Kathy ~ I am thinking good thoughts for you today. I hope all turns out well. Good luck to you and please update us when you can. Take care. We'll be thinking about you.

Linda

Kathy,
will be thinking of you today.

Hi Kathy;

My daughter just had one of these and she said the worse part was that she had to be so still. However, she said it really wasn't that big a deal and she wasn't afraid or upset.

I'll be thinking about you, too and hoping and praying for a good outcome.

Let us know how it goes for you.

Rose

(((((((Kathy))))))))

It's loud but you will get through it just fine. Lie still and it will be over sooner than you know. Wishing you well and praying that you pass this test with flying colours.

Good luck.

I had one of my neck and spine a few years ago. I dreaded it so much, but it cetainly wasn't as I had imagined. The worst part, is that it is very, very noisy. They told me it would sound like a motor boat. I thought it sounded more like a jack hammer but I made up a sentence to go with the rhythm and kept repeating it over and over. They keep talking to you and asking if you are all right. I wouldn't dread another one. It is a tremendous diagnostic tool and well worth the short time involved.

All the best

ivamae

Hope they find one, Kathy.

ole joyful

By the way, keep your eyes shut at all times. That really helps.
ivamae

Don't worry it's not scary at all.
Donna

Kathy I just had my 7th MRI in a year last week. They are not the most pleasant test but also not the worst. It is the fear of confined space and the noise that gets most people.
Something that helped me tremendously was a nurse offered me a dry face cloth to lay over my eyes. That way if I opened my eyes I could not see the "confined space"...and you will more than likely open your eyes, it is just in our nature to see where we are. With the face cloth you can open your eyes and feel okay. Sorry if that isn't making sense. They also do have a mirror inside so if you open your eyes you can see the technitians, for me that didn't work. Also if you are having MRI of the brain they will more than likely put a cage like thing over your head to keep it in place and that is unnerving, but they need your head to remain in the same position throughout the imaging.
With the noise as others have said try to imagine it as something you are doing, building etc. They give you little ear plugs to put it.
I know for me I could feel a warming vibration as the images were being done. Sometimes with the head MRI you feel a little light headed when you first come out of the machine but it soon passes.
These are just my experiences and I hope it helps at least a little. Good luck to you.

Kathy,

I'd take the pill they offer and chill. You will do fine.

Hope they find the source of those mean headaches.

Gayle

Best wishes that everything goes well.

See if they will let you listen to music through headphones. Also take a darkening eye mask if you have one - that way you will keep your eyes shut. Some people say it is cold, so you may want a small blanket.

I haven't had one yet, but since I am claustrophobic I've done some reading up on what to expect. I'll get an IV of Valium if I ever get one.

Hope it all goes well for you!

Thanks for all the kind words and thoughts. I checked in here after I got to work. I am coming back to work after I have it so I'd better not take a Valium! Will post when I get back. Love you all!!! Kat

I had one once on my back. It wasn't fun, but not as bad as I expected. They gave me a blanket and a face cloth, didn't offer a pill! LOL I probably would have taken them up on it cause of the fear of the unknown!
Its loud at times, but I wouldn't be so nervous now knowing what I know.
Good Luck!

Got here late, but wishing nothing but the best test and results!
Dee

I had an MRI of my head/brain several years ago & slept through the whole thing. They gave me valium and I conked right out.

Good luck with yours, and I hope everything shows up as normal.

LOL at ole joyful.

Good look! I've never had one myself so I can't offer you any advice or suggestions.

Good luck! I've had one of the brain before too. Worst part was having the basket thing placed over your face and being in a tube, which is very close to your face. When I went they had a fan blowing cool air inside which really helped and the technician talked to me every so often reassuring me, asking if I was ok.

I'm a nurse and a lot of my patients flip out and have to come back to the floor without having it done. I used to think they were wimps but if you're claustrophobic, which I am to an extent, it can be pretty bad. Keep your eyes closed, take deep breaths and imagine you're somewhere else, which is what I did: laying in a field of grass looking up at trees, the sun shining through the tree tops.

Sending lots of good thoughts and a prayer for you today.
Leslie

I had one last year,and i took the valium first as i am claustrophobic.It wasn't bad,as others said just noisey.
Kathi

I just got here, you will be there in an hour. Sending good thoughts. Yep, it's noisy and the vibration drove me nuts, but it's not a very long drive to drive me nuts! I'm not a little person, so the fit was pretty close. Had it for my shoulder, so I didn't have the cage. No pill was offered or face cloth. Next time, I'm asking for a rolled blanket or pillow to be place under my knees, as laying that flat bothers my back.

Lydia, if you are that claustrophobic, make sure you tell someone when you schedule it if you ever have to have one. There are some available that are "open" that can be used if they are available in your area. Not all places have them.

Tami

I guess you are already there by now. MRIs are not a big deal. I usually fall asleep even with all that noise. The only thing that annoys me is the MRI tech talking to me. It disturbs my nap. LOL.

Linda

Kathy-Just read this, so you're probably all done by now! Hopefully it wasn't too bad and they are able to find out what is giving you the migraines!

So, how'd did it go? Are you back home, safe and sound? Please let us know how you are.

Rose

I had one for the same reason last year. No sweat! Just relax, lay back, close your eyes. They let me listen to music. Really other than the noise of the machine, it's nothing. You do have to stay still but I didn't have any problems with the test. I had heard so many horrible stories and really it was nothing. I had stressed over it for a month and now know I shouldn't have.
You will be fine.

Hope all went OK for you.

Donna (^_^)

When I had one, I laid there with my eyes closed, not really because I was afraid, more relaxed. They said they'd play music, but I didn't hear it. With the different noises, I was singing songs with the same rhythm as the noise. If the staff could hear me they must have thought I'd lost my marbles :-)! They were too polite to say anything when I got out....

Hi Kathy, I hope it is over now and that it wasn't difficult for you. I had one several years ago after suffering from headaches for quite awhile. I am not claustrophobic, so it was easy for me, I think I even fell asleep. And the report was good, as I'm sure it will be for you. But now my DH likes to tell that I had an MRI of my brain, and they found nothing. Wise guy!

I had an MRI of my neck several years ago.

It wasn't bad--it was weird, I guess, but it's not like it hurt, or was uncomfortable, or anything.

I just have never understood any of the apprehension surrounding MRIs.

All they are is loud.

I suppose it's annoying to be told to lie perfectly still for so long.

And I got slid into some long, skinny all-white-inside tube, so if I were claustrophobic, that might be hard.

How did it go?

What did they find - do they get an answer right away?

I hope that you know what's wrong ... and that there's not going to be a lot complicated, risky or expensive stuff needed to fix things.

((((Kathy))))

I'm pretty sure that I had one of them to examine my prostate a few years ago.

Don't remember any of their equipment arguing with my (rather large) nose for space.

Don't remember any hammering.

Could I have slept-walked through it all??

Oh, my!

ole joyful

Hope it all went well Kathy and with good results.