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Children's health

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Original poster

Ds to have an MRI tomorrow on his leg - ? sedation

17 replies

canella · 29/12/2009 15:43

Absolutely no advice from the radiology departement although we are overseas and things seem to work (very) differently!

DS1 (5.2) has got a soft tissue swelling just above his knee thats been there for a few months but the surgeon has no idea what it is so want to do an MRI.

Think this is a daft question but can he just have his leg scanned without sedation or does his whole body need to go in the scanner?

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WhatFuckingYearIsItAnyway · 29/12/2009 15:46

can only tell you what they do in the UK

if he is a sensible, non-wriggly 5 yo he can have an MRI scan without sedation

his whole body will need to go through this huge scary machine that is quite noisy

if he cannot keep very very still for a few mins they may give him light sedation

I think at 5yo, it could go either way, tbh, it's a bit of an imbetweeny age

good luck x

Original poster

canella · 29/12/2009 16:27

thanks for that - he's an anxious wee boy but i think he could lie still - dont want him to have the sedation - think thats more risk than the swelling in his leg.

found a video on the internet that showed him the scanner - told him it was a noisy spaceship - will see how it goes!

OP posts:

WhatFuckingYearIsItAnyway · 29/12/2009 16:31

yes, prepare him

it will be noisy...lots of bangs and clunks but you don't feel a thing and you can hold his hand or they can play music to him through headphones

you are right to try and do it without sedation

girlsyearapart · 29/12/2009 16:47

yes a noisy spaceship is right!

one i had they let me listen to music on earphones but not any of the other times.

Mine have always been brain mris so my whole head but obv in the scanner.

It can be scary - even for adults- but you will be able to talk to him and be there.

Also it doesn't hurt at all.

Good luck.

LadyBiscuit · 29/12/2009 16:52

It is very noisy. And even if he's only having your knee scanned, he will probably have to go entirely into the machine which is like a giant doughnut (I was in it up to my neck getting my knee scanned so I'd imagine he'll be entirely encased). In the same way as an xray, the staff will all leave the room and so he'll be on his own so I'd think that'd be the worst thing. I wonder if you could give them a story on CD that he could listen to rather than the classical music they usually give you?

LadyBiscuit · 29/12/2009 16:53

Oh I didn't know you can be there too. That's great although you might not be able to actually touch him

alypaly · 29/12/2009 18:09

he will have earphones on so he wont hear the loud clicks and also the radiographer will be talking to him through his headphones.
he will be fine.

catinthehat2 · 29/12/2009 18:31

Alypaly could he take a stuffed toy for a bit of company?

alypaly · 29/12/2009 18:34

i would ask. as long as it has no metal bits whatsoever, he might be able too

alypaly · 29/12/2009 18:36

i think the one about telling him he is going in a thunderbirds capsule would be good or the noisy spaceship suggestion

girlsyearapart · 29/12/2009 19:25

yes dh was allowed to sit next to me in a chair for one of the ones I had.

I don't know about the toy thing though. It would have to be one where you could show it has no chance of metal in.

I didn't have earphones every time though but you do have a panic button in your hand.

Original poster

canella · 29/12/2009 19:29

thanks for all the replies - but dont know whether to feel reassured by the panic button!!

hope either me or dh can stay with him - not sure what to wear as most clothes have metal in them and then dh said he thinks crowns on his teeth would stop him going in - they are metal ones at the back of his mouth (he's not a baddy from a james bond film!!!!)

will just have to put some joggies on )no difference from normal!!)

OP posts:

girlsyearapart · 30/12/2009 07:35

Good luck for today.

I'm sure you will be allowed to stay but you're right about the metal thing. Once dh couldn't come in as he had so much in his pockets it would've taken too long to empty.

I've never been asked about crowns but had to take off underwired bra and hair bobble with metal fastener.

Let us know how he gets on.

Original poster

canella · 30/12/2009 15:27

Thanks for the support girlsyearapart!

well we survived! he made a huge drama at the beginning because he had to have a drip put in his arm for the contrast to go in which nearly scuppered him going in the scanner! took 15 mins of persuading but in the end he wanted to do it without us (find this so strange that he didnt want me there!!!!)

so he happily went in the scanner (the technician stayed with him) and listened to a jungle book CD and halfway through he fell asleep!!!!!!

And its kind of good news - he's got a lymphangioma in his leg which isnt cancerous and wont spread! also dont think he'll need to get it excised at the mo - it would cause a huge scar and since its not attached to the bone or the muscle then dotn want to put him through it!
so glad though that its not cancer - we noticed this lump in August and its been a long 4 months to get to today!

OP posts:

WhatFuckingYearIsItAnyway · 30/12/2009 15:52

awww, good news and glad it went well !

catinthehat2 · 30/12/2009 16:31

Good news

girlsyearapart · 30/12/2009 18:59

That is great news.
What a brave boy.

Forgot about the drip thing I had that once and at the time the other arm wasn't working either so I felt totally claustrophobic abd trapped. That was obviously also the same time as Dh couldn't go in..

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