MRI

 

  If you have never had an MRI before, this might be your first experience with the whole ordeal. Let me tell you, it's actually NOT THAT BAD. Not bad at all, actually. Basically, what is going to happen is that you are going to walk in the room, a medical assistant (they are called a "tech") is going to lead you into a room. But before that:

• take off all jewelry
• change into comfy clothes (wear lighter clothes with a sweatshirt to wear if you want - they have blankets, too!)
• bring something to do in the waiting room
• don't drink too much water
• don't eat too much
• if you really need to, take a sedative to help you relax (not reccomended)
• GO TO THE BATHROOM before you go in the little room
• relax!!!

    This is going to be absolutely FINE! It's really not a big deal at all. In fact, it can actually be kind of relaxing and fun. What this test uses is a magnet, so calm your worries about radiation. MRI actually stands for Magnetic Resonace Imaging. It's just a big magnet, and that is why you need to take off all of your jewelry.
     Anyway, back to our scenario. You will walk in, sign some paperwork junk (blah, blah, blah, sign here, blah, blah, blah), and then you wait for them to call your name. When they do, you get up and follow them. If you brought a loved one, they can almost always come, too. Then, you go, the tech leads you into a room. STOP! IF YOU HAVE NOT GONE TO THE BATHROOM, DO IT NOW!! Good, now that your bladder is empty, step into the room. Your loved one will stay outside. The tech will ask you to lie on this bed/table thing. You will put in earplugs (or occasionally, headphones) to block the noise. Hint with foam earplugs: roll them really flat, then push them into your ear. They expand to block all the noise. And if they don't work the first time, try again. You really want them to be in there well.
     Lay on the table. You can ask for a blanket if you're cold, and the tech will get out one. Then lay still. This is your last opportunity to scratch itches, so take full advantage of the occasion. If you are getting a brain MRI, they are going to put your head really straight and put pillows around your head to brace it. This is all so that they can get the best picture possible. When I had one MRI, the pillows were more bracing my jaw than my head. The tech only realized that afterwards. Just to clarify, the pillows are not that uncomfortable. All of this can be really fun as long as you keep a good attitude. It's like an adventure!
    Once you are all braced and earplugged (I'm talking to you, people who are getting brain scanned), the tech is going to place this helmet/basket-y thing around your head. It's just another mechanism to keep you still (if you stay still, it won't take as long, and you won't have to come back to get another one). The helmet/basket will look like this:

     As soon as you are all set, the tech will hand you this little squishy thing attatched to a cord. This is your alarm. If you get really freaked out, feel sick, or need to go to the bathroom (because you were stupid and didn't listen to me the first two times), you can squeeze this and the tech will take you out really fast.

     This is the part where you go inside the machine. CLOSE YOUR EYES. I don't care if you aren't claustrophobic, you do NOT want to be stuck inside a tube for a long time when you feel trapped. Just close 'em. The tech is going to close the door and start talking to you through a microphone. They will say, "Okay, (your name), everything looks good. Now I want you to stay really still and we're going to start the first sequence. This will take about two minutes." Then, as you lie still, the machine is going to start whirring. Yes, you can hear it through your earphones. No, it's not scary. It's actually kind of cool. There are all these sounds that are going to go off, and it will sound like helicopter blades, machine guns, etc. One of the things I like to do is sing songs in my head or listen to the noise and imagine words that the noises could go with. It will make sense once you're in there, I swear.

     Anyway, after that sequence stops, another one will start. The tech will tell you, "Great job. Keep still, and the next sequence will be one minute." STAY STILL. The machine needs to get an accurate picture of your brain. One thing that it might do is move you around a little like a massage chair. I don't know why it does this, besides to get different angles, but it's fun. Keep your eyes closed, and relax. Take a nap if you can (I couldn't, but I did try).

    If you are like me, the tech will take you out halfway through and give you a shot in your elbow pit (it's the same place that they draw blood from, so no biggie). You will stay in your little encasement. Open your eyes if you want to. The shot won't hurt much at all. What is happening is that in the shot, there is what the docs call "contrast". This  stay relaxed, stay loose. This is your only opportunity to scratch. Stay as still as possible, though, so you don't need to get re-adjusted. Then they will put you back in. Close your eyes. You've done all of this before, so just relax. When the tech says that you are doing the last one or two sequences, if you really want to, you can open your eyes. It's not a big deal, but never do it at the start, in case you get claustrophobic.

    Once you get out, throw away your earplugs. Thank the tech and walk out.

   YAY!! You did your first MRI!! Good job. See, it wasn't bad at all.