Has anyone had an MRI scan?

[scatterbrain]

What do they do? is it like an xray?

Scatterbrain

[Helsbells]

I had one a few years ago. You lay down on a bed type thing and go into a machine (inside a round hole/tunnel). I remember that the machine vibrates whilst taking pics of your insides.

I didnt like it but mainly because I was really scared as was rushed into hospital and 1 hour later was having this done and felt all alone (you are in the room on your own).

Oh, its quite dark and you have to stay very still (I think).

HTH

[Hello Kitty]

No, Dh is due to have one soon. I would be interested to hear more about them. I have heard you have to stay really still...

[scatterbrain]

Not to bad actually. I only had my head done and it lasted 1/2 hour. You do have to keep really still, but they had things either side of my head so I couldn't have moved very far anyway. There were about 4 or 5 short scans in all.

It's very enclosed but I didn't find it a problem so long as I kept my eyes shut (otherwise you're staring at something 2 cm infront of you and it can feel a little claustrophobic).

The worst bit was having an injection 1/2 way through. I don't think everyone has it, but it's a sort of dye that helps them to look at whatever they were looking at.

Julesfh, I'm sure you're hb will be fine with it. It's really not a big deal. I hope everything's OK with him.

Scatterbrain

[Hello Kitty]

Aw thanks. Glad yours went well. He is having a brain scan to rule out a tumour. They are 99.9% sure he is ok but he is practically deaf in one ear and has hearing problems in the other so they want to rule all other stuff out just in case. I will tell him to keep his eyes closed!
Was this related to the Guillane Barr?

[scatterbrain]

No. This was for double vision. I've had it for the last couple of months. Aparently it's not likely to be GBS related because its so recent. I'm getting varous tests for various things. Like your hb, they also wanted to rule out the unlikely possibility of a brain tumour.

Scatterbrain

[Crazyfool]

I have had loads of MRI's. I've had tumours under my brain ( non cancerous and benign) in my Pitutary gland . I have those MRI's every 6 months to detect the growth of the remaining tumours (post surgery).

MRI's work on magnetic resonance. The dont hurt and at worst your hb may feel a little claustraphobic. I always have the injections but I have never had any side affects.
You do have to lie very still and they strap your head down ( or the always do for me anyhoo) dont worry its just velcro straps . They also wedge your head with cushions.

I hope hubby is ok and all goes well for him :hug:

I found a link for you http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/examinations/mriscan.htm

[Spleep]

I had one for my back - I have a 'bulging' disc - OUCH.

It's pretty horrible I have to say. Very enclosed. The tube' you slide into is little bigger than you are. The roof of the tube is a few inches from your face.

The process is quite long - I think I was in there for about 20mins - and it's incredibly noisy. Very loud banging and clanking as though one of the nurses was outside banging the machine with a cricket bat!

I didn't mind it, but I'd think anyone who suffers from claustrophobia, or a little child, might find it quite an ordeal.

[Hello Kitty]

Ooh Scatter I hope the double vision clears up soon, that must be a total pain.
It sounds like MRI scans are a lot more common than you think. I will tell DH to keep his eyes closed.

[scatterbrain]

With some of the scans I found there was a rhythm to the noises & I made up tunes to go with the 'bass' the machine provided. It helped to pass the time!

lol - I think you've got to be there to understand it (I'm not going nuts, honest!)

Scatterbrain

[redhed]

I had one at 34 weeks pregnant. Or, rather, Alexandra had one.

There is not a lot of room in there when you're very very pregnant, and it got very hot and clostrophobic.
Plus (I had SPD) by the time I got out my pelvis had "set" in a very dysfunctional position, and I couldn't walk. Apart from that, a lovely experience.

Helena has had two now - General Anaesthetic for both of them, there is no way that I can get her to lie still for 2 seconds, let alone 20 minutes!

lol @ Scatterbrain making up tunes - I was listening to hear how the sounds the machine was making were quite like words, and imagining what the words were!

[applepie]

Scatterbrain, is the injection just one small one, could you tell me a bit about it?

My son needs to go for an MRI and he will have an injection too.

