My MRI Experience

    I wanted to talk a bit about my MRI experience.  Since there's no definitive test for Parkinson's Disease, the diagnosis come by ruling out everything else, and examining symptoms.  So, part of the process is getting an MRI.  PD doesn't show anything on an MRI so it would appear normal, thus ruling out any other conditions.  

    Let me say right away that I'm not one who's ever gotten claustrophobic, and I didn't really in the MRI, but I can definitely see how someone could.  The whole process took about 40 minutes.  25 for the first scan, 5 minutes to get the contrast injection, and another 10 or so for the contrast scan.  The worst part for me wasn't so much the size of the tube, although my elbows did touch the sides with my arms folded over my chest, but was with the cage that they had to put over my head and the shims shoved in the sides of it to keep my head still.  That, combined with trying to lay still ( with weights on my ankles since that's where my tremors are primarily located ) when you have a motor function disorder, well, you can almost imagine.  The machine is definitely loud and uncomfortable, but is a necessary evil that I'm sure I'll have to deal with again as my inconvenience progresses.  Maybe next time I'll try out an open MRI, we'll see.

    Now, I feel like I should clarify what I mentioned earlier when I stated that "there's no definitive test for PD".  This isn't entirely true.  There is a test that can confirm a Dopamine/Parkinsonian issue in the brain, but it's a full day process that involves drinking a radio-isotope.  It's called a DATScan and can detect issues with Dopamine production and receptors.  90% of the time however, as it was with my case, doctors can make the diagnosis clinically and don't need to subject that patient to the added stress of the DATScan.

    So, yeah, this MRI was just one more step in the process of finding out that....I have Parkinson's...What makes you tic?