Luna, there is another thing you can try, it's a tip I picked up from Sylvia Browne, the psychic. It works for every health or stress issue, anyone who reads this should try it.

Create yourself a room in your mind. She suggests something like a dining room or den, with paneling and huge windows, maybe a pond or lake out the window. Put a big heavy table in the center. Give it huge sturdy legs. That's for strength to hold you in your weaknesses.

Now decorate and color it! I mean go all out, make it the room of your dreams, your perfect place to escape from the world. Green is the color for health, and add blue, yellow and purple too. They each signify other aids such as peace, but I forget which is what. I just know it helps me a lot.

Now, lie down on the table in the center of the room and relax. Use your mind to look around the room, don't get up or look around. Take a peek out the window and feel the cool breeze coming across the lake. Hear the birds, smell the trees and freshly cut grass. Relax and breathe. Ask God or Mother Nature or Allah, whoever you believe in to take away your problems. Be specific, such as "the fear I feel being in this machine" or " the pain I am feeling in my legs". You can ask for more than one thing, but it's better to focus on something, deal with it completely, and then move on.

I know this sounds goofy, lol. I have tried all sorts of other relaxation methods, including yoga and meditation, tapes, all of it. This "room of health and peace" is the only that works for me. If it works for even one more person, then "I done good"

I AM NOT LYING!

When I first had my very first MRI, I didn't know what
it was, the Doctor simply said it was a special X-Ray
Machine. And I thought, well OK. So I went in, I was
MORTIFIED to see this, what looked like "Star Trek
Space Tube" ~ since this was a long, long time ago
(I've had a lot of MRI's performed since) - these Techs
were well trained in dealing with patients fears.

So they got this guy out and 2 girls and I can remember
because they had me laughing so hard and it went some
thing like this (All the girls were doing were holding signs
behind him and then making circles behind their ears (you
know like - he's crazy)...)

GUY: I'm gonna put you in this tube and it's gonna suck
you in and I got this bull whip (he's holding it) here to beat
this machine to get you out when we're done

GIRL: (Holding sign) HE'S LYING

OTHER GIRL: (circling her ear and shaking her head)

GUY: This machine is gonna suck all the life out of you
and a whole bunch of aliens are going to enter inside of
you.

GIRL: (Holding another sign) HE'S NUTS

OTHER GIRL: (Holding another sign) HE SHOULDN'T BE
WORKING HERE

(I forget what all was said)

But they had me laughing so hard - I don't know who
I was laughing at - HIM or the GIRLS.

But I could tell they've used these signs a lot as it
was pretty worn. But they did tell me it would make
noises and asked me what music I liked to listen to.

And after my first MRI, it wasn't bad at all, in fact,
they even let me see some of the pictures and I
thought it was cool!



I wonder if they required these MRI Techs to take
DRAMA? Because they were very good at it!

I never did become fearful of MRI Machines since,
because of them. ALIENS? LOL!

Luna,

When is your test? Let us know how you did. I know you will get through this...WE ARE WITH YOU.

Thanks!

Someone else suggested I should try a visulisation, the one mentioned here sounds great, thanks for going to the trouble to write it out.

That's fantastic humour worked to calm you down! I'm not sure it would work for me though, I'd probably freak out even more!

My MRI is next Friday the 13th of July. Yup, Friday the 13th! I'm choosing not to interpret that as a bad sign!

I also have my first EEG the day before, at 9am. Most of my seizure activity happens when I'm falling asleep, so I'm not sure if it's the best time to do it. Hopefully something will be picked up.

Thanks again everyone, it means alot to hear your stories and what worked for you.

I'm sure I'm still scared a/b the mri but I'm choosing not to think about it too much yet, and trying to slowly get used to the idea.

When you are sleepy is the BEST time to have your test done. My lab had me wake up at 11:00 p.m., because my test was at 9:00.

Luna, you'll do just fine. Especially now that you've talked it all out, and know that most people do very well. Have you spoken to anyone at the lab/hospital where it's being done about your claustrophobia and a possible sedative? They won't give you anything to knock you out, but a mild tranquilizer might be appropriate. Call your dr. too, it might be up to him to order the sedative.

Best of luck, and post when it's over!

Thanks.
I told the neuro my concerns and she right away put me down for an MRI with sedation, so that was great.
Good to hear about the EEG, I definately will still be sleepy!

Will let u all know how it goes.

Luna, sedation made all the difference for me.Kept counting and kept my
eyes closed.BEST OF LUCK TO YOU TOMORROW.YOU WILL DO FINE.Let us know tomorrow when it is over.....Make sure you tell the techs about your problem. YOU WILL DO FINE

Hey everyone!

Sorry so long no response.
My mri is now on the 14th of August, so it's been put forward a month. Can't say I'm not relieved by this, but I would like to get it out of the way.

I was suffering chest pains and a numb left arm (scary symptoms!) and had to go to hospital the night before, so they didn't want to give me sedation until my chest problems had been investigated. And they didn't want to mri me without sedation (my claustrophobia is pretty extreme).

Everything is all fine now and I am mri ready-I really want to find out what is the cause of my problems. I spoke to a woman from the epilepsy foundation and my neurologist and I am feeling much more calm about everything. I have my cd and wireless bra so i'll be comfy!

I've also started medication and it's helping with my anxiety a lot. So, lets see how we go second time round. Good to here the sedation helped you Debee, after starting my meds and feeling their sedative qualities (hoping this wears off) I can see how it will help.

While I was terrified last time, I would have liked to have had this out of the way by now...but, everything happens for a reason, and in a way it's made me more determined to have this mri so it's kind of a good thing!

I had the EEG, it was normal, but my neuro wasn't surprised and said 50% of tle cases don't show up. I'm now doing an all day EEG, I would like a result so we will have to wait and hope. (Funny thing to hope for!)

Thanks so much for your support, I almost feel like I let you guys down for not having the mri yet!

You can be happy that I am feeling much more positive about things and I am determined to be the one in control of my epilepsy, not the other way round. So no mri is gonna scare me! (well, it will a little )

Love to you all,

Luna,
Didn't want to mention it earlier,BUT, my problem started
when the tech on myfirst MRI said he could hear me at all times.
Then 3/4th of the way through,I talked to him with no reply. You
need to talk to the tech before you get in.Don't be "BRAVE''and act like
this is old hat for you.But you will survive.Didn't think I would,but I did.
I know the delay is not fun,had 2 mo.wait for last one. I imagined all kinds of scenerios happening,none of which occurred. Take the sedative.
Listen to music,if it will help.BUT,most of all, express your your problem
to the tech. GOOD LUCK.........YOU WILL DO FINE.......LET US KNOW ..

Thanks Debbee
I was thinking that one of the things i want to bring up before I go in is how i will communicate with the tech, so very glad u mentioned that. that would freak me out, so i will stress to them how important it is to me. my mri is tomorrow, so i will report back after it's over. you're right, last time i kept telling myself how it would be fine and denying my fear then as it got closer i was very panicked. this time i have tried to be honest about how i am feeling and hopefully that has helped.

all the best, and thanks again!