90 minutes in a big magnet
Posted on October 24, 2006
Filed Under All, Photos, Technology |
Personal victory: I spent 90 minutes in a closed GE Signa 1.5 Tesla MRI machine tonight. 90 days ago I couldn’t do a MRI in an open machine, so claustrophobic am I. 6 weeks with cognitive therapist Diane Strachowski, and a little Ativan, and here I am doing a 90-minute study in a closed MRI at UCSF. Woo hoo..big victory pour moi..
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15 Responses to “90 minutes in a big magnet”
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Crikey, congratulations. That’s a pretty successful 6 weeks work.
Shame the reward is only 90 minutes in an MRI. Hope you got to go out for ice cream afterwards or something
Congrats, also. Whether that smile has a whiff of Adavan, anticipates the prospect of relaxing for 90 min without confining britches, or more likely is a response to Linda being the photog, success to you all, especially now that you have such a much more detailed view of your functionality. Is there an algorithmic correction for any Adavan influence?
Seems like I saw somewhere that VR googles, er . . . goggles (brand-influenced typo), are sometimes used to ease confinement anxieties . . . imagine being immersed in a panoramic 3D video of your favorite 90 min dj run on a perfect morning.
Best results to all . . .
Highly recommend cognitive therapy to any who find themselves in the same claustrophobia (or other phobia) straights that I did. 3 months ago, just thinking about an MRi caused a low level panic attack. The cognitive therapy focused on slowly taking baby steps to face the fear, at my own pace - it’s not about analyzing your childhood to find out why you’re panicky. At some point I wll do a sidebar on how this works, in the hopes it may be useful to others.
The tech at UCSF says claustrophobia is a common problem with closed MRIs - she related how even a tough guy, recently released from prison, began to cry when he saw the 60 cm wide tube of the GE Signa.
Should note that Hitachi makes an open, .7 Tesla MRI (powerful enough for many studies) that may be easier for many people (Silicon Valley MRI has one locally). GE has an open machine, too, I think. The issue is magnetic field strength: the stronger the field, the better the resolution. Best resolution is to put your head (or whatever body part) in the center of a large superconducting coil.
Since magnetic fields follow a power law - field drops off by a power of 4 relative to distance, you need to be close to the center of the coil for best field strength, with current technology anyway.
[…] Michael’s a smart and capable counselor: the writing has been great therapy: a good way to start processing the many bewidering events that dropped abruptly into my life beginning 20 days ago. The secret blog is where I have, on the days of first seizures, ambulance rides, emergency rooms and scary diagnoses and procedures, just poured out the thoughts and feelings racing through my mind on each respective day as I began the struggle to cope with my newly-revealed path. It’s really helped to get things out, and down in a concrete way, as honestly as I can, and then to move on, one day at a time, one goal at a time on the best course I can find. […]
I went this evening for an mri ,but when they said 45min i refused as i just had to have my elbow scanned , does anyone know how effective a ultrasound is ?
hey way to go i have been in a 90 one to it sucks staring no blinking and nothen to do i would die for some radio or a suduko puzzle. all my life i had mri and cat scans i had about 5000 or far my mom said when i was little 5 a week dame that must of been hard but later i got ice cream ya me
I HAD AN MRI AND I WAS VERY NERVOUS. I FORGOT TO CLOSE MY EYES. AND I FELT EMBARRESSING. I DID HEAR THE SOUND AND IT SOUNDS LIKE AN OVEN. I DIDNT CRY ONLY THE INJECTION. THAT’S THE WORST PART CAUSE I’M YOUNG. I DID LAY STILL. BUT MY MOM WATCH ME AND THE TECH GUY OR GIRL SAID TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND I FORGOT. IT WAS SCARY.
Sounds like you made it through, though. It is a bit scary… congratulations!
I know how you feel. I had no happy meds and I felt like a hotpocket in a microwave oven. The experience sapped my energy. It was an uncomfortable 25 minutes!
Had to beg off of one last Monday (GE 1.5). I recognized my own panic coming on. Though I never really had any panic issue in my life. I am going again soon but I am going to get some Valium. I wish I had a few weeks to work up to it but I need it soon.
For me the addition of a “chest antenna” made y fair small frame feel to large. They had to move me to the far right of center and press me against the side a bit.
You are a bit of a hero to me. Was your head totally in the MRI ? My had to be almost dead center. 45 minutes.
I had a 30 minute MRI today, wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The only thing that bothered me was the extremely loud noises that the machine made during scans.
We would like to use the image of “Personal Victory” on a non-profit educational website in a History of Medicine article. Can you provide permission?
Thank you.
Well I am glad that you did good. I have had many MRI’s before but never have I had to be pulled out because of a panic attack(like this time), even after the liquid Valium they said should do the trick. So now I am scheduled for another open mri. this one should be fine as my husband gets to sit by my side. OOH medicine is great.
Kim
Everett, WA.
wow!!
that’s amazing. i had or i should say attempted to hane an MRI done yesterday. i had no idea what i was getiing myself into. while the doctor was explaining it i was fine. however the moment my head got in, i Freaked! i wass so scared. i cried, i yelled, i screamed, it was so bad i even tried crawling out, but got stuck. it was a horrible really experience for me. i also felt really stupid that i got so scared. i was always known as the “brave” one. for me to get scared shocked all my family and friends. however this MRI is important. so one was or another i have to get it checked. i’m thinking an open MRI? but i’m nervous because i don’t want to freak out again, look stupid again, end up wasting everyones time once agin.
how long do you stay at the hopital?