My NP had let me know that MRI contrast (a dye) would be used to enhance the MRI images. The nurse in the radiology department prepared me with an IV. She explained that during the MRI process, they would inject the MRI contrast via the IV.
The nurse also said that I could choose to listen to music during the MRI, if I wanted. I thought about it, and decided I would prefer silence. Or rather, just the sound of the machine. I'm writing this post on June 17, and I can't remember now whether or not they gave me earplugs. I think they did.
I have to admit, I did not know I would be face-down on a table with my breasts hanging through openings on a padded table. (I got a fetal MRI during my second pregnancy, so I guess I just assumed I would be lying on my back.) I suppose it might have been helpful if I had prepared for my appointment by educating myself in advance, perhaps by reading a web page like this one. Contrary to the illustration on that page, though, I was positioned such that the table I was lying on slid me into the MRI machine head-first.
It's hard to say how long I was in the machine. Maybe 30 minutes? All I can remember now is having to stay still while the machine made all kinds of noises. About 2/3 of the way through, the technician let me know they were going to inject the contrast via the IV. I don't think I felt anything. They took a few more images, meaning the machine made more noises, and then it was finished.
Awkwardly, when I changed back into my clothes, I self-consciously noticed that the face pads on which I had been lying for the MRI had left indentation marks around my eyes. Before heading to my NP appointment, I passed some time in the lobby, waiting for the marks to fade away.
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