M.R.I. SCAN

rosyred
rosyred Member Posts: 150
edited 18. May 2010, 16:52 in Living with Arthritis archive
Sorry to sound so stupid. But what is a M.R.I Scan and what happens when u have one?

Is it where u have to go into that machine and be closed in?

Im due to see consaltant on the 27th and have been told they will do one ! :|

Im very nervose person and panacining about this now . Baby i no but all the same its the un known :oops:
Many thks

Hope ur all havin a good day love n hugs alli

Comments

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,414
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Rosy

    it is magnetic resonnance or something like that. they take amazing pictures right through your body - really detailed and can see soft tissue not just bone.

    they wonnt 'just do' one I think. there is waiting list usually.

    It is a tunnel, but depends what they are looking at...if only hand you would only have your hand done for instance.

    I had one and am also a panicker and a baby :oops: But I dun it!! so can you.

    I did not open my eyes at all while it was happening (about 20 mins) they had music palyiong through headphones so I counted the records (3 mins each one!).

    You also have a panic button incase you do panic and they talk to you through the headphones .

    The photos are really nooisy BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!! but again they warned me.

    They also make you comfy withif it hurst to lie on your back for instance.

    You take care

    anything else ask away (oh no wired bras :shock: It's magnets :wink: )


    Love

    Toni xx
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    You are not closed in and it depends on what bit of you is being scanned.

    The machine is large, with a holllow middle like a smartie tube. The magnets are packed in around the tube. You are placed on a bed and fed into the machine. I have had scans on both knees, so I have been fed in as far as my shoulders. I was very close to the outside of the thing, so no room to hold a book and read.

    It is a very noisy thing, so you should be given protective earmuffs, like headphones, to wear. You are connected to the outside world via a microphone - you can talk to the staff, they can talk to you.

    My scans were each done in four sections, each lasting about five minutes per scan. The noise the machine made varied from scan to scan. IT DOES NOT HURT - YOU DO NOT FEEL A THING. You have to lie very still. I tend to get cold feet so I ask for a blanket now to cover my toes!

    I presume you are having a limb or joint scanned - if it is an arm or shoulder I guess you have to go in head first. It is snug in there, but you can see out. Just remember the scan gives a very detailed picture for the docs to work from. It is for your benefit. Going in head first may not please you but close your eyes, think nice thoughts and it will soon be done. Dreamdaisy
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    hi I love Toni's discription BANG! BANG! BANG!!! Its very much how I found it, and the ear plugs they gave me fell out of my ears!

    I thought I'd have to press the button as the noise really hurt my ears, but then it stopped and was all over. MRI is Magnetic Resoniance Imageing. Its not x-ray and produces very good pictures, like 3d slices through your body. It dosn't hurt apart from lying on the metal table, which wasn't the most comfortable thing I've done! You'll be fine, and it'll help the doctors to help you.

    Love Sue xx
  • dachshund
    dachshund Member Posts: 9,345
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Ali.
    Toni's right about it all.
    i had my hips and back done so i went in to my hips and up so far and then back down and they stopped and i was told to sit up it's worth having it done the scan finds out what you have got wrong.
    dont worry it will not last to long.
    joan xx
    take care
    joan xx
  • rosyred
    rosyred Member Posts: 150
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    THK YOU SO MUCH
    Its my knees im going for but do supect i have it in my wrist and middle finger also my ankles.. :cry:

    But i will count the songs as u did :wink:

    Will keep u up to date with it when its all over . :lol:

    Love n hugs and jelly tots Alli x
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    I didn't get songs - depends on your hospital I think! I'm jealous. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,414
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:
    I didn't get songs - depends on your hospital I think! I'm jealous. DD

    Ner ner ner ner nerrrr!!!

    he he! :wink:

    Count the songs Rosy.

    If it's any consolation I took a person with a learning disability for one once and (although I wsa allowed to hold his foot to reassure him) he managed it :) put me to shame he did :oops:
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Oh frog, how mature. :roll: DD (I'm amazed you were allowed to stay in the same room as the person you took. The nursing staff always scuttle off v quickly when I'm about!)
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,414
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:
    Oh frog, how mature. :roll: DD (I'm amazed you were allowed to stay in the same room as the person you took. The nursing staff always scuttle off v quickly when I'm about!)

    I think they were scared of him to be honest :)

    he he :D

    Toni xx
  • dorcas
    dorcas Member Posts: 3,516
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi rosy,

    I've had 4 MRI scans and like the others' have said it's noisy and you have to keep still when they tell you to (although I suppose that depends which bit of you they scan).

    It is a narrow tube like machine but it is open at both ends so you are not really enclosed. I kept my eyes shut each time I had a scan as I didn't like to see the roof being so close.

    You are asked to remove anything that's metal as the machine reacts to it......
    I don't know if I can ever have an MRI again as I have metal bits in my back, elbows and wrists?

    Good luck with it rosy...it's a really good thing to have done as it gives the docs a complete picture of every part of the joints and will help them decide on what you need.

    Iris x
  • breane
    breane Member Posts: 392
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi,I had a MRI scan done on my liver and it wasn't as daunting as I thought it would be.The machine I went on had the nick name of 'donut' as it's a circular opening you go through.It was fairly noisy and you do have to keep still but I wasn't in it very long and the nurse kept checking I was OK.Because it was the liver they were checking I had to drink loads of an orange tasting fluid,quite nice,just like orangade.I'm sure you will get on fine.Breane.x
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -0001, 00:00
    Hi Rosyred
    I have had 2 mri scans this past year, (brain - I do have one apparently) and neck so I had to go right into the machine - only the bottom half of my legs sticking out. Like the others I found the fact that the tube was so close to my face and not being able to see out the most distressing, so closing my eyes really helped. The first time I had music to listen to (hard to hear because the banging interrups the signal but something to concentrate on) but no music second time so I guess it just depends. They were very good though and, second time round when I really did panic they fetched my husband who was able to "hold my feet" (only bit outside the tunnel) and that helped alot. Not an enjoyable experience but well worth while to find out what's really going on.
    Good luck with it! Tilly x

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