head MRI for 19 year old - we need to be there, right? in case it's really bad?

[ServantofthePeople]

I'd appreciate some help from those with experience.
our student son is having some neurological symptoms investigated urgently, hopefully just from an infection.
my husband and I are debating whether one of us should be there. I was there for the last appointment and whilst the downside was that he picked up a bit on my anxiety the upside was that I asked some important questions and picked up that our local hospital had failed to forward on notes.
I appreciate that no mri technician is going to talk to him or us about results but presumably if they saw something obviously abnormal they would alert the radiolgist who would alert the doctors and things would happen pretty quickly? in other words we do need to be there? Plus I think it would be useful to have his dad there in case he finds the MRI experience scary. His dad is taking on the "not worried" role right now.

Experience from those in the MRI world/who see people in MRIs particularly appreciated.

The MRI technician isn't going to tell you anything - no one will till the radiologist has had chance to review the images, so on that basis there's no need for either of you to be there.

Agree. It’s also quite a quick and comfortable scan (I’ve had lots - head and whole body).

Question for the kind radiographer: It’s Addenbrookes but the dr said consultant will be in neuro-ophthalmology. I can’t see any neuro-ophthalmologists at Addenbrookes. Does this mean they will need to consult with someone elsewhere? Moorfields? And might that cause delay?
presumably if there’s an abscess/tumour pressing they’ll just plan for an op before calling him in to tell the plan? Unless they think it’s about to hurt his vision?

“ In the uk it is radiographers and not technicians who carry out mri scans. “

ah ok I must have read some American stuff.

No, routinely you would not be there, even if an urgent issues (and I mean urgent as in tumour, cancer etc) it would still take a good few hours to be reviewed by doctors as a second opinion would be required and senior clinicians would be involved before diagnosis given to patient. If your son wants you there he may be able to attend the hospital (depends on their covid rules) but wouldn't be allowed into the MRI room itself). If you need to contest the covid rules your son will need to get in touch with the radiology department asap for permission, the request must be made by your son given he is over 18. Hope all is well!

This.

It's his call.

I had a head MRI during the pandemic at 2.00pm & my consultant rang me at 4.00pm with the results. Ds was allowed in the hospital as my carer.

Thank you for the info below. Very helpful.

“even if an urgent issues (and I mean urgent as in tumour, cancer etc) it would still take a good few hours to be reviewed by doctors as a second opinion would be required and senior clinicians would be involved before diagnosis given to patient.”

“I had a head MRI during the pandemic at 2.00pm & my consultant rang me at 4.00pm with the results. Ds was allowed in the hospital as my carer.”

thank you, this ties in with (if he doesn’t want us with him) being in that-town so that if he gets a phone call we can get to hospital prompto.

I had an MRI when I was 19 I was miles away from my mum at uni at the time, I would have liked her to have been there and in hindsight wish I'd said yes when she offered to drive down but I was so insistent. She did pay for a private consultation afterwards so she could be there and ask questions because we both know I'm not great at asking the best questions at the time!

Why the hindsight regret?

I've had a few brain MRIs and my husband went with me - but nobody is allowed into the actual room where the scanner is. You'd have to wait in the waiting area outside the scanner room. Your son should be warned that the machine is very noisy. He will be given headphones and/or earplugs in there. The last one I went for was really good, they were able to play the radio through the headphones, and there was a little drop-down mirror (like the one in a car) so that I could see the staff behind me, in their little room. Your boy will also get a buzzer thing to hold, which he will be able to press if he needs the procedure to stop.

I've had many CT scans and one MRI and just wanted to add in one piece of advice I wish I'd been given at the first one - at my hospital they allow you to stay in your own clothes providing nothing has any metal on it, so no zips, rivets etc.. This hospital may insist on a gown but just a thought. All the best, I do understand your anxiety and hope it's the best outcome for your son X.

Hi OP, I think it really depends on your DS. I have regular MRIs (have MS and live in a country with more MRI availability than UK) and I don't find them stressful at all as I'm neither claustrophobic nor fidgety.

But it sounds as if you expect there to be other tests as well - is that the issue? Would they be that straining? Something about your posts gives me the impression that you just want to be there.

In which case, again, it depends on whether your son is OK with it. I would not have wanted my mum there as she is a worry wart. Ask him and do not use the nature of the tests as an excuse to show up against his will.

Happy to help. I totally understand how i would feel if it was my child. Many do not understand the process and i always feel it is important to put minds at ease when it comes to something i know a lot about.

I had a series of annual head MRIs and consultant appointments from about 21-25. My Mum came to al my consultant appointments and took notes so I could concentrate on asking questions and we’d have a record after of what was discussed, and one of my parents came to every MRI.

The first MRI I had was awful - I had the first half and then they decided to use contrast, so had to insert a cannula. But I have rubbish veins and the best of time, and having been lying flat and perfectly still for so long they were all but non-existent. Being strapped to the bed with a cage round my head surrounded by people sticking needles in me was really upsetting, and I was very glad my mum was in the waiting room for a cuddle afterwards!

For my next one, I asked as I was going in if my Dad could come with me. They said if I’d asked earlier then they’d have got him to do a safety questionnaire too and then he could have but I’d left it too late. As it is he can’t get his wedding ring off so I don’t think he could come in either way? That one they put the cannula in before it started and the whole thing was much more pleasant.

If there is no neuro-opthalmologists in a particular hospital then they quite often refer to specialists from another hospital. This happens a lot in our hospital especially with specialities which are rare as above. Before any surgery they would want an mri scan for surgical planning. This is normal. If they were at all worried then surgery would be very soon. There should be no delay on any surgery that could affect vision in a young person

He's an adult, it's up to him, ask him what he wants.

Thank you.

@ThreeLocusts I find the noise quite hypnotic and tend to go to sleep. I get really annoyed when they talk to me and wake me up!

Whike it's horribly stressful for you it's just an investigation and you wont get the results fotbs while. You are over investing

I was an MRI radiographer for over 25 years in a neurosurgical centre. I don’t say it never happens, but it is fairly rare for anything to be followed up on the same day as the MRI - even urgent tests have to be scheduled, as does the operating theatre if surgery is required. Even if something is picked up on the scan, it has to be reported and discussed with the relevant clinicians before scheduling any treatment.

I haven’t got direct experience of working practices during Covid, but at my local hospital (not where I worked) they are still putting strict limitations on who can accompany patients. And although I appreciate that a person of any age is always a child to their parents, as far as the hospital is concerned your son is an adult.

Your posts make it sound like he doesn’t want you to go and you’re trying to railroad him in to believing he needs you there?

what does he want? Sure you would ask him and not internet strangers.

I had instant results from my head MRI. In fact, they got whoever the interpreter is (some sort of consultant?! Can't remember now) out of bed and called her in to do it at night. Can't remember if my parents were there though! This was twenty years ago when I was 21.

Two of my children have had an MRI in the last three months. Both in the same major teaching hospital. I was allowed in with the under 18 year old - as far as the second waiting area in the MRI centre. With the over 18 year old, not allowed into the centre at all.

If I were you, I would wait in a cafe close to the hospital in case I was needed.

What I want is to process as much as possible of what I’m going through here so that I don’t process it when I’m with him and to a lesser extent dh.