A Symphony in "B"
By Ron Mack

A Senior Moment

Imagine having a set of keys in your pocket and then having them ripped out along with the pocket and anything else magnetic on your body. That, my friends, is what could happen should you be in an MRI machine with those things on your person. Lying next to a magnet with the magnetic strength equal to 7,000 times the earth's magnetic force, it would not be a pretty sight.

I came to learn this and other facts when I went in for an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) exam at the Murphy Medical Center Radiology Lab. My left knee, after many years of abuse was finally pleading with me for some relief, so Dr. Davis, besides X-raying the knee, sent me for an MRI exam to see what else, if anything was going on inside that joint. It was a unique and enlightening experience.

An MRI creates images by using radio waves, a computer, and the powerful magnet previously mentioned. The radio waves interact with the hydrogen molecules in your body thus creating the images. The machine used at Murphy is a Toshiba EXCELART MRI system and is completely painless albeit a little noisy. I'll address that later. If you are claustrophobic, you may be uncomfortable in the "tube" where you will lie during the exam. I'm not, but in any event, because it was only my knee being examined, I did not have to fully enter it. Some years ago, my wife had an MRI requiring her complete insertion into the machine, and being claustrophobic it was a struggle, but courageous soul that she is, she made it through successfully. Most important you must remain completely still, otherwise redoing the images will require a longer stay in the tube. I was in for a relatively short time--25 minutes.

Then, there were the sounds. The Beeps, buzzes, and bangs created something of an atonal or discordant symphony, ( Imaging Symphony in "B") as the radio waves interacted with the different hydrogen gradients. Was there a little hydrogen molecule conducting the Radio Wave Orchestra? Not being completely inserted in the tube, the noises were not bad, but I could see that if you were completely encased in the tube they might cause some discomfort.

Next week I'll learn the results of the exam. Meanwhile, hats off to Jason and Keith, the two technicians responsible for performing the exam. They were patient, thorough, professional, and most of all competent. Guys, thank you for your service and also for my brief education in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Viso Gero!