The Unknown Made Me Nervous

I didn't know what to expect with my 1st MRI and I was very nervous. The mystery of the unknown always brings up anxiety for me. A week ahead of the appointment, I asked around to my circle of friends for their experiences.
My friend, Erin, stepped up to ease my worries by giving an honest description of what it would be like. For people without friend like Erin, I’ll step up for you and take some mystery out of your first MRI.

Before the Appointment
When making the appointment they told me “don't wear anything with metal like jewelry or underwire in a bra to your appointment”. They also mention metal medical devices like hearing aids or even a iud. Having metal on or fresh tattoos could cause harm or issues during the MRI.
At my appointment, I was walked back to room with a locker. Then we went over the list of metal clothing again to guarantee I didn’t forget to take anything off. I took off my glasses, my mask that had metal around the nose, and my shoes to put in the locker with my purse.

Getting My MRI
After I was completely metal free, I was escorted to the room next door with the MRI machine. The technician made sure that they knew exactly where the pain area on my body was. Then he started working on making me feel comfortable.
I laid down slowly on the table and a bolster was put under my knees to relieve discomfort in my back. I was given a ball to squeeze if I needed to alert him of a problem during.
The room was very cold, I was given a warm blanket and then headphones that would play my choice of music.

Inside the Machine
The technician then moved the table I was on into the large tube. The machine was bigger than I imagined and I could feel air blowing on my face and feet.
I kept my eyes shut until I heard his voice in my headphones telling me what to expect in the next few minutes. When my eyes opened I was looking at a large area of white space. There was nothing to focus on and it was kind of disorienting. So, I close my eyes again and Holy by Jamila Woods started playing in my years.

As the technician had warn the machine did constant loud clacks, buzzing, beeping and humming noises. Every so often the table would slightly shift and the noise would start back up again.

I was laying still, focusing on calming breaths as I felt my muscles twitch and the vibration of the table beneath me. The music helped drown out the loud noises and pass the time. My body was comfortable for most of it.

Trying Not to Puke
When I had 3 minutes left, I had to squeeze my distress ball for help. My face was getting hot, my stomach turning and my mouth felt funny.
The technician came right in got me out and gave me a puke bag. He talked to me for a few minutes until the motion sickness had passed.

Then he turned up the fan and took my blanket off and double checked that I was ready to go back in.
I nodded and this time with a puke bag, I went back in for my remaining 3 minutes.

All Done!
I focused on the sweet words of music playing and tried not to think of the movement beneath me. And then I was all done.
He helped me get up and told me when to expect my results. I walked back to the locker room to get my things and call my ride.

Just as Erin had reassured me ahead of time, my MRI was more boring than it was uncomfortable. I'm glad I went ahead with it so I can get a better understanding of the cause of the pain in my body.

My MRI Experience