BREAST MRI..What's it like?

MAJW
MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Here I am again, asking for more info from all you wonderful informed women......Having breast MRI on Wednesday.........supposedly in an OPEN MRI machine......what's it like? I understand I will be on my stomach, with the "boob's hanging down......down where? haha......Is the OPEN MRI machine tolerable for those who have clasutraphobia? ANYONE who has had this, I would love to hear from you and thank you in advance....I am becoming a real wuss......I guess I am just tired already of being poked, cut on, stuck, etc.........and I haven't even started chemo yet..YIKES..had my lumpectomy almost 3 weeks ago, and I feel great physically......

Again, thank you
Nancy

Comments

  • tcteach
    tcteach Member Posts: 27
    #2
    MRI
    Even with the open MRI, it is still a little claustrophobic and not the most comfy position to stay in, but it doesn't take long. I actually didn't mind it - they give you headphones and let you pick a music station. The part I did mind was waiting 3 hours while they fixed the MRI machine which had broken that morning!

    Good luck!
    Tricia
  • Akiss4me
    Akiss4me Member Posts: 2,188
    #3
    Very good decriptions....
    Nancy, these are very accurate & good descriptions of what it will be like. As for your question on where your "boobies" will be hanging.....when they get you positioned onto the table, there is a "Boobie Holder" (as I like to call it!) that they will make sure you are fitted into. It's more like a couple of holes in the table. Boy, some women must be REALLY big because I could have swam in them!! But it was rather comfortable while laying on your stomach as you wern't actually on your boobies squishing them.....hmmmm....maybe I can do this to my mattress on my bed (just a thought). I am a belly sleeper except I haven't been able to sleep this way these last few months since my boobie has been getting all the attention here lately. You will sort of lay that way with your arms up above your head (like you were swimimg). The biggest thing to remember is DON"T MOVE!! Lay very still while they do the test or they end up getting pictures that look like you have 4 boobies and really did come from Venus!! Good luck. I am off myself in a couple hours for a PET/CT scan that also requires I lay still for several hours. You'll be fine. :) Pammy
  • Jeanne D
    Jeanne D Member Posts: 1,867
    #4
    Hi MAJW
    I had the breast MRI before I had surgery, just to make sure that there was nothing else in the breast where I was going to have the lumpectomy and to be sure that nothing showed up in the other breast. It really wasn't bad, just awkward and took a long time. ( an hour or so ) I was on my stomach with my boobs hanging down. lol It seemed weird, but, it is very doable and it doesn't hurt, just awkward, like I said. They put headphones on you so that you can listen to "your style" of music and so that they can talk to you. My tech's were very good, they would just say something every now and then, like you are doing great, or 15 mintues is passed now, or are you doing ok, just things to comfort me. I thought I was claustraphobic, but,this didn't bother me. I, also, was set up with an IV that had what they call a contrast material. I had read on the internet about it, so, I knew what to expect. It helps to show up any cancer. They let me know when they first started the IV, which was after I was in the machine. It tasted horrible, kind of like metal or something and my whole body kind of felt on fire and tingly. But, it only lasted a minute. My husband was allowed in the room with me, since I was kind of scared, and, he stood there and rubbed my feet or leg the whole time, which comforted me knowing he was there. I hope this helps you. If you have more questions, just let me know. Oh, and they gave me a copy of the MRI too. It has hundreds of pictures of my boobies..lol Good luck!
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
    #5
    Akiss4me said:

    Very good decriptions....
    Nancy, these are very accurate & good descriptions of what it will be like. As for your question on where your "boobies" will be hanging.....when they get you positioned onto the table, there is a "Boobie Holder" (as I like to call it!) that they will make sure you are fitted into. It's more like a couple of holes in the table. Boy, some women must be REALLY big because I could have swam in them!! But it was rather comfortable while laying on your stomach as you wern't actually on your boobies squishing them.....hmmmm....maybe I can do this to my mattress on my bed (just a thought). I am a belly sleeper except I haven't been able to sleep this way these last few months since my boobie has been getting all the attention here lately. You will sort of lay that way with your arms up above your head (like you were swimimg). The biggest thing to remember is DON"T MOVE!! Lay very still while they do the test or they end up getting pictures that look like you have 4 boobies and really did come from Venus!! Good luck. I am off myself in a couple hours for a PET/CT scan that also requires I lay still for several hours. You'll be fine. :) Pammy

    MRI
    The others gave a very good description of what happens. I have a tendency to get claustrophobic ... but the "neat" thing about where I had my MRI ... is that somehow they had the machine positioned in some way ... and with a mirror ... I could actully see out the window. Kept my mind off of what was going on.

    I had been prepared for NOISE ... but it wasn't what I expected. The thing would kind of clunk, clunk, clunk then stop ... and I'd think it was over ... then it would go CLUNK, CLUNK, CLUNK ... and then it would get louder with different clunking noise. I just kept thinking that every time is stopped that it was over ... but all it was doing was "shifting gears." Then .... when it stopped for a bit longer ... I thought it was over ... and then the tech told me they would now do it with the dye. So ... actually I was only half way through ... because they needed to do it all again with the dye.

    Anyway ... I'm a real weenie ... but I did just fine ... and you will too.

    hugs.
    teena
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #6
    My MRI's were for other reasons....
    One to get my head examined. PLEASE NOTE:I have a piece of paper, signed by a REAL doctor, saying I have a NORMAL BRAIN. So NO MORE discussion....LMAO!!!

    2 for my abdominal area.

