Endometrial Cancer

Hi

I,like you, am not a good candidate for surgery due to other health issues.  I am taking 60mg of proved a daily and have a Miranda coil.  I also was dreading my first MIR so I asked my doctor for some diazepam which helped take the edge off a bit.

I went into the scanner feet first and I still could look up and see the entrance to the scanner so my head didn't go right in.  I told the radiographers that I was claustrophobic and they were very understanding and said they would stop if I used the buzzer and get me straight out and I think with that in mind it helped a lot. 

I hope that you find the next scan a bit better.  I am sure we will get used to them before we are done.  Please don't take your phone in the scanner as I'm sure the magnets would have a field day with it lol. They asked me what music I wanted and I asked for folk music  and got classic fm, quite calming though.

Kind regards

Beausmum x

Wow! you got music? I got nothing just the clanking and juddering of the scanner (I was convinced that with all that noise I would end up taking off into orbit!). I was told before I had the scan that they couldn't give me one of the injections they would normally give someone because of my heart issues, I assumed that was the relaxant. I plan to ask my doctor for diazepam before I have the next one and hope an eye mask will help.....although last time my covid mask (the one they insisted I wear) was so large that as the scanner started to draw me in it slipped up over my face and covered my eyes! The only thing that saved me was Yoga breathing to try to calm myself but I still nearly passed out when I was finally taken out of the machine.

Thanks for your response

Adical

Hi Adical you can ask to have some music played  through the headphones. It’s not great but does help to mask the noises. If you’re at all bothered when in the scanner, you can communicate with them via a speaker. They can then reassure you at every point so do make sure they know you’re claustrophobic and that you’re worried.. You can’t take anything metal into the scanner though so no phones in there, but do practise all your calming techniques, breathing  etc and ask to go in feet first if at all possible. It’s in their  interests to help you do this as calmly as possible so that they can get good quality images to help the doctors plan your treatment. Hope it all goes well when you get your scan. 

Hi Adical and welcome to our spot in the Online Community. Sorry to read your op has been ruled out at the moment and you've been given hormone therapy.

MRI tubes are really claustrophobic tubes there's no doubt! The first ever I had was in one of those mobile units for my head & I hated it and almost had my first panic attack. The was a ventilation like breeze wafting over my eyes making me blink endlessly.

My second was for my cancer and took place in a brand new facility at a local hospital and was so much easier. I was given headphones and they played radio 2 and told me to keep still 'cos I get jiggling to the music. A disembodied voice told me what was going to happen next - "a short quick pulse which will last for 20 seconds". I was so busy counting didn't have time to panic. I did have a panic button and the nurses spoke to me frequently to ask if I was all right.

I'm not sure if you could uses a phone as it might impact or be impacted on the machine. Before your next one ask, phone and ask if they can play you music through headphones. Explain about your claustrophobia, they should be able to help.

Sending hugs, Barb x

Thank you so much for the ideas. I guess I have just got to speak up. I will ask for music and I didn't know that I could speak to them while the scan was underway. Not a lot was explained to me. Maybe they were having a bad day! I have very deep veins and I know that there was a lot of fuss because they struggled to get the dye into a vein (it took three goes).

Regards

Adical x