Dealing with MRI scan
 

On Monday I have to go and have my head tested!!!

Long overdue some may say, but unfortunately ive been here before and it wasnt pleasant and im dreading having to go through it again.

Obviously its not painful or invasive but i felt very claustrophobic last time (7 years ago) and whilst its only 40 minutes, it was a VERY long 40 minutes.

So what im hoping you guys can help me with is finding a way to occupy my mind for 40 minutes so i can try to forget that I cant move, darent open my eyes and cant talk.

Last time I remember mentally reciting the books I was reading with my kids at the time and doing my times tables :-), but if you guys can think of any 'mental' games I can play to make the 40 minutes fly, id be really grateful, Im getting myself in a tizz about it and its still 6 days away!!

Thanks, KJ x

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

not been in one before i was wondering if they could put some music / audio book on? take an ipod with speaker?

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Take some steel stress balls in with you...;)

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Ear plugs especially if its 3t. Take a cd of 80s music lol, some let your listen to your own music, they put heart fm on for me.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

I'd just like to point out that my suggestion of taking something ferrous into an MRI machine was a joke, hence the ;)


:rolleyes:

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

They give you headphones for when your in it matey.

The field isnt that bad, i had my huge belt buckle on, didnt move. Though the video of a chair wedged in one is funny.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Start taking Bach Flower Rescue Remedy three days before you are due to go. It may help to calm your nerves a little.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Had several. Get them to put the music on then, as I did, fall asleep.

I look on it as 30-40mins when I get me time, and no one bothers me. Priceless.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

The field is only bad outside of the Scanner not when you are inside . When I had mine I just slowed my breathing down before going in . Nothing prepared me for the noise though , they didn`t know I had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from my accident and loud bangs just sent me into "Flight" mode . The damn thing started up and I thought somebody was firing a bloody Shotgun off . I really had to concentrate my hardest , after a while I drifted off to sleep and relaxed , keep the eyes closed and just think of the breathing going in slowly and exhaling in a relaxed manner .

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

I think I pretty much fell asleep listening to som random pipe music they gave me. Had two a few years back.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Thanks for the advice guys, i will ask about the music.

With the last one I had I spent the whole time gripping the end of the tunnel as I could just get my fingertips around the end, it was the only way I felt that I could get out if needed, irrational I know, but im not always the most rational person in stressful situations! How anyone could relax enough to fall asleep is totally beyond me :p

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Deffo the music, I had a 40 min scan too. The local radio station was on the head phones better than the sound of the machine, just lol

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

They gave me headphones that were useless. Told me it'd sound like a drill (I bleeding pnuematic drill is what they meant) so you could get them to either turn that up (I had the local radio) or call first and see if they will let you put your own CD in, whatever chills you out.

Or do what I did and try to go to sleep. I know what you mean about keeping still though, I had my neck done and the worst position for pain? lying flat on my back (hence why I'm up at this time)

Ste

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

I had one on my knee a couple of years ago, was a weird experience. I just got really bored but was also surprised at how loud it was!

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Can't remember. I went to sleep. Good drugs.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

I had one a few weeks ago for my inner ear. Like you say the noise is certainly on the loud side and you do feel a bit on clistophobic.

I had earphones on and Radio 1 with nice music which sort of took mymind of it.

You say you have kids - my suggestion would be that you have some serious playtime with them prior to the scan, then when you go in just close your eyes, relax your breathing and think of their smiles and the good fun you just had playing with them.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

As said, they should offer you some earphones to listen to the radio. Try and keep as still as possible, as I was told that this would make the process as quick as possible, I was told I would be in for 30 mins, but it only felt like 10 minutes. To me it reminds me of laying in bed on a moving canal boat, of which I have been on many when I was a kid, so although I don't like confined spaces it wasn't that bad.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

When i had my first MRI i was proper scared when they put my head in a cage type thing to stop me moving it so the staff gave me a buzzer i could hold and press if i got to worried and it would stop machine and spit me out quite quickly and it helped a little, i did test it to make sure it worked though :) I was more scared when i had a PET scan and was radioactive for a few days.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Good luck with the scan hun.... I had a scan a few years ago and I fell asleep which surprised me as I`m usually quite claustrophobic. I just relaxed and thought about lying on a nice sandy beach watching dolphins and the next thing the scan was over.

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Am I one of the only people who hasnt had one on this entire forum?

Re: Dealing with MRI scan
 

Have a nap. When I had mine for my knee I had a sleep for about half of it, was really rather chilled and relaxing with the music they played me. I'm normally awful for claustrophobia, but it was actually not that bad.

If you take some decent chill-out music they normally play what you want.