Thank you

[scatterbrain]

I don't know if they're all the same as I think it depends on what they're looking for. In my case they put a canula in my arm (that you forget is there) & injected into that. I assumed this was incase they didn't get a clear picture and had to reinject the 'stuff' for a rescan (I might be wrong, though). It didn't really hurt as such - just a scratch like a normal injection or taking blood.

I hope it all goes well for your son. How old is he?

Scatterbrain

[applepie]

hi

Thanks for that, my son is needle phobic so it will be fun.
Long story but he is just 17 and had 2 "fits" in march and both left him with left side weakness after. An EEG showed nothing and i was told yesterday he might have had a slight stroke. Not good news at all.
So now we are awaiting a "sleep deprivated" (SP) EEG and an MRI with an injection to show up blood vessels in brain/head.
Im a bit vague as im a little shocked.

[redhed]

Hi Applepie - hope I'm not hijacking Scatter's thread here - Helena has severe Epilepsy and we've been through the assorted EEGs as well as the MRI so if there's anything at all you want to know, do ask me - PM or start a thread. Helena's had Epilepsy for about a year now so we've been there, done that for most of it, though of course there are so many different types of Epilepsy. Plus there is a forum on an Epilepsy-specific forum that is good for support if you are needing it now.

[redhed]

Sorry, should say a forum on an epilepsy-specific website - I have the addy if you need it.

[applepie]

Hi

Thanks Redhead, i will contact you after he has more tests, but my way of coping at the moment is to try to forget about it.

[applepie]

Feeling more positive today, i will Pm you Redhead when i know if its epilepsy or a minor stroke.

this site is brill for support

[scatterbrain]

I was going to post to see how your son got on. Let us know (or pm if you'd rather).
I hope everything turns out ok...we'll, you know what I mean.

As far as my MRI is concerned I'm assuming no news is good news & 'looking forward' to the electric shock tests they'll be giving me on Monday. Roll on June when all my test results are back!

Scatterbrain

[applepie]

Scatterbrain, if your MRi showed up something bad they would have contacted you im sure.
Electric shocks tests sounds scarey.
My son has to wait up to 2 months for his tests, blooming nhs dont rush.

:flowers: for monday

[iGnome]

hi

Thanks for that, my son is needle phobic so it will be fun.
Long story but he is just 17 and had 2 "fits" in march and both left him with left side weakness after. An EEG showed nothing and i was told yesterday he might have had a slight stroke. Not good news at all.
So now we are awaiting a "sleep deprivated" (SP) EEG and an MRI with an injection to show up blood vessels in brain/head.
Im a bit vague as im a little shocked.

Sorry for butting in but I have epilepsy as well but a genetic kind (Juevenile Myoclonic Epilepsy) so never had MRI or CT. Hate EEG's always seem to miss my appointments :oops: Can't really see the point of them. The epilepsy is life long and the EEG's are always the same so like it's not that it's helping in anyway, just makes me feel ikky afterwards.

Anyway, if your son had weakness in his arm after his seizure but it has gone away within 48 hours then it may actually be Todd's Paralysis which happens post seizures in some people. I have had it once. Dead arm for 24 hours. I remember how heavy a dead arm was to move around . :faint:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/toddsparalysis/toddsparalysis.htm

Far too many doctors miss this and put patients through tests only to say "er well, couldn't find anything wrong" which I hope is the case for your son.

SEarch Todd's Paralysis on Google if you want more info (with the ' in the Todd's)

Electric shock tests scatterbrain, I assume you mean EMG's. I've had one of those, funny thing was it made my arms jerk just like when I have a seizure. Not nice. :hissyfit:

[applepie]

Wow thanks IGnome. I looked it up and i hope it is Todds paralysis instead. His arm seems back to normal now and i bet we have to wait ages for new tests.

Thanks for posting that:flowers:

[scatterbrain]

Well, I received an interesting parcel in the post today...lots of pictures of my brain :lol: . Soooo wierd! :brainache:

My neurologist sent the scans on to me along with a note explaining that my brain is normal & there are no abnormalities there that would explain my symptoms :smile:. So, back to the drawing board on the cause of my current illness, but this is good news anyway.

Applepie, has your son had his MRI yet? If so, how did it go?

Scatterbrain

[Angel]

Glad your scans are normal Scatterbrain but a pain not knowing what the problem is.

[Julesb]

Good to hear that they come back normal. Hope you can find an answer soon.