Had an MRI Scan?

[Damp Squarie]

Got one coming up in June...what can it find... hahaha

 

[evade28]

it probably will be a waste of time bcos i only think it can detect things that are there, not things that arent

 

[Nandrolone Stam]

I've had one, noisy as hell (even with earplugs), takes ages to. Hope you aren't claustrophobic

 

[Bee]

Don't even joke about MRI scans to claustrophobics!
I am seriously claustrophobic. I have an absolute morbid fear of enclosed spaces.
Last year I had something wrong with my spine and should really have had a MRI to properly detect the problem. But I took every other option there was to fix the problem including the torture of needles being inserted into nerves and having electric current shot through them. Painful, but to me it was a better option than being in an enclosed tunnel.
I only had to look at a picture of a MRI scan machine and started to hyperventilate. There is no way known I am going to be put in one.
The worse thing is, the spine problem has returned and I don't think I will be able to avoid the MRI this time. But they are going to have to sedate me first. Seriously, it's no joke.

 

[Au_Blue#24]

yeh ive had one. They are really noisey and very claustaphobic.

It took about 45 min as well. It should have only taken about 30 mins but as it was for my elbow, they weighed my arm down with little sand bags.

After a while my arm started to go to sleep so, i started wriggling my hand about, at which point they told me they would have to repeat the last 20 min.

They give you earplugs for the noise.

 

[lioness]

My brother has to have one soon, well if the WorkCover people ever get around to sending him for one.

Bee, I really feel for you. I get funny in enclosed spaces, not as bad as you by the sounds, but I have my own fears and yeah gawd I totally sympathise.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by Au_Blue#24
It took about 45 min as well. It should have only taken about 30 mins

What? 45 minutes! Oh great almost an hour of sheer bloody terror.
Nuh uh, not me. No way!

 

[carn_the_nmfc]

Nope I haven't, but my old man has for a personal reason.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by goaldrush
Nope I haven't, but my old mad has for a personal reason.

Why doesn't it surprise me that someone related to you would be mad!

 

[Nandrolone Stam]

Originally posted by Bee
Don't even joke about MRI scans to claustrophobics!
I am seriously claustrophobic. I have an absolute morbid fear of enclosed spaces.
Last year I had something wrong with my spine and should really have had a MRI to properly detect the problem. But I took every other option there was to fix the problem including the torture of needles being inserted into nerves and having electric current shot through them. Painful, but to me it was a better option than being in an enclosed tunnel.
I only had to look at a picture of a MRI scan machine and started to hyperventilate. There is no way known I am going to be put in one.
The worse thing is, the spine problem has returned and I don't think I will be able to avoid the MRI this time. But they are going to have to sedate me first. Seriously, it's no joke.

I don't mean to poke fun at claustrophobics, I can clearly how see difficult it'd be as it is an awfully tight space - it even made me feel a bit squeamish. I think it's the length of time spent in there that's the most stressful bit, if you were in and out in a few seconds it wouldn't be so bad.

 

[evade28]

yeh ive had CT scans and they were bad enough, lol lucky for me i was tired as and nearly went to sleep while i was in it!

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by Nandrolone Stam
I don't mean to poke fun at claustrophobics, I can clearly how see difficult it'd be as it is an awfully tight space - it even made me feel a bit squeamish. I think it's the length of time spent in there that's the most stressful bit, if you were in and out in a few seconds it wouldn't be so bad.

That's okay I didn't think you were poking fun at it. I was just trying to point out how serious something as simple as a MRI can be for people with real phobias.
MRI is a painless and harmless process to most people, but to claustrophobics it's terrifying. I've actually had people say to me 'stop being a big sook, it doesn't hurt'. They don't understand. They have no idea at all.

I wasn't joking about the sedation. They really do sedate you, if you are claustrophobic. Scary stuff, huh?

 

[Fred]

What a mob of wusses. No probs with either CT or MRI scans.

The mortality rate is really quite low.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by Fred
What a mob of wusses. No probs with either CT or MRI scans.

The mortality rate is really quite low.

Try telling that to a claustrophobic who is likely to have a panic attack while in the scan.

BTW I've had CT scans. No problems with that because it was open ended, not enclosed. The problem isn't with the scan. It's with the phobia.

 

[Fred]

Phobias are odd things. While I wouldn't call it a phobia, I've never liked heights.
Years ago, when in the mining business, I was asked to do a job at the top of the headframe - the thing over the shaft with the big pulley wheel at the top for lifting, in this case about 90ft high. I flatly refused, even though it's an immensely strong structure with a metal stairway to the top.
The odd thing is, I had no qualms at all about straddling a shaft using dicey timber as footholds above a 100ft drop - no harness or any other safety gear. One slip or timber breakage - history.
The mind is a funny thing at times.

I'm not making fun of those with phobias, but doesn't it seem strange that those with an otherwise rational mind become totally irrational over something, even though they know for certain there is no chance of coming to any harm at all and thousands have had exactly the same procedure in perfect safety.

