MRI SCAN
The hardest part was getting through the traffic and parking
in time in spite of an early departure for Bristol. The CRIC unit is part of
the University Hospital and contains a state of the art Siemens MRI
scanner. First I was asked to verify
that I was free of hidden metal parts, which may be attracted by the powerful
magnet and was then led to a small changing room where I put on pyjama bottoms
but kept my shirt. All metal bits like
my glasses and watch were left in a locker and I emerged for further
instructions. The nurse spotted my hearing aid and was about to send me back to
the changing room I suspect until It told her I wouldn’t be able to hear her instructions
without it. So I was introduced to the
scanning room where the contraption lives.
With hearing aid confiscated I lay on the narrow, sliding bed which
waited in front of the scanning tunnel.
My feet were raised slightly and my head wedged gently into a frame to keep it
still. Eye protectors were slid into place and I was offered ear plugs. Finally
a rubber squeeze ball was placed in my hand in case I wanted to call it off I
suppose. The nurses departed to a safe distance and I was moved into the
tunnel. It is pretty claustrophobic. I would
guess my head is about six inches from the roof of the tunnel but all is bathed
in a white light and I know what’s happening so just have to keep still and
wait for ten minutes until it’s over. I
have my hands resting on my chest and I can feel my rings vibrating gently on
my fingers so I assume the machine is working, They are scanning my head only. There is no
other sensation apart from a regularly paced whooshing sound which I can hear
so it must have been fairly loud. It
sounds a bit like a scanner and so it should! I imagine I’m being scanned in
slices but here are no sensations to reveal what the machine is doing at all.
Eventually time was up and I slid out into the real world again. A nurse told
me that the images would be sent to my consultant who would be in touch. I changed to my work clothes and it was
over. I would think I was there for
twenty minutes at the most and the good news is that my wife managed to find a
parking space and was waiting in reception for me.
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