[Alin Steglinski]

ok people i started this thread as a place where we can all complain at how bad MRI's suck. come on the noise is unbelievably loud and annoying and the fact that you have to not move for up to 1 hour is lame. and dont get me started on spinal MRI's

[BillS]

I actually kinda like them.

My MRI place lets you bring in a CD so you have your choice of music to listen to. I love a nice hard surface to lay on, it makes my back feel great. I've never been bothered by enclosed spaces. 75% of me is going to lie still anyway so the being still part isn't too tough for me.

I almost fall asleep during them.

[Joed]

I used to be able to actually enjoy myself in the MRI, and often fell asleep too. So in '03, when I was scheduled for another one, I didn't think a thing of it. Once I was put into the machine, however, the panic started to rise out of nowhere, and they couldn't get me out of there fast enough...I thought I might tear the thing apart with my bare hands to get out. My reaction totally blind-sided me...I just didn't see that coming at all. The tech offered me a washcloth to place over my eyes, and I'm thinking 'yeah, right....like that little cloth is going to keep down this wild terror'....but I'll be darned if it didn't!

I love that washcloth.

The last MRI wasn't bad at all though...I did have the washcloth handy, just in case, but I did fine. I had quite a bit of discomfort lying down for that long this time, due to the pseudomeningolycele, but I just gritted my teeth and got through it. After sitting up, however, I was hit with some pretty wicked rebound pain.

[Tarkus]

BillS, on Nov 5 2006, 03:33 PM, said:

I actually kinda like them.

My MRI place lets you bring in a CD so you have your choice of music to listen to. I love a nice hard surface to lay on, it makes my back feel great. I've never been bothered by enclosed spaces. 75% of me is going to lie still anyway so the being still part isn't too tough for me.

I almost fall asleep during them.

Me too ! I put on some tunes and let'm scan.

I've had sooo many MRI, CAT SCANS, X-RAY etc. in the last year that me wife "lights up like a pinball" machine" when we have sex !!.


Regarsd,
Alan

[Alin Steglinski]

Tarkus, on Nov 5 2006, 05:41 PM, said:

BillS, on Nov 5 2006, 03:33 PM, said:

I actually kinda like them.

My MRI place lets you bring in a CD so you have your choice of music to listen to. I love a nice hard surface to lay on, it makes my back feel great. I've never been bothered by enclosed spaces. 75% of me is going to lie still anyway so the being still part isn't too tough for me.

I almost fall asleep during them.

Me too ! I put on some tunes and let'm scan.

I've had sooo many MRI, CAT SCANS, X-RAY etc. in the last year that me wife "lights up like a pinball" machine" when we have sex !!.


Regarsd,
Alan

i wish my mri place let me play music. their machine is so dang loud "CLUNKA CLUNKA CLUNKA BUZZ BUZZ CLUNKA" i usually have no problem other than my spasticity and the noise. if they let me play music id probably just fall asleep and do the same. however my CAT scan and XRAY place let me play music. i think its time for me to find a new MRI place.

This post has been edited by Alin Steglinski: 06 November 2006 - 12:50 AM

[Chilepepper]

Joed, on Nov 5 2006, 08:06 PM, said:

I used to be able to actually enjoy myself in the MRI, and often fell asleep too. So in '03, when I was scheduled for another one, I didn't think a thing of it. Once I was put into the machine, however, the panic started to rise out of nowhere, and they couldn't get me out of there fast enough...I thought I might tear the thing apart with my bare hands to get out. My reaction totally blind-sided me...I just didn't see that coming at all. The tech offered me a washcloth to place over my eyes, and I'm thinking 'yeah, right....like that little cloth is going to keep down this wild terror'....but I'll be darned if it didn't!

I love that washcloth.

The last MRI wasn't bad at all though...I did have the washcloth handy, just in case, but I did fine. I had quite a bit of discomfort lying down for that long this time, due to the pseudomeningolycele, but I just gritted my teeth and got through it. After sitting up, however, I was hit with some pretty wicked rebound pain.

Holy crap Joed I felt exactly the same way. They asked if I was claustaphobic and I said no. But when my body was going into that coffin like cylinder, I started to freak out. They could not get me out fast enough. Then they said they could put a cloth over my eyes, and by golly it worked. Mind you I still kept my eyes closed tighter than a drum.

