Made it through first MRI

Congratulations!   I know MRI's can be scary.   I'm the most claustrophobic person on earth and my first MRI turned out to be no big deal.   I was worried for nothing.

yes, you lie face down. there are cutouts for your breasts to hang freely. if you have the kind where they use dye, you will also have an i/v. then they raise you up, slide you in (looks like a big donut) & you lay still. it doesnt hurt at all, its just noisy. they will give you earplugs. after my 1st one, i brought sweatpants the next time, it was freezing in there.  good luck to you!

Congrats, I know how it is to undergo for MRI, I know that even I get scared while undergoing MRIs.

Different machines will take different amounts of time. My breast MRIs are only 20-25 minutes. They run the machine in short intervals (1-4 minutes), so it's very do-able. Just be sure to close your eyes before they shove you in. That way, if you're claustrophobic, you won't even realize what it's like in there. I've peeked both times I was in there, and it wasn't bad. It was by far, the easiest test. The hard part is waiting for the results.

Good luck!

edited to add: about the cold. Some of these medical people are pure angels. Both times I've had breast MRI, they laid blankets on my lower body before they wheeled me in. Surprisingly, that little act alone, was truly a comforting feeling.

 I survived my first MRI ever!  It was interesting to say the least.  It was cold and I was lying face down.  I also had the contrast injected.  Now for the dreaded waiting game....I know it is just a few days but Friday will not be able to come quick enough!

Just another thought, I am extremely claustrophobic so I like to pop a couple of Ativan prior to going.  I have someone drive me, I wear my comfy pants and bring my Ipod which the tech plugs in for me.  My Glee playlist plays throughout and the Ativan keeps me calm.  Staying still is not something I am good at!  Also, they know how nervous I am so they always lay a blanket on me and touch my arm to let me know that I am not trapped.  I have also been blessed by amazing hospital staff.  Be aware that the dye injection makes some people (like myself) very nauseaus.  I have found that eating a lot before I go helps with that.  Good luck!

holy cow lc, you have been busy! - keep us posted

I received my final pathology report.  My BS said that it is a little bit of everythying (benign) all in one spot!  They are calling it a sclerosing adenosis with papillomas, forming cysts, and hyperplasia.  In February I go for a baseline MRI and ultrasound and we will be monitoring after that.  Thank you everyone for your support!