MRI Wibble :(

[Mumble]

I have to go for an MRI tomorrow and I'm scared - if anyone has any tips to make it easier, I'd be really grateful.

 

I've a lot of experience with hospitals, doctors, scans, etc. and am okay with them all, with the exception of MRIs. I've had a really bad experience in the past where I was shouted at by the neurologist as the MRI image was fuzzy as I'd been shaking so much (the hammering noise is the biggest issue - I'm okay with the enclosed space). It's made me worry about tomorrow going 'wrong' and me getting into trouble again.

 

I did speak to the MRI department and told them about my ASD, but the person I spoke to clearly didn't understand. My GP has been really good, she's talked me through it and I'm going to be semi-sedated (not sure what that means) but I'm still worried. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I have a separate hospital appointment in the morning, so I'm going to be stressed/exhausted from that before I even get to the MRI (oh, and just for a bit of fun, they've scheduled the appointments at different hospitals... )

[Lucie1979]

awww hugs never had one but know of people who have. Do you have an ipod, not sure if youre allowed but it would block out the noise if you are?!

 

Hope it goes ok xx

[Kathryn]

I think you can take music if you want to? Or maybe a radio?

 

L had a full MRI but it was a long time ago. I can't really help with tips as she was OK with it and quite enjoyed it, strangely.

 

Shame about the first appointment - can you postpone or is it essential?

 

Hope all goes well.

 

<'>

 

K x

[ScienceGeek]

When I had my MRI they gave me headphones to block some of the noise out. It was still very loud though, but I imagine it would have been a lot worse. What you having scanned? Mine was to scan my knee and my spine so I had to go right inside

[baddad]

I misread this and thought it was about a new Mr Men book (I saw somewhere that Roger Hargreaves' son has recently picked up the torch, as it were)called 'Mr Wibble'...

Haven't a clue about MRI scans, but hope it finds what it's looking for or doesn't find what it's not looking for, iyswim. As for your head wobbling, there's a character in Spike Milligan's 'Puckoon' whose nose twitches dramatically due to an old polo injury (I think) and comes out blurred in long exposure group photographs. He resolves this by sticking a finger up one nostril. Don't know if that will work for a whole head, but could be worth a go.

 

Hope all goes well.

 

L&P

 

BD

 

(talking of 'BD', there is a medical procedure called a 'BDI' and when Jo Brand was working as a student nurse she was told to 'go and give the patient in room 12 the BDI... she hadn't a clue what they meant and just went and stared at him from the doorway for fifteen minutes, giving him the 'Beady Eye'...)

 

Edited March 16, 2011 by baddad

[Lynden]

Hi Mumble

 

Could you write down your concerns before you go in, explaining that you have ASD and that you had a bad experience previously, so that if you do get stressed they can read why, rather than you stressing out more about having to explain it? I haven't had one myself, but Leona (my NT daughter) did and she was quite anxious too. They did give her headphones with music, which didn't drown out the noise but did make it more bearable. Do you have anyone that can be in the room with you? the other thing that helped her was that she could see me in a little mirror.

 

Good luck - I hope it all goes well.

 

Lynne x

[Mumble]

Well I woke up about two hours ago... :lol: Crawled towards the coffee pot then remembered I don't like coffee . If that's 'semi-sedation' I won't be opting for anything stronger anytime soon - I got a taxi home from the hospital then promptly slept for 15+ hours (yes I know I'm a student and that might sound typical, but I'm not a typical student so that's very not me). The reputation students have - I looked half dead when they came to check on me this morning, and everyone's first assumption has been that I enjoyed a little too much Irish spirit yesterday!

 

I told the MRI people about my concerns (well actually I wrote it down, I had to complete a form with the usual - could you be pregnant, do you have a pacemaker, have you ever been abducted by aliens - questions, and the final one was 'Is there anything else you want to tell us?'. They will regret leaving such a large space and giving me 1/2 hour with nothing else to do but complete it!! ) Still, to their credit, they did read my essay and were excellent with me. It was still an unpleasant experience but it was copeable with. And I hardly moved until I recalled DipDab's comment about the finger up the nostril... :shame:

 

I have to have another scan and see the surgeons next week. I think I may ask about semi-semi-sedation given my appointment's first thing in the morning. I don't want to lose a whole day of my life when I'm already having an hour stolen by the Government in a week's time ('British Summer Time' is actually a huge Government conspiracy you know. They use the hour to have a massive party that none of us commoners are invited to, paying for it all on expenses - and by holding it in an hour that officially 'doesn't exist' and overnight when most people are just trying to make the most of the sleep available they claim we're the loopy ones if we make Freedom of Information enquiries. I suspect there's something extra special happening at the ministerial party this year - clowns or something - otherwise why would they need to instigate the Census on the following day, good day to bury a party and all that...)

[Tally]

I'm glad it went smoothly. I don't suppose it ever was going to be quite enjoyable!

 

Perhaps they overdid the sedation in response to your anxiety. It's worth mentioning it next time, because they might be able to adjust the doses or medication so you're not so badly affected by it.