February-Spring Semester

It seems in the past month I have had so many patients come in who are claustrophobic. I always feel as if it is a challenge whenever someone comes in and initially can not do their test, but I am them able to convince them to do it. I feel I have an advantage because I too am very claustrophobic. My facility offers movie goggles and that seems to help a lot of people deal with the MRI. But, sometimes that is not enough. I am an advocate of putting something over the patient's eyes. Along with covering the paitent's eyes, I also give them a squeeze ball to get a hold of me; I also talk to them after every series to let them know how long each scan is programmed; and finally my favorite thing to do is to tape an oxygen tube to the paitent's chest so that it blows constant air on the paitient's face. Having the oxygen tube on blowing on my face is the only way you will ever get me into the MRI tube! My patients always get a kick out of me when I tell them, I have a hard time going into the scanner. I think this is a huge advantage because I gain the patient's trust and can emphasize with them when it comes to this disorder.