Checkin In!!

I feel ya on that anxiety Mike, it's NOT fun. I will say if there is anything suspicious in the CT of your head… they will need to do a brain MRI to get better images. MRIs are nightmares for myself as well… brain being the worst. Since my body has been falling apart this year I've had mutiple other MRIs for other parts of my body too.. HATE them. So, IF you need a brain MRI (but I am keep positive thoughts you will NOT need one) you can ask to be sedated. Sedation is not uncommon to use for severely claustrophobic patients that need MRI.

WIshing you all the best as always and a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Hi Mike – I know its a real pain and also that CT is a piece of cake compared to MRIs both because of the claustrophobia and that it takes a long time and you have to remain still. I have had to do brain and leg mRI in the same session with and without contrast which was around two hours. Then they asked me to retake!

my only advice is that if you do do an MRI then try to listen to classical music (not mich help for brain mri since its so noisy) and somehow try to meditate your way through it by thinking of things you like or love. That and religion might help too (it has helped me get through thr MRI).plus i ask the operator to explain what he is doing and how long each burst will last. I really really hate MRI (and would love my oncologist to experience it sometime!) but this is how i try to handle. And a drink afterwards of course.

good luck with the scans and also the surgery – i would dread it too, i put off mine for tvec, good luck psyching yourself up and maybe having a list of films that you want to watch while recovering

best wishes

mark

My way to get through a brain MRI:   Take Xanax when I get to the facility.  Lie down on table, and close my eyes before they ever come near me with the head guard.  Don't open eyes until they pull me out!

Mike – drugs for this week! Doesn’t have to be adavan.

And there is help available – even for claustrophobia. Sometimes we try to ignore terror or face it, but it catches us so we bolt – I have done this, not for claustrophobia but for another phobia. 

But instead of trying to break through the wall of terror we can go around it. There are skills that can be learned – through self-hypnosis and other techniques, that practitioners who deal with phobias can help with. Asking for help in order to get the medical treatments we need is scary and brave too. But the outcome can be worth it. Just my take. YMMV. 

Hang in there and think of everyone who’s got your back. 

Beth the Wife

Hey Big Mike, hopefully the scans went well brother. Some good advice here about the MRI, I'm one of those odd ducks that doesn't really mind the MRI machinew but maybe you just need something different than Attivan, maybe a Valium would do the trick…I'm a cheap date but I had one once before a minor surgery and I might as well have been on another planet. Like some others have said, they can even go full sedation if needed but maybe I'm getting way ahead of myself because the CT scans are clean and no MRI will be needed!

Warrior on brother!