[Tarkus]

Chilepepper, on Nov 5 2006, 07:18 PM, said:

Joed, on Nov 5 2006, 08:06 PM, said:

I used to be able to actually enjoy myself in the MRI, and often fell asleep too. So in '03, when I was scheduled for another one, I didn't think a thing of it. Once I was put into the machine, however, the panic started to rise out of nowhere, and they couldn't get me out of there fast enough...I thought I might tear the thing apart with my bare hands to get out. My reaction totally blind-sided me...I just didn't see that coming at all. The tech offered me a washcloth to place over my eyes, and I'm thinking 'yeah, right....like that little cloth is going to keep down this wild terror'....but I'll be darned if it didn't!

I love that washcloth.

The last MRI wasn't bad at all though...I did have the washcloth handy, just in case, but I did fine. I had quite a bit of discomfort lying down for that long this time, due to the pseudomeningolycele, but I just gritted my teeth and got through it. After sitting up, however, I was hit with some pretty wicked rebound pain.

Holy crap Joed I felt exactly the same way. They asked if I was claustaphobic and I said no. But when my body was going into that coffin like cylinder, I started to freak out. They could not get me out fast enough. Then they said they could put a cloth over my eyes, and by golly it worked. Mind you I still kept my eyes closed tighter than a drum.

Two words "OPEN MRI" no coffin.

All the best,
Alan

[Chilepepper]

Tarkus, on Nov 6 2006, 12:16 AM, said:

Chilepepper, on Nov 5 2006, 07:18 PM, said:

Joed, on Nov 5 2006, 08:06 PM, said:

I used to be able to actually enjoy myself in the MRI, and often fell asleep too. So in '03, when I was scheduled for another one, I didn't think a thing of it. Once I was put into the machine, however, the panic started to rise out of nowhere, and they couldn't get me out of there fast enough...I thought I might tear the thing apart with my bare hands to get out. My reaction totally blind-sided me...I just didn't see that coming at all. The tech offered me a washcloth to place over my eyes, and I'm thinking 'yeah, right....like that little cloth is going to keep down this wild terror'....but I'll be darned if it didn't!

I love that washcloth.

The last MRI wasn't bad at all though...I did have the washcloth handy, just in case, but I did fine. I had quite a bit of discomfort lying down for that long this time, due to the pseudomeningolycele, but I just gritted my teeth and got through it. After sitting up, however, I was hit with some pretty wicked rebound pain.

Holy crap Joed I felt exactly the same way. They asked if I was claustaphobic and I said no. But when my body was going into that coffin like cylinder, I started to freak out. They could not get me out fast enough. Then they said they could put a cloth over my eyes, and by golly it worked. Mind you I still kept my eyes closed tighter than a drum.

Two words "OPEN MRI" no coffin.

All the best,
Alan

sure did not feel open to me :o)

[juls]

I hate mri's I hate the noise, the closed in feeling you get...you have to take your bra off which is inconvenient and i freeze as i get cold as soon as i lay down..hate em

[Lee]

Had about 10 mri's up to now and hated everyone. Longest ive been in for an mri is 3 hours, yes 3 hours. I was ready to cart away. Now since i had my spine fused and metal rods they cant scan it all so only takes 40 mins and mine lets you take a cd aswell that way i know how long im in there and when they are nearly done.

[keeptrukin]

I hate the headphones with music, like it really drowns out the mri machine, if anything it makes me worse. I like the morphin, earplugs and sleep the best but you only get that when your first getting them not the later ones. Other than that I don't mind them, except when they strap your head into that contraption then want you to sit still for 40 minutes while they scan ya.
So I guess I am 50/50 split on this one. Like them sometimes hate them the rest of the time.

[LadyPilot]

juls, on Nov 6 2006, 08:22 AM, said:

...you have to take your bra off which is inconvenient and i freeze as i get cold as soon as i lay down..

I dislike being bra-less, so I always wear a crop top or sports bra with no metal in it. I ask for an extra blanket as I feel the cold too.

My worst experience was that I drove 3hrs to the Spinal unit JUST for an MRI and it broke down while I was waiting. I had to drive all the way home and then back again a couple of days later. I was really pissed off.

[keeptrukin]

LadyPilot, on Nov 9 2006, 02:00 AM, said:

juls, on Nov 6 2006, 08:22 AM, said:

...you have to take your bra off which is inconvenient and i freeze as i get cold as soon as i lay down..

