[Kenjhee]

You'd think I'd had at least one after 36 years. I have asked about it in the past, but most doctors explained, and correctly so, that therre's very little chance of it showing anything at all, so this is really nothing more than a formality.

Any tips for a first-timer, especially with respect to our common brain thingie?

[xanadu00]

MRIs are extremely loud. They provide you with earplugs, but for me that wasn't nearly enough; I was dizzy for hours after the procedure. I would arrange to have someone drive you home afterward and plan on taking it easy for at least the rest of the day, and maybe for a few days.

[Mark in Idaho]

Kenjhee,

I have had quite a few MRI's. Besides the noise, I struggle with claustrophobia. The easiest way to deal with the small tunnel is to never touch it and even better to never see it.

Once they have you set up with the detector coil over your head, close your eyes and pull your arms in and cross them comfortably. This will prevent your elbows from feeling the sides of the tunnel.

Now, relax and imagine being in an open area such as a field of flowers or any pleasant image.

I have lived with claustrophobia for decades and this always works for me.

The ear plugs they often offer are not the best because they are easy to insert. The yellow cylindrical foam plugs work the best for me. Twist them tight and insert them deep so you can just barely grab them.

Relax and let the noise fade into the background of your imagination if you can.

[Kenjhee]

Thanks, all! I don't really have claustrophobia, and in fact if there's something opposite, I probably have that. I actually like crawling into tight areas; I sometimes think I should have taken up spelunking.

In fact, when I sleep I often have this bad habit of wedging my body in the little space between my bed and the wall. It sort of makes me feel "safe". Yep, wierd.

I didn't know they were loud, but I think I'm OK there, too. I'm used to shooting (I know you are, too, Mark). I take it you can't use your own shooting ear muffs?

[Mark in Idaho]

My MRI's have usually been about 20 minutes.

I am a cocoon sleeper. I like my covers tight around me but getting stuck in a rigid tight spot is completely different. I would not be good at spelunking.

I suffered trauma from being confined in handcuffs behind my back for an hour. I actually had to buy some handcuffs to practice wearing to get over the anxiety from watching someone get cuffed on TV.

[xanadu00]

They put pads on both sides of your ears to prevent your head from moving around, so headphones won't work. Just bring the best ear plugs you can find, like Mark said. Good luck!