Brett’s First MRI

I've been having some problems with my shoulder lately.  I finally sucked it up (4 months later) and went to the doctor to get it looked at.  That led to my first MRI.  It's something that I've heard about plenty of times from watching sports and such but I'd never had one myself.  Today I got to experience one.

Have you ever had one of these things?  They ask you in the pre-screening process if you're claustrophobic.  Now if you're like me then you really haven't been subjected to sitting in enclosed spaces for any significant amount of time so the answer was no.

So I headed in when the technician came and got me and he told me to lock up all my stuff that had metal in it.  My phone, wallet, coat, everything went in this little locker and we made our way to the room.

This is where it sat.  The often talked about MRI machine.  It's huge...but the spot where you go....not so big.  But again, I'm not claustrophobic.  No problem.

I laid down where the guy told me to lay down and listened as he gave me instructions which were pretty much, "lay there and don't move."  Sounds like a dream to me.  I'm in.

As he moved me in though, I kept telling myself, this is no big deal.  And really it wasn't.  It's some loud noises as you lay on your back with music playing through some headphones.  Then I realized it. 

I still had my belt on!  He told me to take off everything that was made of metal and I still had my belt on!  I yelled to the guy but he didn't hear me.  Oh man!  How much longer do I have?  Then the music stopped.

It was over.  Before it had barely even started, it was over.  My first MRI was done. 

And the guy said that the belt wasn't a problem.  No worries.  So if you have an MRI scheduled in the future, I hope yours goes as smoothly as mine did.  But remember to take off your belt.