Yesterday I had an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan of my abdomen in the hope that it will identify the cause of my current problems. I know that is is related to my enlarged prostate, and the scan will help the consultant decide on the best course of treatment I need to undertake.
An MRI scanner at work. I went in feet first for my scan.
The whole thing took about forty minutes, and for most of that time I laid with the main part of my body inside the machine. I had to wear earplugs and a pair of headphones because the noise made by the scanner as it works can be quite deafening. In fact, it seems to spend most of its time making various loud 'beep, beep, boop, boop, bopp, bopp' noises or variations thereof, with sudden pauses in the soundtrack. It wasn't quite as disturbing as the sound made by the brainwashing tape in the IPCRESS FILE, neither was it soothing so that I could doze through the procedure.
The results should be with my consultant early next week ... and hopefully treatment will begin soon afterwards.
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Forty minutes! Sound horrendous. Best wishes for a speedy recovery Bob
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteCheers! A full body scan can take ninety minutes … so I got away quite lightly!
All the best,
Bob
Good luck with everything Bob. I had an MRI about fifteen years ago, trying to figure out why I had developed a slightly irritating discomfort in my lower back. I felt a bit like I was lying inside a torpedo tube - I went in head first BTW. Hopefully you have more success - no one could figure out what was wrong and I still have the niggly feeling in my back - the good news is, its just a bit annoying and it has not got any worse!
ReplyDeleteRross,
DeleteCheers! My consultant assured me that the scan should help them to identify the cause of my problem … and I hope that they are right.
I went into the scanner feet first, so the top of my head was sticking out of the scanner, which was probably less claustrophobia-inducing than going in head first. I must admit that when I saw it, the scanner looked like the breech of a gigantic gun.
All the best,
Bob
MRI scanners make a lot of noise as they have lots of electro-magnetic circuits which are switched on and off during a scan. Each of these circuits has a loud distinctive clicking sound and collectively they make a racket.
ReplyDeleteJim Duncan,
DeleteThat explains why the scan is so noisy! I certainly appreciated the earplugs and headphones, outerwise I would have be left half deaf.
All the best,
Bob
My entire famy signed up to ve part of a psychiatric study. Something about parents who produce twins and their mental development. Nature vs nurture kind of things. We all had to spend anout 40 minutes head-first in the tube doing our best to answer all sorts of questions about math, logic and language.
ReplyDeleteGood thing all of us are on the "nerdy" spectrum so we all found it to be a fun experience.
If you ever want to be truly unnerved, here's a video of an MRI in operation without its covernings:
https://youtu.be/pLajmU4TQuI
Here's to the doctors finding the root of the issue and being able to do something to help you.
Mr. Pavone,
DeleteThanks for your kind words. I do hope that the doctors find out what is causing my problem.
That sounds like a very interesting project! We’re any conclusions drawn from it?
I’ll take a look at the video when I have a spare moment. It sounds nerdish … and the sortofvthingbthat appeals to me.
All the best,
Bob
We learned I am alightly above average, my wife is a certified genius and our twins have astounding vocabularies for 10 year old children. We participated mainly to find out if there is a neurological reason for one of our boys having such a hard time with reading. He's a smart boy but we suspect he has some degree of dyslexia, even though they don't like to use that word anymore. We are just happy to know what to puraue as far as getting help for him. I have a similar thing but I got lots of help with reading and it took care of the issue for me. They even paid us for our time and gave us free lizza, so I'd call it a win for everyone.
DeleteMr. Pavone,
DeleteIt sounds as if it was a very interesting study.
I also had problems learning to read and to write, and it was eventually diagnosed as cross-laterality. This appears similar to dyslexia, but isn't the same thing. Mine is due to my being left-handed, and mixing up left and right when undertaking reading and writing tasks when I was young. Being punished at school for being left-handed did not help, and it was not until I changed schools and my 'problem' was identified that I began to get the support and help that I needed to deal with it.
All the best,
Bob
Good luck, hopefully this will lead to a treatment that produces a speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteCheers! The results should be with the consultant later this week.
All the best,
Bob
Should I ever have to take one, I hope I go in feet first. I don't want anyone accidently studying my thoughts during the process! :)
ReplyDeleteHopefully this will lead to a swifter recovery.
Ross Mac,
DeleteCheers! I can’t wait to get this sorted out.
I suspect that if they scanned my brain, they’d find it full of ideas for wargames!
All the best,
Bob
Had one of these - did they give you pineapple juice to drink before going in ?
ReplyDeleteThe Good Soldier Svjek,
DeleteA pineapple juice? I didn’t even get a drink of water!
All the best,
Bob
I had my head MRI'd a few years ago... not the most pleasant of experiences. Hope it helps get you on the mend soon.
ReplyDeleteAlastair,
DeleteI found the MRI less bothersome than the CT scan I had. For the latter, I had to drink a litre of liquid that contained a disclosing agent … which can be a little unsettling when one has a dodgy bladder!
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping your medical woes recede into good health. I once had one of those MRI scans on my brain; they told me they found nothing! I still wake up at night in a cold sweat... I mean what if it is true and there really is nothing in my head...would explain a lot of things, of course.
Get well and get out of hospital.
Regards
Arthur,
DeleteCheers! I’m hoping that I’ll be on the road to recovery soon.
They didn’t scan my head … for which I am thankful, as I suspect that it would also have been found to be a void space.
All the best,
Bob
Fingers crossed, Bob -
ReplyDeleteHope it all goes well
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteCheers! I have pretty well everything that can be crossed, crossed!
All the best,
Bob
Practicing to be a human cannonball?
ReplyDeleteBest wishes!
Fitz-Badger,
DeleteWell, it might be an alternative career for me, now that I am retired!
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
ReplyDeleteGood fortune with the MRI results - hope that you medical situation will disappear with time. How are your Ironclads going - done any painting of the wood models? Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteCheers! With luck, being able to identify the cause of my problem should be the first step on the road to dealing with it. In the meantime, I'm just beginning to paint my two ironclads in their ochre and black paint scheme.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteI had one almost 20 years ago, also for prostate problems. I remember it as a quite frightening experience. Like you I had earphones and playing music I provided on a CD. The worse part was knowing it was serious enough for an MRI scan, and then having what seemed like hours to think about it despite the distractions of the music and loud noises.
Hoping that you finally get confirmation of what is causing the problem, and that it is good news. Whatever the result it is always better to know than to just worry. Dealing with life's problems is never as difficult as worrying about them.
Good luck
Paul
Thistlebarrow (Paul),
DeleteThe MRI will be the third scan of that area of my body that I will have had ... and I have another CT scan booked for next week as well. They seem to be part of the standard battery of tests etc., that the medical profession uses these days.
I am hoping that I will not need to undergo any drastic treatment, but if I do, then I will undertake it. I find the waiting to be diagnosed the worst part of being ill, but once things begin to happen, I seem to be able to cope with the stress and worry better.
All the best,
Bob
I trust that any problems the results reveal will be easily and summarily dealt with. So often it is the waiting for said results that is the worst, it is the not knowing. My very best wishes
ReplyDeleteJohn
Johnny Danger (John),
DeleteThanks for your kind words.
You are right about the not knowing being the hardest part of the situation. I feel like I am dangling in midair without much to hold me there.
All the best,
Bob