MRI

I had a magnetic resonance imaging scan of my brain done on Friday.  I won't get to know what happened until I see the neurologists again, but I can tell you about the experience.

First off, I cheated and drove myself.  It took me days to get my insurance worked out and it still expired at the end of November, so I was lucky to get the appointment that I did and I wasn't about to abandon it because I didn't have a ride.  Plus, I've been on my anti-seizure medication since Wednesday evening, so my risk has steadily declined since then.

After I arrived and filled out some forms, I was called back.  I knew I was going to be instructed to remove all metal (I left my watch at home) and since I was wearing jeans with copper brackets, I had to remove them.  I assumed that I would be given a dressing gown, but to my surprise, I was handed a set of scrubs.  That meant that I still got to wear pants!  I was also given a pair of earplugs to wear.

Once the examination room was free and had been wiped down, I was brought in to where the MRI machine was.  I laid down on the table (metal with a vinyl pad) and my head was strapped down to keep me from moving.  Once I was secure, the table rose up and slid back into the tube that is the MRI machine.  I was inserted up to my shoulders; that was fine, but if I had gone up to my waist or farther it would have been a bit nerve-wracking since the space is so small.  While I was in the tube, I heard a lot of loud noises (even with the earplugs) that kept changing.  After about twenty minutes, I was pulled out and injected with radioactive dye, then sent back in for another twelve minutes.  After that I was sent home.

While my experience was fine, I can certainly see why some people find MRI scans to be stressful.  Now I just need to find out what they saw with the giant magnet.