Have you ever had an MRI?

[CDSmith]

As of this past weekend I can now say that I have.

I had taken quite a few patients *for* one back in my hospital working years, but never had one myself until now.

It was interesting. Loud, very loud, and very confining being in that narrow tube for 20+ minutes, not to mention having to lay pefectly still on a cold hard slab for that long. I actually felt a twinge of claustrophobia and I've never been claustrophobic in my life.

The MRI technician was kind of hot though, so it wasn't all bad.

[Grapesoda]

yup, found out I'm claustrophobic too..

[Major (Tom)]

Yea had one in late oct. just had my surgery last Thursday
Ds

[dyna mo]

it's crazy how loud it is !


it's like this


the claustrophobia happens to me to with it, but it's nothing compared to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. wow, talk about having to chill out in that thing.

[CDSmith]

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

yup, found out I'm claustrophobic too..

Well it was just a slight twinge for me. Happened within the first few seconds that I was being slid up into the thing. I just shut my eyes and imagined I could see the ceiling and it never came back.

But I have a new sympathy for those who are chronic sufferers of it. It's not a good feeling.

Originally Posted by DukeSkywalker

Yea had one in late oct. just had my surgery last Thursday
Ds

This one was for my upper and lower spine and surrounding tissue. There's a chance that a surgery will be in the cards for me as well, but we'll see what the specialist has to say first.

[CDSmith]

Originally Posted by dyna mo

it's crazy how loud it is !

You got that right. I was quit surprised by it.

Afterwards, when I was slid back out of there and she came up and said "You can throw away the earplugs in this bucket", I looked at her and said "You drive WHAT kind of car?"

She laughed, and I saw her boobs jiggle. :D

[ludballs]

Originally Posted by dyna mo

it's crazy how loud it is !


it's like this


the claustrophobia happens to me to with it, but it's nothing compared to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. wow, talk about having to chill out in that thing.

It's that bad?

[Supz]

I had one a long time ago. What a pain in the ass.

[dyna mo]

Originally Posted by ludballs

It's that bad?

i think so. it's an electrical hum/grind/churn. it's the magnet(s) whirling around in a circle at some crazy rpm.

[scarlettcontent]

had 3, its fun, I fell to sleep first time

[ExtremeBank_Adam]

I've had three. Two on my right shoulder, one on my left. Loud for sure, and pretty confined. I'm a big guy (6'2", 230 lbs), and I can't imagine anyone any bigger than me fitting in there.

They did let me wear headphones and listen to music for the second and third time. Was MUCH better that way.

[harvey]

Had quite a bunch, will have another in 20 days. Sometimes I sleep (for real)

[CDSmith]

Originally Posted by ExtremeBank_Adam

I've had three. Two on my right shoulder, one on my left. Loud for sure, and pretty confined. I'm a big guy (6'2", 230 lbs), and I can't imagine anyone any bigger than me fitting in there.

I'm 6'4", 245 lbs. They have three MRI's at the facility I went to, two of them are of regular size and the third one is larger for the bigger guys like us. It was still pretty close and confining in there for me though.

They did let me wear headphones and listen to music for the second and third time. Was MUCH better that way.

If I ever need to have another one I'll definitely remember that. They are pretty strict about having any metal on your person while the imaging is done though so I doubt they'd let me bring in my own sound device.

[ExtremeBank_Adam]

Originally Posted by CDSmith

I'm 6'4", 245 lbs. They have three MRI's at the facility I went to, two of them are of regular size and the third one is larger for the bigger guys like us. It was still pretty close and confining in there for me though.

Not sure if I was in a large one or not. They had several at the place, and each time I was in the same one, so maybe I was.

Originally Posted by CDSmith

If I ever need to have another one I'll definitely remember that. They are pretty strict about having any metal on your person while the imaging is done though so I doubt they'd let me bring in my own sound device.

I didn't bring my own... it was their headphones. Not sure why they didn't offer them to me the first time, but they did the other two. I'm sure they're specially made for the machine not to screw it up.

