THR Merrimay's on the other side now THR

[Eman85]

I fell asleep in an MRI tube so that's the only tip I have, never bothered me I know some can't stand them. I've had a similar thing with my necks. I' had a Dr. ask me about the accident I had, I told him I never had an accident or any problems with my neck. Since then I've had other Dr.s ask the same question. I guess what we don't know won't hurt us. Looks bad on an x-ray but so far my head hasn't fallen off and aside from the grinding noise I don't have any problems with it.

 

[djklaugh]

@Merrimay Couple of suggestions - first ask your doctor if there is an open MRI machine available in your area and if yes can you get your MRI done with that? It's a newer type of machine that is NOT a claustrophobic tube!

If that is not an option then request a mild tranquilizer before the MRI! Given you history of problems with this that should be possible for you.

 

[Merrimay]

In my case, maybe I should ask a vet for a horse tranquilizer?

 

[Newhip_Pol]

It's odd, but I feel as if I've stumbled upon a child I didn't know I had. If only I'd known about her, I'd have taken care of her.

Dear @Merrimay - What a wonderful analogy to explain how you feel about all of this.

As for MRI I have nothing in the way of advice but one question and one story.

Question: Can MRI be done on someone with an artificial joint? Magnets and all that?

Story: OH had to have MRI for suspect prostate cancer and because they are very noisy (lots of clunking and clanking) you can have music played. No music at first so OH asked and when it started the first words were

"And now the end is here
And so I face that final curtain"
(Frank Sinatra: My Way)

Thank goodness OH has sense of humour!!

 

[Gloucestergal65]

I also recently discovered I have scoliosis although I haven’t until now given it much thought. I’ve had back, knee, hip problems for more than twenty years and I’m wondering if I should actually be paying it a bit more attention.

 

[Merrimay]

@djklaugh , never heard of an open MRI, so I checked on their website. They have something called a wide-bore MRI, which they claim is not as suffocating and patients find less intimidating. So thank you for that suggestion. When my spine guy mentioned the MRI, I said, "We're going to need a bigger boat." Wonder why he didn't say, we actually have one! Fingers crossed!

 

[Merrimay]

Hi @Newhip_Pol ! Believe me, my first hope was that my new hip would disqualify me as a cast member on Survivor: Tube of Death. But noooo. My make and model is good to go.

 

[Merrimay]

Did a coffee spit-take on those Sinatra lyrics!!!

 

[Merrimay]

Years ago, i read about some man who requested that his gravestone read, "My only regret is that I did it my way."

My only regret is that I never the opportunity to meet that man!

 

[myglasshalffull]

Wow Merrimay that's tough to digest for sure.
I also thought you couldn't do MRI with implants, that's the machine that clangs and bangs when you go through it, correct?
I've had MRI prior to my hip surgery for my back, I have two herniated discs and now my back and buttocks and down my leg are letting me know going to work two days in a row was a big mistake.
Been icing and resting but when I rub the muscles on outside of my thigh it's so tender.
During course of the day it gets better but when I first get up it's very sore. Bad trip into ODIC.
I think you could get a mild relaxer and then they give you headphones with music to listen to???
Let us know how it all works out.

 

[Newhip_Pol]

Hi @Newhip_Pol ! Believe me, my first hope was that my new hip would disqualify me as a cast member on Survivor: Tube of Death. But noooo. My make and model is good to go.

Ah well - it was just a thought!

 

[Merrimay]

@myglasshalffull , ugh, yes, sadly it's the machine that clangs and bangs.

So I've come up with the Lucy Ricardo Method for MRI Prep.

1) Turn on YouTube video with MRI machine sounds at highest volume.
2) Lie on bed with Amazon box with one side cut out over your head.
3) Arms at side, no moving.
4) Do this 15 minutes 3 times per day until the procedure.

 

[Charlie33]

So sorry to hear the news. But at the very least you’re getting more clarity on how to move ahead and hopefully get a non surgical treatment plan that will provide relief.

On MRI machines: try to find one where are you can watch imagery in addition to listening to music. Spa music and watching waves is a nice distraction and makes the time go by much faster! I’ve also heard a lot of folks will take Ativan to relax before going into an MRI. I think it’s sort of like a mild form of Valium? Anyway, hope this suggestion helps!

