MRI Procedures, Brain Tumors, and My Friend
It’s amazing how a Magnetic Resonance Imaging examination (MRI) of the head works and how precise it can be. My friend recently needed to have an MRI performed due to some unexplained symptoms he was experiencing and it resulted in the doctor’s finding and successfully removing a non-cancerous meningioma. That’s a sort of complicated way to say that my friend had a benign tumor in his brain and the doctors were able to find it and remove it thanks to the results of his MRI.
It’s really an interesting technology as it allows physicians to better analyze parts of the body and certain diseases that just can’t be assessed with other imaging technologies like x-rays, ultrasound, or CAT scans (computed tomography). So how is an MRI different? Essentially, an MRI does not expose you to radiation. Instead it takes advantage of tiny electric signals that are emitted from hydrogen atoms in your body’s cells. The MRI scanner has really strong magnets that detect those electric signals from the hydrogen atoms and uses a computer to create detailed images of your soft tissues (like your brain). So it was through this technology that they were able to see that my friend had a brain tumor.
My friend assured me that there was absolutely no pain or discomfort associated with getting the MRI done. The only difficult part was that he had to lie still for about 30 minutes as the procedure was being performed (no small task to keep him still for that long). Anyway, in the end the results of the test can easily be well worth the boredom and uneasiness that can accompany the procedure (pretty much all of that is just mental anguish as you wonder what might be wrong with you that caused you to need the procedure in the first place).
After researching it a bit it appears that most people actually experience apprehension due to the following:
- They may feel claustrophobic due to being inside the MRI machine.
- They are all alone in the room/machine and that can be disconcerting.
- The small clicks and bangs that are being made by the equipments (totally normal).
- You have to drink a small amount of contrast material in advance of the procedure.
The doctors and nurses did a good job of preparing my friend for his procedure as they explained in advance all of the normal issues that can come up for people that are undergoing the procedure. So my friend felt prepared for it and wasn’t as concerned as he may had been if he wasn’t aware of what was normal (so he didn’t get concerned by the clicking of the machine, etc.).
Like most procedures your doctor asks you to go through, it’s always good to ask questions and research what you are having done so that you know in advance what to expect and even what the normal results are and how long it takes to get them. The last thing my friend or really anyone needs when you are having unexplained symptoms is fear of the procedures that are being used to try and find the source of the problem. Thankfully, the story ended well for my friend who is recovering fine and happy to have his headaches and other symptoms behind him.