[Spunky]

Had two of them which resulted in 3 surgeries .The only trouble was not moving a muscle for 40 minutes

[mikesouth]

I have had LOTS 4 in 2007 and 1 a year since 20 mins is a cakewalk mine take 60-90 ( 2 sets one with contrast one without)

it has never bothered me and yes despite the noise I can doze off during the process.

[SilentKnight]

Had one a few years ago when I developed a sciatic nerve problem - eventually required surgery to correct.

I didn't have probs with the MRI - didn't seem to bother me at all...no claustrophobia. And funny you mentioning about the hot technician - my MRI tech was a hot babe, too. Never saw her jiggle, though.

[Penny24Seven]

it was so damn loud and that was with me wearing something over my ears. Then my nose was 1/2 inch from the wall inside so I could not move an inch. I felt like I was going to freak out at any minute. I could not believe when it was done and I was in there for 40 minutes. It felt like 10 minutes when it should have been the other way around

[baddog]

I had one, but I fell asleep in it.

[Mr Pheer]

I've had a few. It's very hard to lay there on your back, with three broken ribs in your back, and a few other broken bones, broken eye socket and cheek bone, lacerated spleen and liver... and not move for a while.

[GUNNER]

Originally Posted by DukeSkywalker

Yea had one in late oct. just had my surgery last Thursday
Ds

What'd you have surgery for Duke?

[Adam_M]

I almost fell asleep having one

[Helix]

Never...

[ExtremeBank_Adam]

Originally Posted by Mr Pheer

I've had a few. It's very hard to lay there on your back, with three broken ribs in your back, and a few other broken bones, broken eye socket and cheek bone, lacerated spleen and liver... and not move for a while.

Damn dude. Did you fall down the stairs...... of the Empire State Building?

[baddog]

Originally Posted by ExtremeBank_Adam

Damn dude. Did you fall down the stairs...... of the Empire State Building?

He had a pretty severe bike wreck a few years ago as I recall.

[fitzmulti]

Yes. ugh...

[ExtremeBank_Adam]

Originally Posted by baddog

He had a pretty severe bike wreck a few years ago as I recall.

Sucks to hear. Not sure what type of bike or circumstances (usually someone pulls out in front of you), but I'd had that happen to me dozens of times over the years, and probably barely missed death a few times, especially with non-driving blue hairs down here in Florida. A buddy died last year after being hit by a truck, another was in a coma from someone turning left in front of him, and another died while driving drunk (his fault, I get it). But, three close friends dead or almost dead within a few months... I parked our bikes and never rode them again. Sold my wife's GSXR600, then sold my GSXR1000 a few months later.

I might ride again one day, but no desire to right now. I bought a boat instead...

Which is actually kind of ironic... the boat is the reason I needed the 3 MRI's on my shoulders. Buddy driving the boat trying to pull me up on a wakeboard and literally jerked my arms loose. I had a full thickness tear in my right rotator cuff tendon, a partial tear in my left. I opted for surgery in my right, which I did last year. Still not sure about the left. May just wait until it starts bothering me then go for surgery.

Rode bikes all my life. A few near misses, but never crashed or got hurt. A couple months on the boat, I've torn up both my shoulders, requiring surgery to put my right one back together.

[candyflip]

I think that the the University here where I live had something to do with helping to develop an Open MRI. I have only had one and was lucky enough to have been able to do it in this facility.

[The Heron]

I've had many, is this special? Who has had CT scans? Who's taken a piss test? this is boring

[Mark.Roy]

Never......

[theking]

Originally Posted by CDSmith

As of this past weekend I can now say that I have.

I had taken quite a few patients *for* one back in my hospital working years, but never had one myself until now.

It was interesting. Loud, very loud, and very confining being in that narrow tube for 20+ minutes, not to mention having to lay pefectly still on a cold hard slab for that long. I actually felt a twinge of claustrophobia and I've never been claustrophobic in my life.

The MRI technician was kind of hot though, so it wasn't all bad.

Multiple times.

