my ever loving brain

Tipped up yesterday for my brain MRI , took the day off work as annual leave . Im claustrophobic so was spaced out with Prozac, was told

’ didn’t have appointment and am i sure I had been referred for one?.’ Well no love; I couldnt find anything more interesting to do today apart take a days annual leave to come to hospital and be completely wasted all day on Prosac in the hopes I would have an outer body experience in a metal cylinder fixed around my head.

do these people really think you would put yourself thro this for a day out??

I am peed off now cos I have wasted one day of annual leave wondering about in a big hospital off my head.

Sue

sorry re ur wasted day. i misread (again!) and thought this was about ur fab hubby/partner brian!!

chill tonight-its over…

ellie x

Bless you ellie, no luv, its me brain thats the problem!! Just a little rant about the pathetic new multi million pound hospital that I attend and that I am sure my national insurance finances… they have wonderful kite abstract designs in the roof and faboulous art works in the grounds but to get a legit appointment through the neuro that is based in the same place, nah! ???

I’m sorry about the wasted day. I wouldn’t automatically assume it’s your mistake though, as it wouldn’t be the first time the good old NHS had messed up…

I needed a scan of both feet once (actually, they wouldn’t have seen anything, as the pain was MS anyway, but we didn’t know that then). Some genius at the hospital sent me separate appointments for left and right foot: one at 10 in the morning, the other at four in the afternoon! So that’s the standard we’re dealing with.

But as an aside, I didn’t think Prozac was a “take as needed” drug? Don’t you need to be on a steady dose for some time to get any benefit?

If you’ve either taken it when you don’t usually, or raised the dose just for the day, I’m not surprised you felt spacey. When your real scan date comes round, as I suppose it will, I suggest asking your doc for a short-acting sedative that you can take just for the day, instead of OD’ing on Prozac. I can’t guarantee you won’t still feel a bit spacey, but it’s more tailored to the job.

Tina

Sorry Tina, it was Diazepam. Dont know where I got the Prozac from, thought they were both the same, diazepam being the generic name. My GP prescribed it for my MRIs because I am claustrophobic although it makes me feel sick which worries me more about the MRI incase i am sick and I choke! There is no easy way for us.

Suex

PS, Ive already had 3 brain MRIs so I know what I’m in for, this is just basically a gripe at the communication in my new hospital. Its got to come out somewhere!

Forever wingeing

Suex

Ah, I’m glad it wasn’t Prozac! I was a bit worried about you taking ad hoc doses for MRI anxiety.

I’d been going to suggest diazepam (I use it too, for particularly stressful challenges). A lucky coincidence is it treats spasticity as well - nice to have a drug with a useful side-effect for once, instead of just making us feel rubbish.

Luckily, I haven’t had the sickness, but I’m sure you wouldn’t choke. If you’ve been through it before, I’m sure you know you’ve got communications in there - you can tell them or press the panic button if you realise you’re going to be sick. And you’re being monitored the whole time anyway, so even if, for some reason, you couldn’t communicate, I’m sure they’d have you out at the slightest sign anything was wrong.

Tina

x

Hi, did you have a letter to show you did have the appointment?

luv POllx

No I didn’t, I had been in touch with the neuros med sec who told me she had made the appointment for me. Normally i get a letter and a txt on my phone but this time i didn’t, you live and learn eh? I was a bit off with the receptionists (which i regret now) and demanded to speak to the med sec, they tried to put me thro on the phone, she was on annual leave, so demanded to speak to ms nurse, of course it was an ansaphone, meanwhile I had a line of people waiting behind me to book in so the receptionists were getting equally impatient with me. I was getting hot and bothered because I hate to be centre stage and then the bladder reminded me it was there as well, I managed to walk, albeit strangely, to the loo (I had already worked out where that was) without holding myself in front of a packed waiting room.

You know what, I think it was the embarrassment which got to me most and the waste of a ‘good’ day of course. Blinking NHS and I actually work for them, at least all you fellow sufferers realize there is no preferential treatment!

Wonder if it would be any better if I had private care…

Suex