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August 31, 2004
MRIs are very weird!
Today I had an MRI. It was one of the oddest experiences I have ever had. Don't worry- there's nothing malignant going on, just pre-menopausal female stuff that men do not want to hear about.
The young woman who took all the 'pictures' was really nice. She let me hold a paper clip about 3 feet from the giant magnetic donut, and it felt like someone was trying to grab it out of my hand. I learned that if I let go of the paper clip, it would fly into the machine at 40 miles per hour. Cool. I did not let go, I behaved.
This was not one of the old Magnetic Resonance Imaging machines where you are completely closed in (thank God for small favors!), but it was not the newest where you can feel free and easy. It looked a lot like this.
Some people say that the sound is like a jackhammer - but they are wrong. Each 'picture' that the magnets take have a different rhythm. And there can be multiple rhythms at the same time. It made me think of a bass player with a good beat, but not a lot of variety in note playing.
In fact, the 4th "picture" - a 3.5 minute picture sounded like the beginning of the Who's Won't Get Fooled Again.
She didn't tell me that you feel the energy of the magnets - but you do - a certain mystical pressure, a bit of heat - a wave of feeling - I could almost imagine my insides from the rythym, pressure, heat, imagination. Very, very weird feelings.
It took about 45 minutes of holding still, yet still being allowed to breath (good thing they let you breath, because I would not have lasted for 45 minutes!)
All in all, it was a very interesting experience.
Posted by Beth at August 31, 2004 8:31 PM
Comments
I had one done a few months ago and, even though it was the open mri, I was starting to freak out towards the last 10-15 minutes of the scan. I think it was the just having to be still that was freaking me out. Luckily, I did fine. I am glad you did too! : - )
Posted by: Kate at August 31, 2004 10:00 PM
I had one last week and have to go for another next week. It was one of the closed-in ones but small spaces don't bother me. I thought the feeling was kind of relaxing...if it hadn't been for the clunking noise it made I probably would have fallen asleep.
That doesn't mean I'm looking forward to doing it again but I'm trying to look at the positive side. I can lie down without worrying about a cat landing on me (at c. 1000 lbs. of pressure per paw) and while the clunking isn't great, it beats listening to my kids bicker about video games.
Posted by: marybeth at August 31, 2004 11:07 PM
I had one done a few years ago and I just shut my eyes and relaxed. I think one time, I actually dozed off, because I remember hearing the technician repeating my name.
Posted by: Stu at September 1, 2004 9:34 AM
I'm glad you were able to get through it okay.
I'm really proud of you. Really.
Posted by: Da Goddess at September 1, 2004 11:35 AM
Some people have claustrophobia problems, others have problems being still for such a long period of time. It's different for everyone, I'm glad yours went well though.
Posted by: Teresa at September 1, 2004 5:34 PM