people, I am not fucking asking for tips on how to make this experience less unpleasant. You will know if I am asking a question. It will have a question mark.
There is absolutely zero way to make "an hour spent with your head strapped into an immobilizing cage while they inject you with a substance that you are allergic to and put your claustrophobic ass in a tube that bangs loudly in your ear" less unpleasant, shockingly!
This is why I've been putting it off for six months! I would continue to be putting it off if the goddamn symptoms weren't getting serious enough that I can't anymore! And after I do this one I have YET ANOTHER set of scans to go get done!
I am complaining because my next month is going to involve a lot of needles in my spine, time strapped down in the machine that goes THUNK, and people poking my eyes, three things I am complaining about because I HAVE DONE THEM ALL BEFORE AND THEY FUCKING SUCK
the way my spine instinctively attempted to shrivel up when i read this.
an MRI is ok, in its own way (i don't love them!) but while being injected with an allergen?? that is cruelty. and then also needles in spine and eye-poking, without the benefit of bacon cheeseburgers to bliss out on later 😭
This was the only way I got through my head MRI the year before last. Allegedly there was music, but since they were looking for a cause for the sudden right side deafness, I mostly heard the beeps and the clunks. It was reminding me of a friend who DJ'd EBM in the mid 2000's.
I considered a joke about writing a check for cyborg and brain-transplantation research, but honestly the state of the tech industry right now makes that too scary to be funny.
May the tests go smoothly and only need the minimal number of occurrences for this round, the results be good and/or actionable, and the allergic reactions mild.
The first one I had was terrifying. The second one, they put a mask or warm bean bag over my eyes and covered me with a warm blanket. They also assured me that if I raised my hand, they'd stop immediately. It helped. Good luck!
weirdly enough face masks and warm blankets don't help much when your deeply claustrophobic ass has to have your head and shoulders strapped into an immobilizing cage for an hour while they inject you with a substance you're allergic to and a loud machine bangs in your ears
My sympathies. I need Ativan to get through the machine that goes thunk, and its non-furry brethren the PET and CAT. So much Ativan…. I should write a chorale, a symphony, a hymn of gratitude to lorazepam in all its forms.
Oh no, you have my complete sympathies. I am also claustrophobic and the mri machine is the.worst. One time a tech told me I was moving too much..I was breathing. So I spent the rest of the time breathing as shallowly as possible while also trying not to pass out
The warm blanket and an exceptional radiology tech was the only way I made it thru mine last year. I wish I could share that tech, he had such good energy. Meanwhile, I am sending all the virtual hugs. Bodies suck.
Comments
Super fun while masked especially!
I very much understand how you would feel claustrophobic and I'm sure the head restraint makes it 1000% worse.
May Nyan cat bring happiness.
Those don’t bother me at all; I wish I could send that to you.
Sucktastic!
but bodies. why.
anyway, sorry you have to deal with this
If I could, I'd lend you my high tolerance for/comfort with MRIs
(I've done oodles both in maintaining my meatsuit and as a participant in studies)
May it pass minimally awfully, may your body's fuckery be milder-than-expected, and may your results lead to minimal mayhem
an MRI is ok, in its own way (i don't love them!) but while being injected with an allergen?? that is cruelty. and then also needles in spine and eye-poking, without the benefit of bacon cheeseburgers to bliss out on later 😭
Especially the having to stop half your meds.
Sympathies and a chorus of "Embodiment was a mistake!"
Confused/scared the fuck out of the techs when it happened the first time before I knew I'd do that to warn future crews.
Hopefully your time in the tube goes smoothly at least!
High field imaging (7T!) is an experience...
I hope it’s helpful
May it pass swiftly.
*sympathy*