Today was my breast MRI.  I had to have a CBC before the MRI to check for kidney function, because as part of the MRI, an injection of dye is given.  The dye helps show potentially cancerous breast tissue to show up more clearly.  Cancer cells need blood to multiply, and the dye contrast tends to be more concentrated in areas of growth.  If there are more suspicious areas, then more tests are likely.

I’ve had plenty of MRIs – 4 knee surgeries and a shoulder surgery were all preceded by an MRI. I’ve never had any discomfort, or felt claustrophobic.  This time, however, I felt like I was being cooked in a microwave.  I was sweating like crazy.  The other difference is that you’re face down, as if on a massage table.  The pressure is on your head, chest and stomach, which is an uncomfortable position for me.  The scanning takes about 30 minutes.  The dye injection was not a problem for me, but I did feel lightheaded when I stood up (you can’t eat or drink for 4 hours prior to the MRI).

By chance, I had the same technician who did my additional scans.  When she introduced herself, I told her that I remembered her.  She gave me a wry smile and said, and here we are.  I said, yes, here we are.  She said that I’ll probably see a lot of her now.  That means I have a few more breast MRIs in my future.