Author Topic: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....  (Read 9764 times)

jw

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My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« on: October 24, 2005, 01:38:53 pm »
Well, I went to the hospital this morning.  They were running around 45 minutes late.  They took me into a change room (I only needed to remove my coat & shoes - had no metal), ran over the questions again.  No, I've never been a welder.  But, thanks for being thorough!  :-\

The lady said that they would slide me out of the oven (ok, my words, no hers) 1/2 way through to baste me with galidium in order to provide contrast for the MRI.

I went into the room with a large, circular donut sticking out its tongue.  I lay down on the tongue and they put a pillow under my knees, put my head in a cage and slid me into the oven.  As I was going in I thought "my God, this is a tight fit!".  I'm not the claustrophobic type.  I looked up and the mirror allowed me to see the room and they had dim lights running on either side of the donut hole, like they have in planes.  I was pretty comfortable,  stretched my arms out at my side and felt pretty good.   In the mirror I could see a reflection of the machine from the window at the end of the room.  I could see the digital timer (in reverse) on the front of the machine, so when it counted down from 5 minutes, I knew how much longer it would be.

They did a quick scan of 30 seconds, I think it's "defrost" mode.  It wasn't as loud as I thought it would be.  I had earplugs in.  It sounded like a loud buzzer to me, kind of like a fire alarm.  The buzzer had a couple of different tones - higher and lower frequencies.

I could see the attendants running around the room screaming, "Oh my God, he's going to die!" and the radiologist finally giving them a slap and saying that it was only a test pattern.  Ok, they didn't, but I wanted to see if you were still reading.

The waited about 10 minutes and then did a 2 minute scan.  After a couple minutes longer they did a 5 minute scan, then a 7 minute scan and then a 30 second scan.

During the 7 minute scan, the buzzing got to a very low frequency, and you'll think I'm crazy, but I could feel my head getting warm.  It was below my right ear and down to the center of my neck.  Has anyone else experienced this?  That's where the AN is suspected.  I wonder if the little bast*rd was kicking up a fuss, or just because it was the targeted area that it was receiving more magnetic activity?  Seriously, though, the base of my head felt warm for about 2 hours afterwards.

The technician came, slid me out of the oven and said that I was done.  I asked her if they were going to use the contrast medium and she said No, keeping very busy.  I asked why and she said sometimes they use it, sometimes they don't.  They didn't need to use it for me.  I asked if that meant that they saw something and she said "I'm not a radiologist, I just take the images."  She got quite snotty with me at this point.  I tried to be friendly, and asked her if it wasn't standard practice to use the contrast medium, and was puzzled why they didn't need to.  She picked up the paper I was laying on, walked over to the door and threw it out and told me to throw out the earplugs before I left.  I asked how long it would take for the report and she said that by the time the radiologist reviewed it, it would be 2 weeks before I heard anything.

Now, here's my dilemma.  If the report comes back that they didn't find an AN, then I'm not going to have a lot of faith in it.  How do you know without using the bleedin' contrast medium?  I don't want to have to wait another 2 weeks to get the report, then 3 weeks to have it done with contrast, then 2 weeks to get that report.  Arrrgh!

However, I suspect that the reason they didn't need to use the contrast medium (and, in my mind, the only logical reason why they wouldn't use it) is because they could see it without.  If they did the MRI w/o the medium, saw the AN, then why would they need to use it?  You wouldn't need to have it injected into your system, they wouldn't need to have to cost of it, and they wouldn't need to tie up the machine for another 1/2 hour.  That seems logical.  If you lose your car keys and then find them, you don't keep looking.  "Oh, here they are in the living room.  Better check the bedroom just in case."

I guess that's my thought.  If they didn't find it, why would they not continue?  Doesn't make sense.  If they found it, why continue?  That makes sense.

So, in my frazzled state right now, I can only assume that they found it.

