MRI fail -- mine

[Bill in Oregon]

Guys, I have probably had close to 10 MRIs for lower back issues over the last 30 years. The first one was in one of those early culvert-diameter torpedo tubes. With a warm washcloth over my eyes, I did fine even though getting stuck in a pipe is one of my worst nightmares -- right up there with falling off the Golden Gate Bridge. The machines have gotten more open and accessible over the years and the very newest ones are leagues beyond the early ones.
Today, I needed yet another MRI of my funky lower spine and the machine was a fairly recent GE -- kind of "close" but not too bad. Well, 7 minutes into the 25, I had to press the panic bulb. They gave me foam earplugs and the deafening MRI racket had my heart pounding. I felt pretty darned sheepish about it, but the sweet tech said, Bill, let's turn you around and slide you in feet first so you can wear headphones and hear some jazz. That was all it took. The contrast dye injection I worried about was a piece of cake. I hate to admit that at 65 and a survivor of multiple surgeries, I still get nervous about needles, but there it is. Anyway, I am glad I got her done, but do not look forward to another one soon. Mebbe this'll be the last one prior to checkout.

[Old No7]

"...and the deafening MRI racket had my heart pounding"...

Sounds about as much fun as sitting next to a guy with a 30-round mag in an AR who tries to see how fast he can empty it...

"...slide you in feet first so you can wear headphones and hear some jazz..."

There you go! The next one -- if ever needed -- will be a piece of cake, just do it "that" way.

Good luck to you sir.

Old No7

[Chuck 100 yd]

I have never had an MRI and hope I never do. Hang in there friend.

[2ndovc]

Bummer! Those things are kinda freaky! Just be glad your not allergic to the contrast dye, man does that suck! A little like poison ivy that just won't go away.
Hope they can do something for your back!

jb

[AJMD429]

Glad she helped you figure out a way to deal with it. MRI's are safer than CT scans (no radiation, and the contrast is less likely to cause reactions), but they aren't much fun...!

[piller]

MRI do have one problem that prevents SightHunter from using them. She has electronics buried in her head, and magnets and electronics attached to her skull under the skin near her ears. Cochlear Implants are still a contra-indication for a MRI. One of these days, I expect the magnetic fields in the MRI to be focused enough that even Cochlear Implant recipients can have an MRI over most of their body.

[hayabusa]

I had an MRI in January of 2006. I remember the close fitting tube.
Sooner or later I will have to have another one. I guess I am lucky as nothing about it bothered me. People that put me thru it were very happy with me.

[Mainehunter]

I use to service them back in the late 90's for several years. The one service call I will never forget was an obese patient got stuck coming out, they too pressed the panic button. I had to take the front shroud off which was one piece and few other parts in order for the patient to slide out. Normally it would of taken me 15 maybe 20 minutes to take the stuff off but took me close to an hour because the patient had their hands wedged up preventing the shroud to move so I had to improvise. Today's MRI's are much bigger "wide bore they call them" and they have implemented new safety features to disassemble them more quickly......just in case!

[Pitchy]

Hope things go well for ya Bill, prayers up.

[Bill in Oregon]

Jason, I had the pleasure of going into anaphylactic shock about 10 years ago during my first and only CAT scan. They started the contrast dye and almost immediately I felt my eyes starting to itch, then my chest. The nurse realized I was starting to sprout hives all over, stopped the dye and called another nurse with a needle full of Benadryl. They shot me up right there on the table, and then wouldn't let me go home for two hours. Darnedest thing. I am not to this day allergic to shellfish that I know of, although my daughter is.
The newest imaging machines are more like donuts than road culverts, which makes getting an MRI easier to take for most folks.
Those of you with good, healthy backs, thank your lucky stars -- and take good care of them!

[J Miller]

Bill in OR,

Been there, done that. I hate MRIs.

Joe

[Pete44ru]

.

I'm too claustrophobic to endure an MRI w/o a healthy dose of Valium to put me into la-la-land & an opaque facecloth over my eyes - but I did enjoy the music of my choice that was piped into the headphones the facility provided..

.

[Ysabel Kid]

The noise drives me nuts as well. I've had many with my lower back issues. My problem is that they are usually ordered up when my back is completely wrecked, and then they want me to lie still. Not the easiest thing to do when one is in excruciating pain!

Glad to hear you got through it!

[Bullard4075]

Had a MRI years ago (the sewer tube kind) that was no fun. No fun at all. But it is the needles that get me. I know it is mostly psychosomatic but back surgery was nothing compared to the spinal block. Just yesterday had the infamous Prostate Needle Biopsy ( my PSA went up from 8 something to 8 point something) with you guessed it NEEDLES. I discover the results tuesday. Doc didn't seem overly concerned.

[Bill in Oregon]

Jay, my doc wants to discuss results first thing tomorrow. We shall see what the future holds. How are you doing? I never quite seemed to heal from my laminectomy, although the pain numbness moved to the back of my legs, indiciating possible sacro problems ...

Bullard, hope all comes out gangbusters with the prostate. I had a PSA run last week too. Waiting to hear.

[piller]

.

I'm too claustrophobic to endure an MRI w/o a healthy dose of Valium to put me into la-la-land & an opaque facecloth over my eyes - but I did enjoy the music of my choice that was piped into the headphones the facility provided..

.

I am claustrophobic, but I lack the liver enzyme which breaks down valium, xanax, klonopin, soma, ativan, and all others in that family. A 0.25 mg dose of xanax once had me out for 30 hours, and wiped 48 hours of memory out. I refuse to ever allow anyone to give me that stuff again. PillHer and SightHunter get VIOLENT when any benzodiazepine is in their system. I go to sleep on it and lose 48 hours or more of my life and they turn into Chuck Liddel on "Crank" on it. Totally opposite reactions. Anyone who ever tries to roofie SightHunter would probably end up with a broken back. At 4 years old, she was given some Versed before getting tubes in her ears by a Nurse who couldn't read the huge handwritten warning I had put in the chart against benzodiazepines. SightHunter broke both of the nurses arms and fractured her skull. I got someone to get some mazicon and two male nurses and I held her so that the Doctor could administer the antidote to her. 3 large adult males were slightly injured by a 4 year old girl while trying to stop her from killing anyone while she was under the influence of a member of the valium family. When the Nurse who violated the orders about not giving her anything like that recovered, she was fired for endangering a patient.

Oddly, SightHunter is calmed by Ritalin. She was put on Ritalin, a strong stimulant, for A.D.D., and she hated it because it made her want to sleep.