First Breast MRI !! My Experience Today.... (don't be scared)

I was agonizing the last six months for a breast MRI I needed for my next screening appointment. I had it today and I wanted to share my experiences, with someone new (like me) to this kind of testing. I have had MRI on other parts of the body before many years ago, and I hated it so much, I vowed I'd never get it done again. But, I couldn't tell my doctor no, so here I am. What I hated about body MRI, is the claustrophobia. I felt like I was trapped in a beige tube. But Breast MRI is much better, and I'll tell you why and how....

1. You can pre medicate, if you're anxious, but I didn't and I'm a nervous nut, so I did it sans medicine and maybe you can too!

2. You fill out the forms, telling if you have any conditions, metals in the body, etc.... (btw, the technician did call me a few days ahead of the test to explain everything to me and calm me down.) It did help.

3. You then take off all your clothes (except underwear) and put on the scrub type gowns and pants, they even give you socks.

4. You then get the IV inserted (I felt nothing) and they are ready to start.

5. You go into the coldest room in the world where the equipment is. Don't be scared, it's a huge, big beige donut, but it IS NOT CLAUSTROPHOBIC! It is very open and not that long. The entrance is very large, so it's totally wide and you can see right through it. The technicians work fast, putting you on a trolley type part of the machine, face down flat (similar to a massage table), breasts go into separate large holes and arms are somewhat bent in front of you. It's weird but not too bad. You can breath fine, and there is a mirror underneath your face area so you can see the front of the room easily --(make sure you blow your nose before you go in--word to the wise). They give you a squeeze ball, so you can call them if you need them (boy, did I hold onto that!), and they cover you with blankets. They adjust your IV, so they can send the contrast in later. And they give you ear plugs. Time to start! Arghhhhh.

6. They do the pictures in segments. I counted about 6 ---one and half minute segments, a four minute segment, an eight minute segment. The technicians talk to you the whole time, via a speaker in the machine. The worse part of the whole thing is the NOISE. If there was no noise, the whole thing would have been easy. The noise is very loud, banging, knocking and yes, like a concrete blaster at times. Awful, but that's really the worse part. The coils around your breasts vibrate a bit, and the machine moves you back very slowly, you may not notice it. (I did not feel them add in the contrast, btw. ) You must keep still during the test. I know I was twitching and moving a little, but it was just fear.

7. Towards the end, I really thought I was going mad, and would lose my hearing. But in 18-20 minutes, tops--it was over. !!!!!!

8. They come in and take you off the machine's trolley table, take the IV out, and then you get dressed and it's over!!!

I just want everyone to know, that I was shaking when I went in, and seriously thought I would leave before it started from fear. But, now that I know what it was all about, it wasn't scary at all. (Well, maybe waiting for the results!). but not the process. The only thing is the noise, and I'm wondering in 2016 why they can't create MRIs without the noise?! So that's my experience. I hope it helps relieve some of your fears.