freak. out.
Me. MRI. No way. Thought I could do it. Put my head in the basket, noise-blocking headphones, started the slide into the tube. Got a little freaked as they slid me in but I was okay as long as I could feel the edge of it. Tech said "just a little further," and at the point I could no longer feel the edge, I started crazy weepy boo-hooing and had to be pulled out. What the hell? Had this experience? Makes me shudder to even think about doing it again.
Labels: freak out, medical things, MRI
posted by BigAssBelle at 10:45 AM
15 Comments:
I had to have an MRI done last year, and I was afraid I would have a panic attack. But the hospital where I had it done did a good job of keeping me calm. Before they shoved me in the tube they gave me one of those eye masks that people wear to bed, then some headphones playing music. Once I had all this on I could kid myself that I was still out in the open room, and the music distracted me, too. So I did okay, other than discovering I had bone spurs in the vertebra in my neck and had to have it removed!
Sorry your experience didn't go as well. I hope it goes better next time.
I have had MRI's but never felt the panic. However, I got the idea from the techs that it is all too common. I wouldn't be too self conscious about it if I were you.
I've done it, and it's a weird feeling, like Sigourney Weaver sleeping in that weird tube.
i can't seem to shake it off. keep spontaneously boo-hooing. this is some weird shit.
of course i've gotten onto the trusty internet, found that this kind of experience can be the event that precedes regular panic/anxiety attacks. my magnificent, magnifying mind.
anybody ever just want to swap the head you have for another?
Were you lying on a table? Not sure I understand how this works. Like a tanning bed? I've had Cat-scans, but never an MRI. Enclosed spaces don't bother me, though. I am a New Yorker.
david, i was lying on a table being stuffed head first into a tampon tube.
at least it felt that itty bitty. i'm getting over it. haven't cried now in about 90 minutes.
i don't generally have a problem with enclosed spaces, but this was enclosed all around within about 2-3" everywhere. that enclosed, i can't do.
plus, it had a horrible, dreadful, awful solidity: this heavy cream colored plastic massive thing encased me head to (almost) toe. it felt heavy and as if it were compressing me, though it wasn't. maybe i'm not over it ;-)
I've had a good 3-4 MRIs in the past few years, and they don't bother me a bit for some reason, though I've sometimes been under the influence of various pharmaceuticals at the time... so I'm guessing that helped.
I think most people feel the way you do, sweetie. Take deep breaths.
Don't they have newer machines that are a little more open? Maybe you can find out if you can go to a different hospital that has a different type.
Also, can you take anti-anxiety drugs? That's what my mom had to do.
Hmmm ... never had an MRI. Is it solely the machine, do you think, or a combination of claustrophobia and stress? And I'll second E3K ... do they gots any good drugs??
I've never had one, although my younger daughter had to have one last year. She said it did feel pretty freaky, but she was stoic and pulled it off. From what I understand, lots of people freak out in that machine -- you're not weird. I think the anti-anxiety meds are a good thing to investigate?
i rescheduled with an open MRI. never going in that tampon tube again. never, drugs or not.
i've also called both my sisters and told them that i now know they used to stick me in a drawer while they fought with each other. i suspect one evening, whilst the parents were gone, the wicked sisters just forgot about me and left my poor innocent little self in a drawer.
the oldest sis counter with the fact that she's thinking i'm reincarnated, probably buried alive in the 1700s ;-) i'm liking that explanation . . .
thanks for your good wishes. i haven't boo hooed since late last night so all is well.
Yikes! I'm glad you're feeling better again, darling.
As for tampon tubes, I wouldn't know, never used one. Didn't even know they existed until I was well into my twenties.
My question is, why did you have to have an MRI? I had one last January, along with an MRA and an ultra-sound. Yep, I can relate to the "closed-in" feeling. I toughed it out with music and positive thinking. It was the CLANKING noises that disturbed me! They found what they were looking for in the MRA. I had a "wake-up" call with a TIA. I hope you are well...
cupcake ~ it's part of a dementia eval i'm having because i can't remember a fucking thing. that's either middle-aged fog brought on by hormones and such or it's an early onset form of the affliction that seems to attack everyone on my father's side of the family.
eek! tia? hope you are well now . . . ? i'm scared to death of what they might find and am not sure whether it would be a wake up call to do what i can or if i'd just collapse into a weeping dysfunctional heap. guess we'll find out.
Post a Comment
<< Home