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Well, in a couple of weeks I'm getting my first MRI...

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  • Well, in a couple of weeks I'm getting my first MRI...

    Been having off and on shoulder problems for a couple of years.

    It's my right shoulder (I'm left-handed). Pain comes and goes at unpredictable times, lasts 3 or 4 days, then goes away.

    At my initial visit to the doctor, he said I still had good shoulder strength and couldn't tell anything really at a first examination (my shoulder wasn't hurting at the time).

    I decided to go because my shoulder was hurting like this about 2 or 3 weeks ago. It's almost what I'd imagine bone-on-bone feels like. So I have to really modify my movements with my right arm. Even if I have to reach up to grab my mouse, or reach over in my car to adjust the radio, I get sharp pain.

    So anyway, The doctor (not The Doctor) is sending me to get an MRI. I've never had one before, and I'm a bit nervous. I'm fidgety, so I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for laying still for 45 minutes or longer.

    The doctor thinks that there might be something actually torn. He said that a tear can indeed present symptoms like I described.
    Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

  • #2
    As long as you are not actually claustrophobic or scared of loud noises, you will be fine. Effectively, you go into a cool dim room loaded with lots of equipment, you lay down on a tray and they position you in some moderately comfortable or uncomfortable position, slide you into the center of a machine and tell you to stay still. The machine makes fairly loud rythmic thuds. It gets pretty boring and I tend to fall asleep. Then after the thudding stops, they slide the tray out, ask you to hang out for a bit while they have the on call check to see they got the images they need and they either have to do it again or you get to leave.

    It is really absolutely nothing more than a chance to lie in an airconditioned dim loud area for a while.
    EVE Online: 99% of the time you sit around waiting for something to happen, but that 1% of action is what hooks people like crack, you don't get interviewed by the BBC for a WoW raid.

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    • #3
      I've had 9 MRI's so far (8 on the knees, 1 shoulder) and I'm honestly at the point where I take a nap while the scans run. For the shoulder I was sent into the machine head first for about a half hour. Lots of noise, some banging and me going cross-eyed while staring at my nose (for lack of anything else to do) in between micro-naps.

      If you think you're even mildly claustrophobic see if they'll prescribe something to relax you for the scans. It'll help get the clearest images as you won't be really moving much but require someone drive you to/from. The more one fidgets the worse the image quality and the more times they have to run the scan over. The closed MRI's deliver better images but are really tight when compared to an open MRI.

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      • #4
        I have had two full chest MRIs. They were about 45 minutes each, head first. Now. I am a big guy - 6'4", 265lbs. That is a tight fit.

        The first time was terrible. I was force to listen to Justin Bieber! They could only pickup the local pop station.

        The second time, they had a Classic Rock collection.

        So, make sure they have good music before you go in. Ask if you can bring your own. Other than that, relax...
        Life is too short to not eat popcorn.
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        • #5
          (Hey, I'm left-handed, too!)

          I've had two MRI's now, one on my head/neck and the other on my feet. Definitely agree if you're claustrophobic at all, you should ask for stuff to relax you. Although I'm mildly claustrophobic and didn't have a problem...not sure why. Maybe because I was lying down? *ponders*

          It's long and boring, but isn't too difficult.
          "And so all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride!"
          "Hallo elskan min/Trui ekki hvad timinn lidur"
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          • #6
            Also a leftie here, that made my shoulder surgery all the less fun and more obnoxious. Courtesy of an over the bars "excursion" on cross bike; i wound up with a good sized SLAP tear and Bankart tear in my left shoulder (4 anchors in the back, 1 in the front). It took me almost 6 months to go from injury to repair as I had things to do and summer already planned with events I couldn't or wouldn't skip (like downhill mtn biking the day before surgery). Spent the summer learning how to be right handed in advance of not being able to use my left arm for 8+ weeks, that sucked to be honest.

            But yeah, the MRI is probably the easiest step of getting the shoulder fixed as it's pretty much a chance to take a nap. The place I go to lets me select from a big menu of music options or I can bring my own disc in to listen to.

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            • #7
              Well, though I am left-handed they're examining my right shoulder. I do use my right arm for some things, but that's the easy part. Thankfully my car is an automatic, so I can shift gears with my left hand. Radio will be a different story. I don't even know about using a computer yet...
              Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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              • #8
                I've had a couple of MRIs. I don't like loud noises, and I'm claustraphobic. But I did just fine.

                I just lie there and take a nap
                They say that God only gives us what we can handle. Apparently, God thinks I'm a bad ass.

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                • #9
                  Surprised nobody has mentioned this, but do you have any metal implanted in your body? Be sure to let the tech know about it - depending on what kind, and how close to the site being examined, it could force a cancellation of the test. Also, don't wear jewelry. Metal and MRIs don't mix.
                  Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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                  • #10
                    Quoth wolfie View Post
                    Surprised nobody has mentioned this, but do you have any metal implanted in your body?
                    I actually do, from years ago. I've already called the imaging place and let them know. They said that due to the type of metal and the length of time, it probably isn't going to be an issue.

                    They did say that they're going to run some preliminary screens (x-rays and such) to make sure the MRI is going to be safe.
                    Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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                    • #11
                      Good news to report...

                      The MRI went well. I didn't freak out or anything, and they didn't need to do the chest x-rays. I didn't really keep track of how long it lasted, but with all the buzzing and such going on, I wasn't going to nap.

                      The guy asked me before I went in if I wanted music. I just asked him for the local sports talk station. I got stuffed in, closed my eyes, and let the scan do it's thing. I even got the films and a little CD/DVD of the scan. :-)
                      Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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