 

[Merrimay]

Hi, @Charlie33, my doctor told me he'd prescribe me a Xanax tablet to take an hour before the scan. I said, I'll need a bottle full!

A friend offered to be in the scanner room with me, and I gratefully took her up on the offer. Hopefully the xanax and conversation will make for a successful scan.

 

[Merrimay]

I thought I'd share this discovery in case anyone else with MRIphobia might find it useful:

I mentioned in an earlier post that I developed the Lucy Ricardo Method (LRM) for MRI Prep. Play YouTube video of MRI machine soundsxat high volume, while lying still on your bed with a box over your head.

And I learned that the sounds, which for me are never masked by a headphone set, are a lot of the reason for my panic. What I did was just "go toward" each type of clang, bang, and horn. The discord and cacophony is truly a Hellscape for me.

So I named each type of sound as I imagined it: Machine Gun Kelly, Blitzkrieg, Abandon Ship, Evacuate the Building, Clown Car Horn, etc. As I named each, I grew less panicked by it. They were just "sound effects" not sounds designed to trigger fight/flight.

The other trick is do NOT look into "the box." Just lie down, close your eyes, then breath deeply as you "go into the tube." Wait for the sounds instead. As if you'd wait for a song to start. When they do start, my mind lifts because I've named these sounds. There's Machine Gun Kelly, oh, and there's the Blitz of London's South End. (What do we do? Keep calm and Carry On.) When Clown Car blasts, it's all I can do not to laugh inside my box.

Anyway, I think I've always conceived of the MRI as a spatial issue (I'm alive in a closed coffin), but for me the noises the coffin made were a lot of the problem, even though I was wearing headphones.

I finished three sessions of LRM yesterday and actually found myself looking forward to the varying sounds. In this case, familiarity is not breeding contempt. It's relaxing me.

As for opening my eyes in that scanner: no way. In my head, I'll tell myself I'm in the Amazon box while lying on my bed at home. No coffin. Just a cardboard box with my address on it.

That, plus a Xanax and friend in the room? I'm hoping I've dine my due diligence! So embarrassing to waste the radiologist's time. And such a waste to put myself through that stress!

Will continue doing LRM until the day of the scan, early next week, I assume.

 

[Merrimay]

Oops, some of you are young enough to associate the name Machine Gun Kelly with the rapper. I'm associating it with the Prohibition era TN gangster who the rapper "named" himself after, so one if the "sounds" I hear in the MRI is the firing of what we used to call machine guns. Not calming.

 

[myglasshalffull]

I take 1/2 Xanax when I fly, I'm not really afraid of flying but it relaxes me and I usually fall asleep.
My GF recently needed MRI for neck/back issues and it wasn't the kind with large opening and she panicked and stopped the procedure. She ended up going back a few days later and was successful having the test.
A lot of "thinking" too much about it can make you get really nervous but sounds like you are approaching it the right way and having a friend will help tremendously.

 

[thepuckhead]

@Merrimay - I am so very sorry to hear of the new development and I hope there are promising treatment options for you. Your story is definitely a shining example of how to be your own best advocate and resiliency.

I hate MRIs, too. I have asthma and it can be hard to breathe if I'm lying on my back; twice as hard if I'm penned in and I take a breath and the tech breaks in to tell me I need to lie still because I'm moving too much and they'll have to repeat that series.

You are a genius when it comes to resourcefulness. I still remember your suggestion to approach my early days of not being able to move much as an athletic endurance test and it really worked. A big cheers to your ingenuity and thanks for sharing it here. You are one clever hippy-spiney!

 

[djklaugh]

@Merrimay I've had to have a few MRIs myself. Although they don't bother me too much the noises are off putting. But I decided they sounded sort of like an old movie (1965, "How To Murder Your Wife") where the main character writing a comic strip decides to "murder" a fictitious wife and hide the body in the gloppitta-gloppitta machine ( old style cement mixer). Through out the movie the machine, located at a construction site just next door, makes very odd and at times ominous noises. Holding still while giggling can be a challenge

 

[Jaycey]

I had to have an MRI due to my lumbar spine issues. I am very claustrophobic. At the time I was working in a hospital. My boss was a nurse in the intensive care ward. She told me exactly what you posted:

The other trick is do NOT look into "the box." Just lie down, close your eyes, then breath deeply as you "go into the tube."

Lie down, close your eye and don't open them until you are done. I made it through without any sedation.