priority system. I had some MRIs which I wasn't aware of after I collapsed, but then had review ones along with the EEG about a month after being discharged and then saw a consultant fairly swiftly after this.

 

Yeah, the EEG was useless (for us)- it just told us he had "abnormal activity" and some kind of weird "spikes" in the parietal lobes.

That's exactly my diagnosis - I've never been told what it means and it concerns me that there's something else going on besides my AS.

 

Mumble

[Frangipani]

My daughter had one when she was 9 she was advised to have a General Anaesthetic, she tried to go in without one, the Neurologist said that they were really surprised that the hospital sent her across from the hospital she was in to have one without an anaesthetic arranged, they told us the noise is extremely loud like a jack hammer on a metal barrel; for 45 mins she had to stay in this thing lying on a bed with her head strapped down going in head first. Like a small tunnel no room to sit up at all, all the way in with only feet sticking out. Not allowed to move at all. She decided to give it a go, she felt okay if I stayed in their with her and I held and rubbed her legs, she had a buzzer to press if it got too much for her. After 3 mins she was flipped out and crying. There are MRI's and MRI's I have heard they are all different. Best ask the hospital if its a noisy one. They had to rebook my daughter to stay overnight and have a general anaesthetic, she was so nervous I even had to hold her hand while they gave her the general anaesthetic, it was weird watching her go out to it. The MRI tells you whats causing the seizures to a point.

 

They will still want to do an EEG as well as this gives them a lot more information about the electrics in brain activity and they put all this gel on their hair and put this net with about 100 connector that hook up to a computer then using a computer monitor they show various things that could trigger an epileptic fit and monitor it all on a printout, then all this goes to the neuro team for analysis. They get more info from this about the amount of medication that may be needed to control the seizures.

 

Better check with those performing it.

 

F

Edited June 10, 2007 by Frangipani

[hev]

well one good thing,i phoned up the doctors and we getting transport there and back that will help so much as me and steve travelling sometimes goes wrong

[Bagpuss]

Good luck Hev <'> <'>