Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group MRI appointment finally

Well, I finally got the call from the hospital for my MRI appointment and they have me booked for next Thursday. The booking lady said that it is of my hip area. I'm just wondering if this is where anyone else had their MRI's done. When I was talking to my Rheumy about it months ago she was saying that it has to be of a specific area, that they can't just do the whole back. What bugs me is that I am having problems in 2 areas, the shoulder blade area and also the SI lumbar area, which I told her about. So does this mean that I have to ask her and wait for months again to get them to do the upper/mid back area? I don't understand.

I also suffer from severe clausterphobia, so I'm wondering if anyone gets sedation for this. Honestly, I don't know that I can lay inside a little tube for an hour. I guess I don't have much choice though do I if I want to get this done.

Thanks everyone,
Jill

Hi Jill

I had to ask my GP for some form of sedative. I was given Ativan(Lorazapam) 2mg. If your not use to them, they can knock you off your feet. I was quite calm in the MRI machine. I also had them put a towel over my eyes. (I call them my happy pills.) Just don't take a bath, that night. I fell asleep for 2.5 hours in the tub. I could have easily drowned.

Take Care Hugs
It will be okay Gerri

Hi Jill,

I'm curious as to how long you have waited before you have finally got your appointment for the MRI. So far, I have waited for 2 months and I live in the Greater Vancouver area which has several MRI's at various hospitals in the area.

There are also several private MRI clinics in the area and while they are fairly expensive, it is becoming obvious that unless I get the tests done soon, the Doctors won't have the info to help stop the #bleeping# pain.

At least I don't suffer from claustrophobia. In my working days, I used to crawl inside 2 foot diameter pipes ro examine the joints for leakage.

I didn't know that there were restrictions as to how much of the body they can test at one time.

I'll let you know how much the Private Clinics charge.

George

I got in pretty quickly, my rheumy was thinking it would be closer to Christmas, but I think I only waited about 2 months. I did get in on a cancellation though. I wonder why it is taking so long? You would think that in the Greater Vancouver area you would get in a lot faster than that. I have to say that in regards to wait times for procedures, I am very disappointed with the medical system.

Have you phoned your Dr. to make sure that your requisition didn't get lost? You would think that you would have atleast heard from the booking department at the hospital.

I'm sorry that you are having too look into a private clinic. I hope that you are able to get some results soon.

Jill

Yeah Jill,

I tried the phoning routine. My family Doctor and two Neurologists are bugging the hospital every day and one of the Neurologists is the type of Doctor who can walk on water and doesn't understand why others don't acknowledge this.

I agree with you, I also thought that looking for an appointment in greater Vancouver would be fairly easy but that isn't the case here. There are more people in greater Vancouver per MRI's than most towns in the rest of BC.

I just read some good news in our local Richmond Review newspaper. Our city ave. longevity at 83.5, is the highest in Canada which means I have a good chance for another 13 years. (But only if I get my bleeping MRI).

Thanks,
George

Jill,
So glad you finally got the ball rolling. Yes it is way too long to do the whole spine at one time. I just had mine done this month in 2 stages. The lumbar took a little over an hour and then I had the thoracic and cervical done which was really long in it's self an hour and a half. So when do you go over the results with him? Let me know please.
Cindy

I phone the Rheumy's office today to let them know that I have my appointment for next week and unfortunately she will be away for the whole month of July, so I can't get in to find out the results until August 2nd. Seems like such a long time, but I guess June is half over.

I think I'll call the Rheumy's office again tomorrow and see if they put in a requisition for the thoracic and cervical one too. Maybe they did do both but I think I should check it out because if not then I need to get something started for that area too.

How did you do for your MRI? Do you have any anxiety of small spaces? I had the option to do it tomorrow and get it over with, but I just couldn't psych myself up for it. Plus I think I will need some Ativan from my Dr. and I am seeing her on Monday about my stomach problems so I will get some of that too. How are you doing?

Jill
P.S. I like your picture, it's nice to put a face to the name.

Hi Jill,

I am not how all the insurance thing works in Canada..but if you could I would ask to have one with the new MRI machines.

I HATE and let me say that again HATE the MRI machines, I think I have had 3 or 4 in my lifetime and one time I was IN the hospital for my SI joints and They had to give me valium and I still couldn't do it the first day, although a big part of it was I was in so much pain the thought of laying on that hard surface for 20 minutes was a big factor also, I finally like who ever in the other post said I had to decide...I have got to do this to find out what is wrong or I can stay in the hospital and come back day after day until they get mad and kick me out...but I did do the wash rag thing....and i got thru it.

Call your Dr. and find out WHAT are all the options or drugs you can have or other alternatives...hopefully somehow it will work out for you to have one in the new ones that aren't like a tube.

Good luck!

Lisa

Hey Jill,
Call your Rhuemy tomorrow and ask to have the others done too, as long as your insurance pays for it. If you can't get the reports till August you may as well schedule them all. You will definately want to do it at 2 separate times even if you didn't have problems with small spaces, trying to lay completely still is hard enough for the amount of time just to have one done. I had trouble the first couple MRI's but I've had so many that it doesn't bother me anymore. They put the head phones on, ask me what kind of music I want, close my eyes and dream of my favorite place. They have to take me out half way through to do injections for inhancement because of prior surgeries so it gives me a little break. If you haven't had surgeries it won't take near as long. It would have taken them at least 3 hours if I had requested all mine together and any AS'er will tell you 1 hour is more than one can handle. Just keep your eyes closed the whole time. If you do open them, look directly at your feet you will see the opening and won't feel so confined.
thanks for asking how I'm doing. I'm doing better today. Put a new perspective on things and now have a plan of attack. I just need to get through this surgery in 3 weeks and figure out if I'm going to proceed with the next surgery or give up. I hope I'm making the right decision on this up coming surgery. I just think at this point if I'm going to have to wear a brace in order to walk the rest of my life, so be it, but I want to make sure that I have exhausted any possibility of finding an answer and fixing it before I resign to it.
The picture? HA, I love it when I can put a face with the name but I hate to have my own picture taken. Found this one in a drawer yesterday, one of my kids saved it. Didn't know I had any.
Keep me informed
Cindy

You brought me some luck Jill.

I just had a phone call from the MRI section of the Vancouver General Hosp. and I have a firm date for my MRI appointment on July 10 at 7:00 PM. (I'm sure that they meant this year).

I've got a couple of Doctors to thank tomorrow.

Finally, maybe they can do something about these nerves now.

OldGeorge