Last time I posted, I had just gotten a small bowel MRE. Results came back a few days later and showed no active small bowel disease, but worsening of inflammation in the colon, kidney cysts, and gallstones. I had never been told that any of my past scans showed kidney or gallbladder issues, so this was new to me. The day my results came in, I had an appointment with my local PCP, who decided to order an ultrasound to see if my gallbladder would need to come out. (We're thinking some of my recent symptoms that I had blamed on IBD could be attributed to this.) We also discussed my frequent migraines, and she decided to order an MRI of the head as well to see if anything showed up.
This morning at around 9 AM, I went to the local imaging center and checked in for my first of two tests. At 9:30, a tech took me back and performed the ultrasound. I've had several ultrasounds, most recently to look for blood clots, so I knew what to expect. I was asked to stretch out on a long table, and my shirt was pulled up (I was allowed to keep my clothes on-- no gowns!) so that gel could be applied to my abdomen. It always feels a little weird, but it was warm, so it wasn't uncomfortable. After that, the tech moved the transducer (basically a wand) over my abdomen and had me switch positions a few times so that he could get the images he needed. It pretty much just felt like a ball being rolled over my abdomen. The worst part was trying to get all the gel off my body when it was over! The whole thing was quick-- maybe 20 minutes.
After the ultrasound was done, I went back down to the first floor to await my MRI. I've never had a head MRI before, so I was a little worried, but it was actually way easier than the small bowel MRE. Again, I got to keep my clothes on (I wore yoga pants and a basic t-shirt, so nothing that could cause problems), and there were no barium potions or IVs this time. The tech gave me headphones and covered my face with a shield, then sent me back into the machine-- and this time, I didn't have to go all the way in. Most of my body was on the outside. This test was easier, too, because I didn't have to hold my breath or anything like that. I was told to keep still, which is the most important part, though I did laugh when the very first song I heard through my headphones was "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. This test was also pretty quick, and I was done within half an hour.
I should have results from both tests back next week. I'm not expecting anything from the head MRI, but I am wondering if the ultrasound will show that my gallbladder needs to come out. I have a lot of symptoms that we think could be stemming from that, so we'll see. Leave me a comment if you have any questions about either of these procedures!
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