kehorner

I don't know if you have to go all the way inside for the hand. I've only had one on my head. For that, I was in up to my knees or so. I really didn't think it was bad at all.

If you are claustrophobic, your doctor can prescribe something to relax you during the exam. It probably won't take more than 30-45 minutes (that's how long my head took). I didn't really have any problems with claustrophobia. Sure, it's a bit close in there, but if you look downwards (by moving your eyes) you can see your feet outside. A lot of people just keep their eyes closed the whole time. When you get in there, your shoulders are pretty much right near the sides, and there's maybe 5-8 inches between your face and the top of the tube.

They do give you earplugs, because it's kind of loud. Lots of clanking and banging and beeping and stuff that sounds like somebody pounding on the low end of the piano. It kind of sounded to me like a very bad sci-fi movie soundtrack. I actually might have fallen asleep, because the noises are rather rhythmic and lulling. The problem is that you get a certain set of sounds for a few minutes, then it changes. If it just stayed a single constant sound, I definitely could have fallen asleep.

And of course, you can talk to the technician and they can talk to you during the exam. And they can see you, too. They can pull you out at any time if you have a problem. It's not one huge long scan, it's a series of lots of scans, lasting anywhere from 1-6 minutes or so. Some facilities have the capability to let you listen to music during the scan, too, so ask about that and see if you should bring in cds.

It does tend to be cold in there, so if you feel a little chilly, ask for a blanket (they keep them in stock there). And if you get cold in the middle, they can pull you out and give you a blanket, then pick up where they left off. I had them do that about 5 minutes into my scan.

So try not to worry about it.