MRI Images on film?

[Sidesteps]

I just finished my orbit + brain MRI and I was quite surprised that the technician informed me that I needed to wait for my film. I looked at her puzzled... ???  She said Dr. R likes to have the film, you are to bring them with you to your follow-up appointment. She will be looking for them.

I do not think this is standard operating procedure for most doctor's... is it?... I could be wrong considering I'm new at this journey. Has anyone else had this happen before?

Does GAD make you nauseated? I'm awfully queasy now....and tired, very very tired.

[supermum_ms]

My first neuro, the twit said i had a perfect brain with no lesions at all, that news totally shocked me but I had no reason to disbelieve him. A year or so later I got my hands on the MRI report and a copy of the MRI on disk. It was only after reading the report that i found out i had a 'chronic' number of T2 lesions in the white matter and deep white matter of my brain, nothing in the CC. So from 0 lesions to chronic number of them, shocked me even more and i absolutely had to see them with my own eyes.

DH took the disk to work, he's in the industry and can get his hands on just about anything and from what i learned here my little crappy laptop wasn't going to even run it so if i wanted to see those lesions i needed better hardware. He saw them first, then called to tell me he was looking at my brain and i had distinct round or oval shaped white spots.

Once i got to see them, i was fascinated too, i spent hours looking at them so I do understand the curiosity aspect lol I do totally agree with it not being a good idea trying to work out your MRI, experience and training i'm sure makes it easier to read and understand. Though from my perspective i wouldn't of known i even had any if i'd not got the report or the disk, so i think it was a good thing for me to do.

It is normal to be scared, but try and listen to your logical mind, the fear munger mind is often devoid of logic and can lead you spiraling down and make things more worrying than need be. I do believe you'll get the answers to all your questions, very soon so try and be patient for just a little longer :-)

Cheers........JJ

[Sidesteps]

I promise I really can't make heads or tails of the images. They are HUGE. lol~

Truthfully Ess, I have this hidden fear that it's not MS and it's cancer or something. I know that's normal (to be scared) but it is on my mind so I'd much rather see "hazy spots" than anything else on my MRI. Silly I know. My logical mind tells me that cancer wouldn't come and go and there would be a steady progression.... but that is why I am so fascinated by my images.

My hope is that this will be the first step to treatment...whatever that treatment needs to be.

[johnniebear]

You should still request a CD,  incase you need to see seek other medical  opinions.. Or if you need to have scan emailed..

Also get an keep a copy of all reports - exams for the same reason... Just because I've been there & done that's

Take care
Johnniebear

[essdipity]

Don't try reading your own MRIs. That's a real recipe for anxiety. We're just not capable of saying anything useful about them. Also when you get the radiology report, don't let yourself get too involved with that either. Luckily you don't have long to wait to see your neuro.

Now get some sleep!  :-)

ess  

[Sidesteps]

She referred to it as film. It looks just like 2' x 3' x-ray film.

I thought it was atypical but at least I know she is looking at the images herself. :) I know my last doctor's didn't.

[Sidesteps]

They did not give me the radiology report. They informed me that those are usually available in a couple days. I'm not sure I want to see it.

I already noticed that the "spot" in my cerebellum is still there. The Neuroradiologist thought that was an artifact in my early MRI but it shows now on my cervical MRI and two brain MRI's as well as other MRI areas now. That doesn't surprise me -- a good portion of my symptoms seem to point to cerebellum lesion. I guess I'm mentally preparing myself.

My eye issues are my largest concerns --- ok, I may call for the report. I would really like to know if something was picked up on with my orbit scans. My vision issues are really bothering me.

I didn't really read anything negative into it as my follow-up appointment is 2 1/2 weeks away.  I have a repeat VEP next Wednesday. I may get anxious if she called me and asked to see me sooner though... I am a little anxious and the fatigue may be from that.

I'll post the report as soon as I get it.

[COBOB]

It is a bit strange, but since MRI is a digital media (like cat scan,) it was never sent directly to film.  There is a laser printer that prints the grey scale image on a Mylar sheet.  It is not really "film"

Bob

[essdipity]

Quite a few MRI places still put their results on film. Many neuros even prefer that. They like to put them up on the light board thing and concentrate and compare. I wouldn't read anything negative into this. I have many old sets of film MRIs that I keep, and they came in very handy in the diagnostic phase.

But did you also get the radiology report? That should be available within a day or two at least, and you'll find it interesting, maybe confusing too. Let us know what it says. If your neuro doesn't look at the films himself though, that's a bad sign.  

GAD should not make you nauseated. Find Quix's report on GAD consequences, which may have scrolled to the next page, but it was recently commented on.

Then just get some sleep! MRIs and emotions about them can really make you tired.

Sleep well,
ess