[teeheiman]

Twice, gets worse everytime...

[CDSmith]

Originally Posted by Helix

Never...

And hopefully you never will.

As I said this one was on my upper and lower spine. When I was 16 (way back in '79) I had a spinal fusion done on the middle of my spine to correct for scoliosis. I had an "S" type curve and at it's worst was 45 degrees. So I've lived all my life with a fused spine, and sure enough just as the surgeon and other doctors involved said, once I get into my 40's I would start seeing signs of degeneration in my upper and lower back.

Osteo-arthritis has set in over the years, nothing much can be done about it except to take certain measures to try and slow it's progress. But in recent years I've also developed other symptoms, one being sciatica and other pinched nerve problems. The muslcles and tendons throughout the regions are like iron from all the years of growing inflamation. I'm actually kind of hoping this new specialist I'm seeing will decide on a surgical solution to alleviate some of that, especially the sciatica, so I'm kind of encouraged by those here who said they had such a surgery. (assuming your surgeries produced positive results for you)

[CurrentlySober]

i cant afford an MRI...

[theking]

Originally Posted by CDSmith

And hopefully you never will.

As I said this one was on my upper and lower spine. When I was 16 (way back in '79) I had a spinal fusion done on the middle of my spine to correct for scoliosis. I had an "S" type curve and at it's worst was 45 degrees. So I've lived all my life with a fused spine, and sure enough just as the surgeon and other doctors involved said, once I get into my 40's I would start seeing signs of degeneration in my upper and lower back.

Osteo-arthritis has set in over the years, nothing much can be done about it except to take certain measures to try and slow it's progress. But in recent years I've also developed other symptoms, one being sciatica and other pinched nerve problems. The muslcles and tendons throughout the regions are like iron from all the years of growing inflamation. I'm actually kind of hoping this new specialist I'm seeing will decide on a surgical solution to alleviate some of that, especially the sciatica, so I'm kind of encouraged by those here who said they had such a surgery. (assuming your surgeries produced positive results for you)

Hopefully it will workout for you. None of the surgeries I have had on my back since and including '91 have worked out for me. I have lived with mind numbing pain since '91.

What pain level are you currently suffering with?

[Sophie Delancey]

I've had a few in my day. No one adequately warns you about the noise.

[MiLo]

Yeah. Neither the best nor the worst experience. I don't think you are supposed to enjoy it...

[2013]

i cunt a4rd a mri

[AdultKing]

Having MS I get them periodically, I tend to fall asleep during them and need to be woken up at the completion.

[2012]

i can't say that i have unfortunately

[Mr Pheer]

Originally Posted by 2012

i can't say that i have, fortunately

Fixed it for you.

[sandman!]

never had one

does not sound like fun

[Mr Pheer]

Originally Posted by ExtremeBank_Adam

Damn dude. Did you fall down the stairs...... of the Empire State Building?

That made me laugh... glad my ribs arent still broke or I'd be crying.

Just like Baddog said, it was a pretty bad motorcycle accident.

[CDSmith]

Originally Posted by theking

Hopefully it will workout for you. None of the surgeries I have had on my back since and including '91 have worked out for me. I have lived with mind numbing pain since '91.

What pain level are you currently suffering with?

It changes from day to day, and can change in a matter of minutes depending on what I'm doing. At the moment I'm sitting in my nice comfortable and very ergonomic computer chair so the pain isn't too bad. Maybe a 1 or 2. But if I were to get up and walk around for a while, or do something in the kitchen for 10 minutes or more, or have to go out and shovel some snow, etc, the pain level rises the more I push it. Cutting the grass in summer starts out not bad but by mid-way through it it's excruciating.

During days when the pain is more constant and at anything close to "mind-numbing" I break down and take a slow-release 750 mg Naproxin. It at the very least takes the edge off so I can think clearly at a lower pain level.

I'd like to get at least some of what's going on with my back addressed now, if possible, so that I don't get to the constant mind-numbing level that you've had to go through. I've read your posts on this in the past and I can only imagine how tough it's been for you.