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can you feel a CAT scan?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
i'm having a CAT scan in a week or so cos of some headaches that i've been having non-stop for a few weeks (i wouldn't normally bother, just shut up and get on with life, but four weeks....) and i wanna know, has anyone had a CT before? can you feel anything, like waves passing through your brain?
in fact, just generally give me your CT experiences.... odd question but hey, someone's gotta have had one somewhere....

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes, I have, and no, you can't.

    For mine I just laid on this thing with this thing whirring around my head. I think it took about 10 minutes, and you can't move even slightly. All good fun.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: can you feel a CAT scan?
    Originally posted by dr_carter
    i'm having a CAT scan in a week or so cos of some headaches that i've been having non-stop for a few weeks (i wouldn't normally bother, just shut up and get on with life, but four weeks....) and i wanna know, has anyone had a CT before? can you feel anything, like waves passing through your brain?
    in fact, just generally give me your CT experiences.... odd question but hey, someone's gotta have had one somewhere....
    you don't feel a thing. you will be asked to show tattoos ...some of them have metalic ink ...you will have to remove any peircings ...the magnets are very strong and will tear metal from your body ...you will be asked have you had any metal fragments in your eyes ...if your not sure say so and thre y will do a quick xray first ...other than those precautions it is painless ...take your favourite cd with you ...they'll play it while your scanned.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Re: can you feel a CAT scan?
    Originally posted by morrocan roll
    you don't feel a thing. you will be asked to show tattoos ...some of them have metalic ink ...you will have to remove any peircings ...the magnets are very strong and will tear metal from your body ...you will be asked have you had any metal fragments in your eyes ...if your not sure say so and thre y will do a quick xray first ...other than those precautions it is painless ...take your favourite cd with you ...they'll play it while your scanned.

    metal fragments in your eyes?!?
    is this common????
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No you can't, dr_carter.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Re: Re: can you feel a CAT scan?
    Originally posted by dr_carter
    metal fragments in your eyes?!?
    is this common????
    for mechanics welders builders farmers etc etc ...yes!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Capacity
    No you can't, dr_carter.

    dammit, nothing like sarcasm to make a guy feel REALLY confident when they're gonna look at his brain and see if there's a tumour in there.....
    just cos a bloke really enjoys ER doesn't mean he studies the medical aspects in detail....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by dr_carter
    dammit, nothing like sarcasm to make a guy feel REALLY confident when they're gonna look at his brain and see if there's a tumour in there.....
    just cos a bloke really enjoys ER doesn't mean he studies the medical aspects in detail....

    I know, I apologise. Your head will be tickety boo.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Capacity
    I know, I apologise. Your head will be tickety boo.

    no offence mate, but wtf is tickety boo?!? and people think i'm confusing cos i talk in strine all the bleeding time! never heard that one before....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it means all right

    :rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by welsh_mosher
    it means all right

    :rolleyes:

    fair dinkum

    no worries cobber
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no worries this end matey so never mind eh?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by dr_carter
    fair dinkum

    no worries cobber
    welcome to the rubber room ...a BIG welcome that is ...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by morrocan roll
    welcome to the rubber room ...a BIG welcome that is ...

    sorry, am i living in a world 24,000 miles from the rest of you good people?!?
    what is the rubber room?!?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by dr_carter
    what is the rubber room?!?
    this place.
    i was just saying welcome to a guy who's name i haven't noticed before ...but will from now on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by morrocan roll
    this place.
    i was just saying welcome to a guy who's name i haven't noticed before ...but will from now on.

    cheers mate...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: can you feel a CAT scan?
    Originally posted by dr_carter
    i'm having a CAT scan in a week or so cos of some headaches that i've been having non-stop for a few weeks (i wouldn't normally bother, just shut up and get on with life, but four weeks....) and i wanna know, has anyone had a CT before? can you feel anything, like waves passing through your brain?
    in fact, just generally give me your CT experiences.... odd question but hey, someone's gotta have had one somewhere....

    Yeah, I had one aaages ago. When I was quite wee. Was an emergency one though, so no snazzy music for me! All I remember is lying very very still and watching the lights whirr above me. If you get claustrophobic it might be a wee bit scary, but it's not that bad.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my aunt had a brain tumour, and never had one headache from it.

    apparently headaches aren't as common as you'd think with brain tumours.

    so you're much more likely to have something less nasty :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I had a CAT scan a few years ago for headache and found that there were no serious problems, but better to be safe than sorry.

    The scan itself doesn't hurt although your head does go in a rather noisy piece of machinery which gave me a slight headache.

    There was a mirror arragement that mean that if my mum stood in the right place I could see her face whilst in the machine!

    I'm not sure if you're male or female but obviously if you're going to wear a bra make sure its completely metal free, no underwires or metal catches (a sports bra might be suitable) or don't wear one.

    Good luck :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Randomgirl

    I'm not sure if you're male or female

    I'm not quite sure how to take that!!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    so no snazzy music for me!

    Tuneage? No fair I didn't get any with an MRI :(.

    I had an MRI on my head when I was getting head aches, and other things. I'm not sure how much difference there are between a CAT and MRI scan but with the MRI I had I just laied in this tunnel thing for 20 minutes with long and short droning and clicking (I think) sounds which last for about 3 minutes. The droning sounds can piss you off a bit because the same sound can last for about 2 minutes so it kinda does your head in although you do get used to it.

    What kind of symptoms do you have? Brain tumors come in the form of but not everyone get's all these.. extreme headaches, seizures, vomiting, vision and hearing problems, problems with weakness of the arms, legs, face, etc.

    You consultant would of proberly checked you reflexes and stuff like that when you talked to him.. mine did.

    Some of those things can also be common with a migraine.

    How long did yo have to wait for your CAT scan?

    p.s.. just think of those sexy nurses making a fuss over you. ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not sure about difference between CAT and MRi - but I had an MRI and they found a brain tumour, which consequently was nothing to do with my symptoms - I have now been diagnosed with MS.
    Brain tumours are incredibly rare and you don't necessarily show any signs that you have one.
    Whatever the scan is, you will probably be fine.:D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think cat scanners and mri scanners are the same thing, or cat are the older version.
    MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CAT - computerised axial tomography
    basically a modified x-ray that rotates the patient and kinda takes a 'slice' picture of the area. very good at analysing bone structures from all the way round (cos an x-ray aint a lot of good if there's another bone in the way) and also for picking up tumours and stuff. in a CAT (or CT) you just sit in a ring thing on a little couch-type thing
    in an MRI (yeah, you're right, magnetic resonance imaging) there are no x-rays, it takes longer, they sit you in a massive great tube which aint good for claustrophobics, and it uses magnetic energy and radio waves to create images. basically they shoot radio waves through you and collect the signal emitted by hydrogen atoms in your cells, and a big computer makes pictures from lots of readings from antennae. an MRI can pick up tissue well but aint a lot of good with bones. plus with an MRI you can take pictures at practically any angle, whereas a CAT scan can only take slices in the same axis as the machine
    little bit of medical knowledge never hurts anyone.... oh, and if anyone's a radiographer/radiologist and i've made a massive omission, sorry....
    Originally posted by Whowhere
    I think cat scanners and mri scanners are the same thing, or cat are the older version.
    MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging.
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