The third scan of the trio was the liver MRI. Actually 3 different types of scan, but all in the MRI scanner. This was possibly the one I had been most worried about based on other people’s experiences. I shouldn’t have worried, it was perfectly ok.
I checked into the hospital’s scanning centre, which seemed to do CT scans, bone density scans, ultrasounds, X rays, as well as MRI scans. If there is only 1 CT scanner in the department that means the hospital have at least 6 CT machines - one in a truck for outpatients (which I used previously), 2 in trucks outside A&E, 1 in radiotherapy, 1 in nuclear medicine, and the one here. No wonder results take a long time.
I was called through very quickly, changed into a gown and was taken to be cannulated. Rather oddly, there was a hospital bed half parked in the cubicle where they cannulated me, with an elderly and frail gentleman lying on his side in it. So much for privacy, for him and for me. Cannula inserted, I got them to verify there would be no issue with my lovely Smith & Nephew Polar 3 artificial hip before signing the consent form.
I was then taken through to the scanner. Another white donut, open at both ends, but with a smaller circumference than the CT or PET-CT. Once on the bed, it was the usual pillows under head and block to raise knees. This time it was arms by the side. Then they laid a fairly heavy mat over my liver area, apparently this has the sensors for the magnetic radio waves. Ear plugs in, ear defenders on. Then finally they fastened a couple of straps round me to keep me still, and put a panic button into one of my hands.
The first two of the three scan programmes didn’t involve a lot of noise or vibration, but did involve a lot of breath holding. At frequent intervals, the machine would ask me to breathe in, breathe out, breathe in and hold my breath. The machine would then make repetitive noises for 20 seconds or so, then tell me to breathe normally. Sometimes the repetitive noises were at the same pitch and frequency as the previous ones, but mostly they varied. After a bit of it I was told contrast dye was going in through the cannula and then there was more of the breath hold stuff. Scan 2 (with the contrast) took longer than scan 1 and involved a lot more breath hold sessions. Scan 3 was noisier and involved vibration and also left me feeling warm. Only 1 breath hold at the very end. The whole thing took around 30 minutes - maybe 10 minutes for the first scan, 15 minutes for thr second and 5 for the third. You are expected to stay still throughout, other than following the breathing instructions.
i had no claustrophobia issues, it didn’t seem materially different to having a CT or PET CT. Now the wait for results.
