MRI scan in June, how do I prepare my son?

[machanicalmovement]

He will be 5, and asleep for the scan. But still scary for him. I'm just looking for advice on how to explain and reassure him about this?

Just be super open with him and make sure you let him know any questions he has you can answer.

So be really honest about the procedure and bring it up often but not in a way that’s going to scare him. Just say so! Remember you’re going to go have a little needle in your arm to help you sleep, then the drs will take a special picture and you’ll wake up? And then go from there. Age appropriate honesty is always the best way.

I'd say the main thing is he will follow your lead. If you are calm and factual, he will be calm too. If you tell him you know it's scary, and he needs to be very brave, he will think it is scary and be scared.

My Ds1 has been through a lot of medical procedures in the last 13 years. I'd recommend explaining in child-friendly terms (so an endoscope here was a little spy camera trying to find out what was hurting his tummy to help him feel better) and do your upmost to save your tears or wobbles for once he is asleep. Take a moment to slow your own breathing and heart rate and he will be fine.

Do you know if they will anaesthetise using a mask or injection? Both can be traumatic in their own way (for you both 🥲 - but it has to be done and you will both survive, and the medics round you know what they are doing). There is not much you can do about the mask, he might fight it but will be asleep in seconds. With the injection I explained about the funny cold feeling that he'd feel in his arm, but he still didn't expect the strangeness of it & panicked. If you are with him, stay calm, reassure him all is well...and it will be. He'll forget it before you do. Good luck and hope you get the result you hope for.

Thank you everyone. I don't know how they will anesthetize him, is there a way to find out?
Obviously I am trying not to pass my worry on to him.

You can get a Playmobil MRI scanner so he can see what the machine is like.
I don't know if your hospital does this but when my daughter had an operation they did a weekly event where you go in and see the masks used by the anesthesiologist or the equipment used for having a needle. There was a little film we watched which was basically "what happens in a hospital".
Contact the pediatric wards to see if they offer this.
Hope it all goes well 💐

The Playmobil set - forgot the image.

My ds has had loads of procedures and liked the mask. He could hold it himself and felt very in control. This is something that should be talked about at the pre OP, is he having one? If not either phone the xray department and ask to speak to someone in MRI department or phone your ds' consultant.

Hello,

My son was younger than yours but they just sedated him with an injection so that he slept.

For that reason, he had no idea what was going on.

Is it worth telling him what is going to happen if he will be asleep for it?

Good luck and wish him all the best

Just thinking he might not be having a GA and could be sedation instead?

You could ring and ask, but in my experience they prefer injection and so will put cream on his hands and then will use gas if they can't get a vein for an injection. So you might not know for definite until it actually happens

At our local hospital you can ring the MRI department and they will arrange for you to speak to someone who will go through the process with you and answer any questions.

I think you only tell him what you need to respond to his questions/fears for now. June is a long way off for a 5 year old, I honestly wouldn't be talking about it until a week or so before.

If like our experience he'll have magic cream put on both hands, they'll then cannulate one (more than once there's been a nurse obviously fiddling with and talking to child with one hand whilst anaesthetist quietly cannulated the other without child noticing).

If it's sedation, which is likely, they come round quickly and much more easily than from a GA, often can go home pretty quickly after feeling fine

Thank you all, this has also helped put my mind to rest.

Mine has to go for one in a few weeks, he is 8 so won't be sedated.
We were advised to watch the cartoons by CHOP
(https://www.chop.edu/video/getting-mri-cartoon-kids ) and to look at others that are for children on Youtube.

Thank you, that looks very informative on a basic level. I definitely want him to have an understanding even though he'll be asleep. I hope things work out for your son.

My daughter (4) has had many (including one today!). They always use the gas for her although they usually ask our preference. We've only ever gone for injection where there's a cannula in place already.

For her, we stay until she's under, and then they cannulate before taking her for scan. Then they fetch us when she is awake and I go into recovery.

She has premeds (sedatives) which have recently helped her go off much more pleasantly as she doesn't get upset.

She knows what happens and that she's going to get a special photo of her head. She had some practical worries this time, such as 'what if I need a wee when I'm asleep' (we always put a nappy on just in case) and was worried that i didn't stay with her when she was asleep.

Sometimes they find waking up stressful, they can sometimes be sick or get upset. Just be there for him ans support him in whatever way he needs.

It's really important for me that I'm honest with my daughter - she's going to be having scans for 10-15 years at least, so will eventually need to be awake for them.

A lot of the time, the first anaesthetic is fine, it's the subsequent ones (which hopefully won't be needed) that are harder as they knew what's coming and fight the anaesthetic more.