What’s it for ?

MRI means: Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MRI gives precise pictures of what’s inside my body.

MRI helps the doctor to understand my illness better.

What happens in MRI ?

MRI doesn’t hurt at all.

MRI lasts a long time: 20 to 45 minutes.

So I mustn’t move while I’m being examined.

I can take medicine two hours before the examination.

My doctor will tell me what to take.

Before MRI.

I go to the toilet.

The radiology technician will welcome me in a changing room.

The radiology technician is the person who does the MRI.

He/she asks me to take off.

My watch and my jewelry: necklace, rings, bracelets, piercings, etc.

All the things I have which contain metal.

I can leave my things with the person who came with me.

The radiology technician may ask me to take off certain clothes.

• My top
• lower clothing
• I can wear a gown

The radiology technician may put me on a drip.

I go into the MRI room.

The radiology technician and the radiologist go into the control room.

There is the MRI machine with the table I lie down on.

The table goes into the tunnel.

The radiology technician explains what’s going to happen.

Someone can stay with me.

I lie down on the table.

If I feel cold, the radiology technician gives me a blanket.

He/she puts a thing on the part of my body he wants to take a picture of.

The radiology technician blocks part of my body with the thing.

For example:

• My ankle
• My head
• My arm
• My tummy

The radiology technician can wedge me with big cushions.

The radiology technician gives me a buzzer.

I can call him if I don’t feel good.

The machine is going to make a lot of noise.

The technician gives me plugs for my ears or headphones to listen to music.

During the MRI.

The table goes slowly into the tunnel.

The tunnel is open at both ends.

It’s narrow.

There’s light in the tunnel.

When I’m ready, the technician leaves the room.

He goes into the control room with the radiologist.

The radiologist is the doctor who decide what pictures to take.

The person who came with me can stay beside me and reassure me.

I can talk to the technician with the microphone.

I can call him with the buzzer.

While it’s taking the pictures, the machine makes a lot of noise.

The machine stops and starts again lots of times.

When it’s making a noise, I mustn’t move at all.

The technician may put something in the drip.

And it may make me feel very hot.

After the MRI.

At the end of the examination, the table comes slowly out of the tunnel.

The technician removes the headphones or the ear-plugs.

If I have a drip, the technician removes it.

I put my clothes on again and collect my things.

The radiologist comes to talk to me.

If I had a drip, I have to drink lots of water.

The radiologist sends the results of the MRI to my doctor.

My doctor explains them to me.

 

SantéBD Multilingual is a project supported by the Orange Foundation.

 

SantéBD booklets?

• On the internet: Visit the website: www.santebd.org
• On the SantéBD Channel Youtube

SantéBD booklets are free.

SantéBD is a project by the NGO Coactis Santé contact@santebd.org
SantéBD booklets are produced in partnership with different participants from the world of healthcare and working with disabilities. Illustrations by Frédérique Mercier.
Copyright Coactis Santé

 

The creation of this tool was made possible with the support of:

• la Fondation Handicap Malakoff Humanis
• la Fondation de France
• la mairie de Paris
• l’Assurance maladie
• la Caisse nationale de solidarité pour l’autonomie
• Santé publique France

This document was proofread by people with learning disabilities and respects the European Easy-to-Read Guidelines. These guidelines help to make information available for everyone.

For more information visit the website https://www.inclusion-europe.eu/easy-to-read/