John

Diagnosed 31 Oct 2005
Bilateral 0 cm ANs.

jamie

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2005, 01:56:28 pm »
I'm kinda confused, did they inject you with anything or did they just tell you they were gonna, but then didn't? If not that is kind of strange, however they may not have found any kind of mass, so perhaps there was no reason for contrast, which helps determine the nature of the mass. If they didn't use contrast, I would think that is a good sign rather than a bad one.
CyberKnife radiosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute; 2.3 cm lower cranial nerve schwannoma

Terrie

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2005, 02:03:38 pm »
They didn't use contrast for my MRI, and they called me before I even got home from the MRI clinic (which is only 20 mins away) telling me to go straight to the hospital. Maybe as long as you don't hear anything that is good news!

jw

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2005, 02:14:35 pm »
Thanks for the quick replies!

At the start, they said that they would inject me with the contrast medium.  However, they slid me out of the oven, and didn't inject me.  I asked about it and they said they didn't need to.

I thought that if nothing showed up without the contrast, then they would use the contrast to 'fine tune' it, to have another look and see if anything showed up then.  The only reason that I could think to make them change their mind and not give me the contrast was if they saw something.

However, I'm just guessing here.

John
Diagnosed 31 Oct 2005
Bilateral 0 cm ANs.

jamie

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #4 on: October 24, 2005, 02:25:19 pm »
If they did see something, it would be very important to inject you with contrast to determine what kind of lesion they saw. Contrast allows them to differentiate between schwannomas, meningiomas, paragangliomas etc. All of those tumors can be found in the skull base and enhance differently with contrast, it would be plain neglegent not to use contrast if they saw something. Even an enlarged jugular bulb are an inflamed nerve can look like a mass without contrast. I highly doubt they would not use contrast if they saw something, you may very well be DENIED membership here.  ;) 
CyberKnife radiosurgery at Barrow Neurological Institute; 2.3 cm lower cranial nerve schwannoma

jw

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2005, 02:43:14 pm »
I see.  I was under the impression that an AN might not show up unless the contrast was used.  But, if they saw something, they would definitely use the contrast!?!?

I guess I might have to look for a new place to hang out, then.  :'(

I suppose you'll let me stay until I get the final results, though.
Diagnosed 31 Oct 2005
Bilateral 0 cm ANs.

lynndlk

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2005, 03:32:59 pm »
When I had My MRI they gave me the xray to carry with me. I could see it very clearly before the doctor even called me to tell me.

kristin

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2005, 03:39:53 pm »
yeah...you can hang around a few more weeks! you brighten up the place! :) my guess is there is nothing there. i'm pretty sure if the tech had seen something out of the ordinary they would have injected you. but this is a GOOD thing...not bad. if you want to come back every now and then and tell a joke or something, you're welcome to in my book! :)

in my case, they did an MRI because my doc thought i had developed MS. they told me nothing about gadolinium beforehand. the MRI was ok...and then they took me out and as i was starting to get off the table (or tongue ;) ) the tech came running in and said "lay back down, exactly where you were before!!! we need to inject you with something...very common for us to do this. but it's very very (he was obviously starting to scare me here) important that you try to go exactly where you were before." ok...that did it..i knew i had brain cancer and i was going to die or something at that point and spent the next 12 mins or so praying w/ my entire heart that i would be ok no matter what the outcome. when i asked the tech how long it would be until i heard from my doctor he too said a week or two. well...i knew it wasn't good when i got back to work and had a message to call my doc on my voice mail. no news is good news....

kristin
8 x 5 mm Left Acoustic Neuroma
Middle Fossa
House Ear Clinic
Dr. Derald Brackmann, Dr. William Hitselberger
April 14, 2005

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have troubles. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

jw

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #8 on: October 24, 2005, 03:52:07 pm »
Well, perhaps I'm ok then.  Well, I guess that's a matter of opinion.  I don't think the AN would make a difference between me being ok or not ok!  ::)

I feel better having heard this - no gallyupinum injection is good news!
Diagnosed 31 Oct 2005
Bilateral 0 cm ANs.

