Girl Meets MR Enterography!

     Yesterday, I had my first ever small bowel MR enterography. I've had multiple CT scans this year, so my new PA (who I love, by the way-- more on that in a future post) thought this would be a safer option. The actual experience wasn't bad at all-- it was what came later that was less than pleasant.

     I arrived at the center and was promptly taken back to a dressing room, where I traded my jeans and shirt for two hospital gowns and a pair of slipper socks. Then I was taken to the women's waiting area, where I watched HGTV with a bunch of other women clad in equally beautiful attire. Soon an attendant came by and gave me my first bottle of VoLumen (barium sulfate), which looks like this:

     Unfortunately, I've had this stuff before-- this picture is from a previous hospitalization. "What does it taste like?" one of the curious women sitting near me asked. (They were all amazed, as I was the only one given anything to drink.) "It tastes like shampoo smells," I said. And does it ever.

     Thankfully, I ended up being okay and finished all three containers, which I wasn't able to do last time. It helped that it was cold this time, as it tastes a lot worse when it's lukewarm. After my first bottle, the techs called me into the next room so they could place the IV (although it wouldn't be hooked up to anything until I was taken into the actual procedure room.) I've had what seems like a million sticks for IVs and blood work over the past few years, so this should have been easy. Well... nothing is ever easy with IBD.

     Possibly because my veins have been used so much lately, the technician wasn't able to find a usable vein. He mentioned possibly using an ultrasound machine (which would have been pretty cool), then called over a co-worker to help. The only veins the co-worker thought might be suitable were in my hands, so he tried my right hand. And... No. I could actually feel the needle moving around in my hand and started laughing hysterically. The technician, though in good spirits, was not laughing. Thankfully, my left hand worked, and I was taped down and sent back into the waiting room to finish my VoLumen cocktails.

     Two bottles of contrast later, I was called into the procedure room. Two kind and funny technicians told me what to expect, took my glasses (so I had little to worry about, as I could barely even see), and got me set up in the machine. I was given headphones, so I could hear the technician's instructions, but the banging sounds (more on that in a minute) were muted a bit. This certainly isn't going to be a fun test for you if you're claustrophobic (thankfully, I'm not), but the noises and motion of the machine can also be a bit jarring.

     So, what happens once you get into the machine? A few things. Most of this test (which, for me, took about 30-40 minutes) was listening to the technician's instructions about when and how to breathe. There is a lot of breath holding that goes on during this test, which can be uncomfortable. The technicians also placed a device over my abdomen that was slightly uncomfortable, as it pushed my abdomen down and heated up at various points during the test. Toward the end, contrast was injected into my IV, which made my arm feel cold and left a funny taste in my mouth. (This always happens to me, though-- I can even "taste" IV flushes.) Occasionally the machine seemed to jerk around a little bit, but it wasn't super uncomfortable, just awkward. While it wasn't a particularly fun experience, I survived and was allowed to leave directly after my procedure.

     So I told you earlier that while the MRE itself wasn't bad, what came after was pretty rough. I'm not sure what it was, as I've done similar procedures in the past, but a couple hours after the test, I started to feel sick. My entire body hurt-- abdomen, back, even my chest and throat. It felt like I was full of trapped air, and it was not coming out. I was in so much pain, I could barely walk. Eventually, I was able to pass some gas, but it still hurt... and then the, uh, "other" side effects began. Let's just say I had an unhappy night between body pain, bathroom trips, and exhaustion.

     It's now more than 24 hours since my test, and I'm starting to feel better. The pain has reduced to a manageable level, and my bathroom trips are subsiding as well. Since the MRE was conducted on a Friday afternoon, I'm expecting my results to come back sometime around the middle of next week. This will determine my treatment moving forward, as my recent fecal calprotectin test came back fairly high. If it doesn't show anything, I may be headed for another scope, which I am not looking forward to.

     I hope this helped you get a better idea of what to expect during a small bowel MR enterography! Leave me a comment if you have any questions.