    All on the old 'closed' machines. The descriptions already given were very accurate. It's not much different than a CT, just longer-about like a PET...I kept my eyes closed, listened to KOST 103 FM, and slept. Keep VERY still, as was said. And I just imagined a little group of knomes hitting the outside of the machine with little hammers, and then the BIG woodsman coming along every once in a while and giving it a good one with HIS hammer...mmmmm, rippling muscles, shirt off...

    Please keep us posted.

    Hugs, Kathi
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #7
    What everybody else said..........
    What everybody else said, Nancy. I also had an MRI guided biopsy done. Which entailed in & out and in & out of the machine. Then the biopsy & back in to make sure the clip was in the right place. There's an hour of my life I will never get back...lol!

    I am extremely claustrophobic! Ugghhh, I shudder at the thought of another MRI or PET scan. But I am an extreme case.
    I loaded up on Xanax before my MRIs. Almost fell asleep through them then.

    CR
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #8
    KathiM said:

    My MRI's were for other reasons....
    One to get my head examined. PLEASE NOTE:I have a piece of paper, signed by a REAL doctor, saying I have a NORMAL BRAIN. So NO MORE discussion....LMAO!!!

    2 for my abdominal area.

    All on the old 'closed' machines. The descriptions already given were very accurate. It's not much different than a CT, just longer-about like a PET...I kept my eyes closed, listened to KOST 103 FM, and slept. Keep VERY still, as was said. And I just imagined a little group of knomes hitting the outside of the machine with little hammers, and then the BIG woodsman coming along every once in a while and giving it a good one with HIS hammer...mmmmm, rippling muscles, shirt off...

    Please keep us posted.

    Hugs, Kathi

    MRI
    It is just a big machine which you put you boobs in a hole, and hands over your head,my face was to the side and you have to be very still for about an hour. If you move you will be in there longer. I was not given head phones or a mirror, but you can do this. I just kept my eyes closed. Wear pants with no metal on them and you can keep them for the test.Be glad that your doctor ordered this for you.Then you will know if the cancer is any where else. This is not something to be scared of. Good Luck
  • Kristin N
    Kristin N Member Posts: 1,968 Member
    #9
    CR1954 said:

    What everybody else said..........
    What everybody else said, Nancy. I also had an MRI guided biopsy done. Which entailed in & out and in & out of the machine. Then the biopsy & back in to make sure the clip was in the right place. There's an hour of my life I will never get back...lol!

    I am extremely claustrophobic! Ugghhh, I shudder at the thought of another MRI or PET scan. But I am an extreme case.
    I loaded up on Xanax before my MRIs. Almost fell asleep through them then.

    CR

    It is a very good test to
    It is a very good test to have done, so, don't be scared of it. Everyone here has described it perfectly. The most annoying thing was the noise it made. lol It was a loud "clunk" every now and then. And, it took a lil over an hour for mine, which did seem like a long time in there. But, I had researched all of this ahead of time and asked questions like you are doing, so, I knew what to expect. Good luck!
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #10
    Kristin N said:

    It is a very good test to
    It is a very good test to have done, so, don't be scared of it. Everyone here has described it perfectly. The most annoying thing was the noise it made. lol It was a loud "clunk" every now and then. And, it took a lil over an hour for mine, which did seem like a long time in there. But, I had researched all of this ahead of time and asked questions like you are doing, so, I knew what to expect. Good luck!

    Breast MRI
    Nancy, the descriptions above a very accurate, and offer you a really good picture of what to expect. The one thing that is important.....BE STILL! Unfortunately, I have no meat on my ribs, and the position I was in wasn't as comfortable as others have said. When breathing, you need to try not to move your body (try doing this at home....not easy). My MRI lasted about a hour and a half because I kept breathing at the wrong time, blurring the film. It is not painful, just a hour (hopefully) out of your life with lots of benefits. Hugs your way.

    Judy
  • babebussie
    babebussie Member Posts: 150
    #11
    I frigging hated it. My
    I frigging hated it. My heart beat fast as hell the entire time i was in there and i thought i was gonna be sick to my stomach. I was in the open MRI machine too and they could of kept that because i still felt like i was suffocating.

    I wish you all the best of luck in there. I'm sure you'll be fine because not everyone is a big **** baby like me when it comes to machines covering me up.

    Babe
  • CR1954
    CR1954 Member Posts: 1,390 Member
    #12
    babebussie said:

    I frigging hated it. My
    I frigging hated it. My heart beat fast as hell the entire time i was in there and i thought i was gonna be sick to my stomach. I was in the open MRI machine too and they could of kept that because i still felt like i was suffocating.

    I wish you all the best of luck in there. I'm sure you'll be fine because not everyone is a big **** baby like me when it comes to machines covering me up.

    Babe

    LOL Babe, I am a..............
    LOL Babe, I am a big **** baby when it comes to things like that!! Fortunately, I knew that beforehand, so was well armed with Xanax.

    The first time I had one, they had my face facing down and my chin tucked almost into my chest. I really felt like I couldn't breathe, between that and being so claustrophobic.
    The second time, they let me turn my head sideways on a little pillow, and I was drugged and in the zone......

    Much better!

    CR
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
    #13
    CR1954 said:

    LOL Babe, I am a..............
    LOL Babe, I am a big **** baby when it comes to things like that!! Fortunately, I knew that beforehand, so was well armed with Xanax.

    The first time I had one, they had my face facing down and my chin tucked almost into my chest. I really felt like I couldn't breathe, between that and being so claustrophobic.
    The second time, they let me turn my head sideways on a little pillow, and I was drugged and in the zone......

    Much better!

    CR

    Yep ...
    Yep ... xanax, xanax, xanax, xanax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    hugs.
    teena

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