Angela

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #9 on: October 24, 2005, 06:18:16 pm »
No speculation on your experience, but here's what happened to me...
The dr ordered an MRI with contrast.  They didn't give it to me even though I asked about it and I got the plain MRI.  They called me that night and said "Oops, we forgot to use contrast.  Can you come back?"
I thought to myself they must see SOMETHING and want to make it clearer.  Sure enough, I get the contrast and they diagnose it within 1 hr.
No news might be good news >)
ongoing issues: SSD, some facial paralysis, dry eye, bad balance, tinnitus

Feb'05 Stanford- 4cm x 3 x 3 "Timmy the Big Fat Tumor" removed via 13hr Trans Lab
Nov'07 Stanford- 2hr nerve graft
Mar'08 FACE STARTED MOVING, PRAISE GOD!Sep'10 Stanford- cyberknife for 2nd tumor "tiny tommy"
Mar'12 :)

jw

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #10 on: October 24, 2005, 07:48:29 pm »
Now that's funny (well, not really), anab.  It's like the car wash.  I paid for deluxe, but I didn't get the tri-coloured foam.

So, guess what?  We have a cell phone and the only people who have the number are my wife & my respective parents.  I did give the cell phone # to the MRI lab when I was waiting for a cancellation.  I looked at the phone tonight and there's a missed call on it - don't recognize the number.  Figures.  I wonder if it was the MRI lab?  More likely than not it was just a wrong number, but what a coincidence - the only time we'd get a wrong number is today.
« Last Edit: October 24, 2005, 08:10:44 pm by jw »
Diagnosed 31 Oct 2005
Bilateral 0 cm ANs.

debora

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #11 on: October 24, 2005, 08:00:00 pm »
I can imagine how frightened you are, I have had 5 MRI's and two Cat scans in 11 months, each time they injected me with the contrast, after the first time they knew for sure that I had an AN, so I'm pretty sure it is to clarify what they are actually see.  You are very funny, I had quite a laugh reading your post,  your sense of humor will see you through this, remember you are not alone, we are all here for you and each other.  Take care    Deb

shoegirl

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2005, 08:28:03 pm »
JW,

Why does it take so long for them to give you the results of your MRI?  I can get my results next day or sooner sometimes.  I  always take my films with me when I leave - you always end up having to go back to get them anyway to take with to the Dr.  Also, I usually call to ask if they have completed my report and ask them to fax it to my Dr. and mail me a copy.   Unfortunately, they will not fax it to me.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!!   Good luck!
left side 2.0cm x 1.3cm  
Cyberknife - 12/2005
The Barrow Institute, Phoenix, AZ

jw

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2005, 08:38:53 pm »
Well, I guess it's just the current state of affairs here in Canada.  After the MRI, I dropped by my family dr. and the nurse made an appt. for me to review the results: Nov 4th.  She said that the way the MRI lab has been recently, she'll really have to push them to get the results by then.  She'll have to call them every day to get them to have the report done.   >:(  Unfortunately, here they do things differently.  My MRI took 3 weeks to get done, but the avg. waiting time here right now is 9 weeks.   They send the report and the films to the dr.  For some reason, with x-rays, ct and MRI, they don't want the patients to see them.  ???

Incidentally, I did manage to sneak a set of them out of the lab!  I believe this was the first image that they scanned, in order to get a baseline by taking an overall look at my brain.  I don't see anything there.



Diagnosed 31 Oct 2005
Bilateral 0 cm ANs.

matti

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Re: My MRI is done. Fresh from the oven....
« Reply #14 on: October 24, 2005, 08:51:32 pm »
Ok jw, how did you get hold of my MRI????

It really does sum up the way I feel most of the time, or at least how my kids perceive me.

I love your sense of humor jw


matti
3.5 cm  - left side  Single sided deafness 
Middle Fossa Approach - California Ear Institute at Stanford - July 1998
Dr. Joseph Roberson and Dr. Gary Steinberg
Life is great at 50