Over the past 2 years I have been suffering with occasional back problems.
Mainly in the lower lumber region.
After numerous visits to the Doctor he suggested I should have an MRI scan.
MRI Scans are fairly new to the medical world, first appearing in the 1980's.
They create a certain amount of a apprehension in patients as you are inserted into a tube and your body is scanned by magnets firing pulses into your body and data is built up based on the response time from fire to receive.
A lot of people get clostrophobic and are frightened to death at the thought of being stuck in a tube for up to 30 minutes.
Well today I had my first MRI scan.
I was a little apprehensive, and I tend to suffer a little from Claustrophobia.
After checking in at reception, I was told to take a seat which I duely did.
There was an older lady and her husband sat nearby, she was crying.
It transpired that she was so claustrophobic that she had refused to have the scan done.
I felt sorry for her but this didn't help my own situation one little bit.
After a time her scan was rescheduled and she left.
My name was called, I was taken to a changing room and told to put a gown on.
You know the ones that open at the back which you can never tie properly and you end up showing your back side to everyone.
I was then led to the MRI Scan Room.
I led on the bed of the machine and was given a panic button and some ear plugs.
The ear plugs are definitely worth every cent as it gets very noisy in there.
Once I was comfortable, the trolley/bed was pushed into the tube with me on board and I was told to lay still.
The voice over the intercom said I was to receive 7 scans on my spine lasting 4 minutes each.
She then said lay still as the first scan was about to start.
So there I was led on an uncomforable bed inside a tube, laying as still as possible, bearly beathing, when it started.
To say I was feeling apprehensive was an understatement.
The scan started with a few loud bangs and I almost hit my head on the ceiling of the tube, as I was not expecting the level of noise that I was suddenly subjected to.
This level of noise continued for the best part of 30 minutes, with a brief pause between each scan.
The feeling was quite bizarre, as I could hear this banging noise constantly, combined with a feeling of being pulled downloads as each magnetic pulse entered my body.
I just closed my eyes and tried to stay as still as possible.
30 minutes is a long time to stay perfectly still with a constant banging going on in your ears, and my arms were slowly going numb.
Then it was all over as quickly as it began.
I was pulled out of the tube, and made my way back to the changing room, with my back side on show.
I'm sure those gowns are designed to embarrass you.
So MRI scans, are they as scary as they make out, well for me, you bet.
I hate being couped up in confined spaces and I would challenge anyone who thinks differently, even the most hardened soles.
Mainly in the lower lumber region.
After numerous visits to the Doctor he suggested I should have an MRI scan.
MRI Scans are fairly new to the medical world, first appearing in the 1980's.
They create a certain amount of a apprehension in patients as you are inserted into a tube and your body is scanned by magnets firing pulses into your body and data is built up based on the response time from fire to receive.
A lot of people get clostrophobic and are frightened to death at the thought of being stuck in a tube for up to 30 minutes.
Well today I had my first MRI scan.
I was a little apprehensive, and I tend to suffer a little from Claustrophobia.
After checking in at reception, I was told to take a seat which I duely did.
There was an older lady and her husband sat nearby, she was crying.
It transpired that she was so claustrophobic that she had refused to have the scan done.
I felt sorry for her but this didn't help my own situation one little bit.
After a time her scan was rescheduled and she left.
My name was called, I was taken to a changing room and told to put a gown on.
You know the ones that open at the back which you can never tie properly and you end up showing your back side to everyone.
I was then led to the MRI Scan Room.
I led on the bed of the machine and was given a panic button and some ear plugs.
The ear plugs are definitely worth every cent as it gets very noisy in there.
Once I was comfortable, the trolley/bed was pushed into the tube with me on board and I was told to lay still.
The voice over the intercom said I was to receive 7 scans on my spine lasting 4 minutes each.
She then said lay still as the first scan was about to start.
So there I was led on an uncomforable bed inside a tube, laying as still as possible, bearly beathing, when it started.
To say I was feeling apprehensive was an understatement.
The scan started with a few loud bangs and I almost hit my head on the ceiling of the tube, as I was not expecting the level of noise that I was suddenly subjected to.
This level of noise continued for the best part of 30 minutes, with a brief pause between each scan.
The feeling was quite bizarre, as I could hear this banging noise constantly, combined with a feeling of being pulled downloads as each magnetic pulse entered my body.
I just closed my eyes and tried to stay as still as possible.
30 minutes is a long time to stay perfectly still with a constant banging going on in your ears, and my arms were slowly going numb.
Then it was all over as quickly as it began.
I was pulled out of the tube, and made my way back to the changing room, with my back side on show.
I'm sure those gowns are designed to embarrass you.
So MRI scans, are they as scary as they make out, well for me, you bet.
I hate being couped up in confined spaces and I would challenge anyone who thinks differently, even the most hardened soles.