[liveworkplay]

My 9 year old needs one. Can anyone tell me what to expect?

[Chubbles]

What part of the body?

[liveworkplay]

Head. She is having acute unexplained vision problems and headaches.

[elmo_mum]

it takes about 10 min... she will need to lie still THE WHOLE TIME

its noisy as , but they should give her some headphones, and a choice of music

she may also want an eye mask... i do when i have mine, as i hate being in he enclosed space....

[JaneDoe2010]

My 8 year old is having one next Thursday. We were told that it would take 45 minutes! There is a loud banging the whole time but as it's being done at the Royal Children's Hospital they have a DVD and headphones in it. We are hoping she'll cope without anesthetic (she's doing a trial run in a pretend one earlier in the day) as if not, we have to wait longer. Happy to update after next Thursday!

[Shellby]

My son had his first just after 9. The head takes about 45 minutes to 60 minutes. There is a loud banging noise which the give head phones for. Not all machines will have music or videos BTW. The first one he did had nothing, so was hard trying to keep him still for nearly a hour with complete boredom. The second one he had 3 weeks later was at another place, they had music to listen to. His 3rd one a week later (and where we go now - Mater Brisbane, he is up to I think 6 in 18 months) has videos you can watch which is great.

The first 2 times DH had to go in with him and sit next to him and just talk to him and keep him clam. Now he is a expert at them and takes himself off to it and returns to the waiting room a bit over an hour later.

Make sure you let her know it will be loud so it doesn't surprise her and that you can sit with her but it will be down her leg end. Just slowly work her up to it - maybe even show her some youtube videos. The noise was what scared my son the first time even though we warned him it was loud, he just didn't expect it to be so loud and just keep repeating for nearly an hour.

[liveworkplay]

Thanks. She is a pretty sensible, level headed kid, so I think she will cope. Sometimes I have to remind myself she is only 9

I am waiting for the Radiography place to ring with an appointment. Initially the DR wrote out a referral for a CT, but the Radiographer has veto'd that. I'm hoping it is only some sort of migraine, which the optometrist said it sounded like as did the doctor but need to rule out anything more nasty obviously.

JaneDoe2010, good luck for next thursday!

[lishermide]

DD#1 has had three in the past few months. It's normal to be apprehensive the first time. I showed Dd pictures of a few machines before she went in as she was quite concerned about that.

It should take about 45 minutes. She'll have to lay very still. Her head will be supported to help. Warn her that the machine is very, very loud, even with the headphones on. It bangs, clanks & whirs . And no metal, so remove earrings Eric if she has them.

She will have a buzzer to allow her to signal if she' has a problem. You should be able to sit in the room with her.

[Chocolate Addict]

I had one a few weeks ago. It took 40 minutes or so. I was sedated as I don't like confined spaces.
The machine has a head rest thing and a mask thing that comes down, they pop ear plugs in and also pads wedged in the side too. I felt ill just when that was done when I tried to do it without sedation.
The first one I had done they had a little mirror that I could see them with and an emergency buzzer. The second one was more modern but still no music or anything.

It is very noisy and really confining. The first machine was metal and I felt like I was in a coffin. Horrible.

I would check if they have music or some other distraction. Even with the sedation I felt it went for ever.

[Super Cat]

I think as long as they know the noise will be loud they won't be frightened of it when it happens. It's a loud constant banging/clicking noise. It can be claustrophobic in the MRI (it's a tunnel) but its not too bad.

I've had a few. DS had one but it was under sedation. The staff at RCH are amazing.