I dislike being bra-less, so I always wear a crop top or sports bra with no metal in it. I ask for an extra blanket as I feel the cold too.

My worst experience was that I drove 3hrs to the Spinal unit JUST for an MRI and it broke down while I was waiting. I had to drive all the way home and then back again a couple of days later. I was really pissed off.

Good point Ladypilot, I have some piercing and I have to take them out as well. I like going free so being bra-less doesn't really bother me, but the peircings do.

[Joed]

I wonder if there's a reason they don't always use titanium when there's a chance that a patient will need MRIs down the road. My hardware is titanium....my NS chose this so I would be able to have MRIs later.

Titanium isn't as strong as stainless steel, so maybe that's why it's not always the best option?

[Lee]

I have metal work in my back and they can still scan me ok. Mores the pity, lol. I hate them.

[gsp23]

Another vote for I hate MRIs... they ask what kind of music you listen to and when you reply with Rap/Hip-Hop they just give you a blank stare, then you give your second choice with something and its not even anywhere near modern music of the genre. I mean I could go back to 90s for country western, I could go back to the 70s for Classic Rock but but beyond that... well, there are a few good songs here and there but 2 hours worth of Country music from the 60s is just not good. Not to mention if you have a headache the clunking sounds is that much worse. Then when they pull you out for the different exposures and ask how everything is you need to refrain from saying "Well lets see... the music sucks, the machine is loud, even with the blanket on Im frickin freezing, I have a migrane headache that the constant clunking sound is not helping, and I'm tired of straing up at the same dang thing because I of course cant fall asleep in here!" The music is never loud enough but I usually opt to keep it low and listen to the clunking as the less of two evils since the music sucks so bad.

Luckily I dont wear underwires but I do have a pierced belly button so I always have to take that out which can be a pain to do in the bathroom there if I forget to take it out before going.

[Mr.Rochester]

Last time I had a MRI it came complete witha Wheres Wally/Waldo game inside!
Kept me entertained for all of about 2 minutes!

[dom]

i remember my mri scan well.yes the noise is a bit frightening,i did have headphones but could still hear it,what worried me most was the guy said our bodies have millions of hydrogen atoms in them and these are 'lined up' and pulled in place as the machine does it's work? all i had in my mind was that film-'the fly' with space travel and two tardises,i freaked out as it was a both too sci-fi for me and i looked around for any buzzing insects in the tube in case i 'gelled' with them when it was over

[Illinois Boy]

I've had at least 20 over the years, I just have them crank up the Rock N' Roll and close my eyes and wait till it's over.....

Jim

[kewlcatkez]

I have to admit that I get very claustraphobic too. I wasn't so bad the first time, but by the second I was having a mini panic attack. The third at a more specialist centre was a little better, but I still find that I could vomit waiting and as my hips tend to dislocate when I am laying flat unless supported, I was spasming all of the place. I did ask for wedges and the like but the first two MRIs they didn;t allow me them. Anyway, the spasms from the dislocations made it a more arduous experience too, with them having to repeat vast chunks and then settle of less than perfect pictures.

Like someone above mentioned, I am better without the music or head phones. I dislike the noises the machine makes and yet the music makes me feel more isolated. I hate no knowing what is going on around me. If I was able to see out of the scanner then I am sure this would not be such an issue.

As an RN, I have accompanied and helped to position quite a few people in MRI/CTs, so when I am in the scanner, the room even, its almost like I swapped roles with someone or that I am watching myself. very odd.

Take care,

K

[benok]

I hate MRI because I dont have health insurance but I still have to go through it and pay it from my savings

[Mr.Rochester]

Apparantly in the UK it costs £2,500 to do an MRI SCAN. I'v had five and counting so thats £12,500 just for scans I would have had to pay if England didnt have free healthcare. Sometimes the UK doesnt seem such a bad place to live after all.

Andie

[benok]

Mr.Rochester, on Jan 3 2008, 10:54 AM, said:

Apparantly in the UK it costs £2,500 to do an MRI SCAN. I'v had five and counting so thats £12,500 just for scans I would have had to pay if England didnt have free healthcare. Sometimes the UK doesnt seem such a bad place to live after all.

Andie

Nice point Andie!
Third world countries like mine has a lot of catching up to do with regards to subsidized HMO's. I am scheduled for an MRI this coming week (thoracic) almost $250 (us dollars)