MRI

***Just a note...I'm going to be honest and open in my description so that if someone else has to experience it, they know exactly what I went through (even though everyone is different and every hospital that does the procedure is different).

I have my MRI in early January. My MRI was with the gadolinium contrast dye and with Marcaine. Marcaine is a numbing agent they inject into your hip, and if it takes your pain away then they know the pain is actually a hip joint problem versus a back problem. Not all doctors inject the marcaine at the same time as the dye, but mine did.

The dye and Marcaine was injected into my hip through my groin and done under flouroscopy. I had to lay on the x-ray table, and because I had sweats on, I was just able to pull my pants down and didn't have to take them off. They cleaned my groin area and then taped my feet together in a pigeon-toed position. They tape your feet together in order for the radiologist to get the best angle into the hip socket. The radiologist came in and explained the procedure. The first thing they did was numb my groin (right by your swimsuit line) with a shot of novicane (I didn't even feel this). Then once your skin is numb they used a longer, bigger needle and continued to numb my groin while going deeper and deeper into my hip socket (again, I didn't feel anything, but the slightest bit of pressure). Once into my hip socket, he waited a minute or so before injecting the dye and the Marcaine (again, all I felt was a tiny bit of pressure). After he was done, the pulled the needle and I was ready for the MRI part of the procedure. Really, I was so nervious for this procedure, especially after all I had read on-line. After I had it done, it was absolutely no big deal and nothing like others explained.

The MRI itself was no big deal. I was able to go into the machine feet first and only up to my neck. They gave me ear plugs and I was in the machine for about 30 minutes. It is really loud like they describe, but I wasn't too bothered by it!

If you have to have this done, It really is not as bas as everyone writes about. I was in and out in about 1.5 hours and didn't feel a thing!!