 

[evade28]

i dont have phobias with confined spaces but i can understand why people who are scared of them would freak out.

 

[Damp Squarie]

Gee thanks.
Im not claustrophobic but maybe I will be on completion.

I was asked in the leadup have I ever done any grinding ...or welding without a face shield

As if.

 

[evade28]

Originally posted by topjars
I was asked in the leadup have I ever done any grinding ...or welding without a face shield

As if.

you have to remember how many stupid people there are in the world..

i dont know if its similar to the CT but in the CT it has a laser beam and it says not to look at it, so maybe if you've already damaged your eyesight by welding w/o face shield then thats probably why they asked u.

 

[Nandrolone Stam]

Originally posted by topjars
Gee thanks.
Im not claustrophobic but maybe I will be on completion.

I was asked in the leadup have I ever done any grinding ...or welding without a face shield

As if.

No legitimate question, it has to do with tiny bits of metal which might be in your eyes or whatever which could make like difficult for you in an MRI scan, as metal and MRI don't mix because of magnetism i suppose.

 

[Pedro]

When I had an MRI I was asked the same thing about working with metal, grinding etc. Because I do use them, even with sunnies or safety specs, they made me have an angiogram (sp?) prior to the MRI just in case of any metal in my eyes. Apparently it can heck you up big time.

As for claustrophobia, I dont consider myself at all claustrophobic. I had headphones on listening to music, nearly went to sleep, but after about 1/2 an hour, I found myself thinking "Geez this is taking a while...Pretty weird in here.. not likng this too much....Christ, get me the hell out of here" I think it was more to do with lying there thinking "It's alright, I'm not claustrophobic, I'm not claustrophobic" for 45 minutes straight.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by Fred
I'm not making fun of those with phobias, but doesn't it seem strange that those with an otherwise rational mind become totally irrational over something, even though they know for certain there is no chance of coming to any harm at all and thousands have had exactly the same procedure in perfect safety.

You don't understand phobias, Fred. I am talking about real phobias. They are real, they are not just some irrational thing. I am not talking about people who scream or jump when they see a spider, that's not a real phobia, that is just a dislike of spiders. I am talking about real symptoms where at first your heart rate quickens, then your breathing quickens, you break out into a sweat and by now your heart is beating so quick and so loud people next to you can hear it beat. By this time hyperventilation sets in and you end up fainting.
Thousands may have had a MRI in safety and I know they are harmless and painless, but it's not the procedure that is the problem. It's the phobia. Like I said I've had CT scans before, not a problem because they are open ended, but a MRI is enclosed!
I simply cannot be in enclosed spaces without a panic attack. Maybe this will tell you how bad my phobia is. My biggest fear is when I die I am going to be put into a coffin. The thought of that scares the crap out of me. I know how stupid it sounds because I'll be dead and I won't know anything about it, but just the thought of being shut into an enclosed space like that is terrifying.


"but doesn't it seem strange that those with an otherwise rational mind become totally irrational over something",

BTW, Fred can I infer from that, you think I have a rational mind?

 

[Port1978]

Originally posted by topjars
Gee thanks.
Im not claustrophobic but maybe I will be on completion.

I was asked in the leadup have I ever done any grinding ...or welding without a face shield

As if.

That's in case any metal from the welding has got into your eyes. MRI's use magnetic rays so if there was any specks of metal from the welding in your eyes they could be ripped out & damage your eyes.

 

[knuckles]

Was supposed to have it b/c I was suspected of having DVT. Never again - noisy uncomfortable piece of GE equip. "...have anything metallic sir?....it will ripped off you if you do"
Luckily, they allowed me to have the old photo/xray method.

Diff in price....I saved 1.5K....figures

 

[Port1978]

Originally posted by Bee
Like I said I've had CT scans before, not a problem because they are open ended, but a MRI is enclosed!

There are lots of people like you who are claustrophobic. Doesn't sound like you're too bad though if you don't have a problem with CTs. There are lots of people who don't like having nuc med scans because they're really claustrophobic & they're even more open (usually) that the CT scanners. I remember one lady was so claustrophobic that she practically jumped of the bed when only her feet went through the camera!

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by port1978
There are lots of people like you who are claustrophobic. Doesn't sound like you're too bad though if you don't have a problem with CTs. There are lots of people who don't like having nuc med scans because they're really claustrophobic & they're even more open (usually) that the CT scanners. I remember one lady was so claustrophobic that she practically jumped of the bed when only her feet went through the camera!

When I first saw the CT scan, I panicked. I asked the technician if it was enclosed. The only thing that got me through the CT was the open end near my head. I just kept my eyes focused on that.

To tell you how badly claustrophobic I am; today I went to see a specialist about the problem that has returned with my spine. She had my records from the specialist I went to in Melbourne 12 months ago and seeing my problem with claustrophobia she tentatively suggested that a MRI was needed.
This of course brought on near hysteria from me! So another option was suggested; an injection into the back of my neck.
I took that option. It was bloody painful, but I'd take that option anytime in preference to a MRI induced panic attack.