Stupid scheduler ever

[Protimenow]

I'm not sure where to put this rant, so I'm putting it here.

I'm getting an MRI in a few weeks. A scheduler called me, ran through the standard questions - do I have implants, do I have metal in my body, etc. I said that I have a St. Jude Aortic Valve. He didn't understand. "Who is the manufactrer?" I already told him.

"What do you have?" I repeated that I have an Aortic valve. I told him that it's in my heart. "What kind of valve?" I said it's a mechanical valve.

I told him that I have a card from the manufacturer that says I can have an MRI. I told him that I've had MRIs in the past.

We went round and round about this, I was trying to explain what the valve is, where it is, and that I'm okay to take an MRI. i told him that before I get the MRI, I'm supposed to get a blood test. I was told to bring the results with me. He couldn't conceive the fact that I don't get a copy for 10 days after the test. This totally flew over his head.

I asked where he was located- he said 'San Fernando Valley.' This is probably 100 square miles. He may as well have said 'Los Angeles County.'

He found a facility near me. I asked for the address. He gave me the name of the street. I told him that the street probably runs 10 miles. He asked if I wanted another location. I just need the address -- not a different street.

We finished this long, painful call, and I thought I was done. A date was set. A location was set.

Five minutes later, the same person called with a question.'Can you send me a picture of the valve?' I told him that it's in my chest. 'But can you take a picture of the valve?' I told him that it's on my heart. But that wasn't enough. He asked again.

At that point, I had enough and terminated the call (hung up).

Have any of you had similar experiences?

 

[Agian]

Yep, a moron... no less.

 

[user 16827]

 

[Catie]

Yikes. That's truly redunkulous!

I had to go round and round about MRIs about retained epicardial pacing wires. But not the valve.

 

[Protimenow]

At least the valve manufacturers give the patient a card that identifies the valve and says that it's okay to get an MRI. (At least, St. Jude does, and I am pretty sure that all the other manufacturers do the same).

 

[ScribeWithALancet]

At least the valve manufacturers give the patient a card that identifies the valve and says that it's okay to get an MRI. (At least, St. Jude does, and I am pretty sure that all the other manufacturers do the same).

My St. Jude valve card, on the back, has a list of electromagnetic characteristics of the MRI machine that the St. Jude valve can tolerate. Some of the MRI manufacturers have made new machines capable of affecting even my St. Jude valve. This valve up until 10 years ago was incapable of being affected by any MRI machine. Multiply the electromagnetism a hundred fold and anything is possible. You should call the technician running the machine and read him or her the elecromagnetic limits from the card. Unless it is a relatively new machine you should be safe.
-
My health plan purchased new machines about 5 years ago. When I went for an MRI, the technician read my card and said - opps you are not MRI safe for our machine. The supervisor of the MRI machines for the health plan was able to get a new machine purchased. She was horrified that they had made such a mistake in purchasing because she said the plan has quite a number of folks with artificial heart valves. That took a couple years. Now, there are a bunch of machines in my health plan that can be dialed back in electromagnetic strength. I still have to ask them to check carefully when I go in. My valve is mitral not aortic so this may be a difference.

Walk in Peace,
Scribe With A Lancet

 

[Protimenow]

Scribe.... This is interesting. My valve (and card) are 28 years old. I don't know if that information is on the back of it.

I went to this lab decades ago, so I don't know what kind of MRI they use. I'll try to find out before they run it. I may find out before I go there.

Thanks for that information.

 

[ScribeWithALancet]

Scribe.... This is interesting. My valve (and card) are 28 years old. I don't know if that information is on the back of it.

I went to this lab decades ago, so I don't know what kind of MRI they use. I'll try to find out before they run it. I may find out before I go there.

Thanks for that information.

The electromagnetic information was not on my first card from St. Jude. it was been on the last two. I got an updated card when my surgeon retired and they put the name and phone number of my cardiologist in their internal referral computer for when emergency rooms call them. (interestingly, they left the name of the surgeon on the card ! -) The St. Jude phone number to call to get an updated card is 1-800-344-5833.
Walk in Peace,
ScribeWithALancet

 

[SumoRunner]

As Protimenow says, the cards did not have that info on them 28 years ago because MRI was not on the market yet. I was working at the GE Research Center at that time and did a lot of analytical software for the process as the machines were in development. The prototypes were tested in a building that was made with no metal, all put together with wooden pegs. I was not allowed in that building because of my valve. By the way, the initial technology, invented in the U.K. was called NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), but the word "nuclear" frightened Americans, so the marketing people renamed it magnetic resonance imaging, MRI.

 

[pellicle]

Five minutes later, the same person called with a question.'Can you send me a picture of the valve?'

at that point I'd have taken a picture of my anal sphincter and sent that (*he'd probably mistake it for a picture of him)

he probably still doesn't know what a valve is ...

 

[Protimenow]

The electromagnetic information was not on my first card from St. Jude. it was been on the last two. I got an updated card when my surgeon retired and they put the name and phone number of my cardiologist in their internal referral computer for when emergency rooms call them. (interestingly, they left the name of the surgeon on the card ! -) The St. Jude phone number to call to get an updated card is 1-800-344-5833.
Walk in Peace,
ScribeWithALancet

Thanks for the phone number. I'll call them Monday and ask for an updated card.

 

[Protimenow]

Pellicle suggested that 'at that point I'd have taken a picture of my anal sphincter and sent that (*he'd probably mistake it for a picture of him) '

I tried that, but every time I told it to smile, it refused to cooperate.

 

[pellicle]

you're lucky it didn't laugh

 

[Protimenow]

I'm glad that I didn't aske it to do that, or even to wink at me.

 

[Protimenow]

Scribe -- I called St. Jude - as expected, they still had the same phone number (on the face of the card) that they had in 1991.

I updated my address, and the name of my cardiologist. Oddly enough, I didn't think about updating the information at St. Jude. I've been in my current house since late 1993 (roughly two years after my OHS), so, conceivably, they may have sent many updated cards, but had them all returned because of an incorrect address. I'm glad that I started this 'stupidest scheduler' thread. Otherwise, I may have gone the rest of my life not even thinking about updating the address to St. Jude.

 

[MartinF]

My St Jude card is from 2012 and has this on the back:

MRI Safety Information:
Please go to
www.MRInfoSJM.com
for specific product information

 

[Protimenow]

I should be getting a new, more recent card from St. Jude - but I wouldn't be too surprised if the information is no different from what's on your 2012 card.

I think that I may have found that site a few months ago. It's practically useless. I don't think there's any information about the St. Jude valve - unless it's well hidden. But thanks for the link.

 

[Keithl]

Yeah I am going round and round about MRI with pacing wires, not the valve. I was told every time I need an MRI I need chest xray to confirm placement of wires and to confirm they are not touching, if they are touching no MRI.

 

[MdaPA]

Yeah I am going round and round about MRI with pacing wires, not the valve. I was told every time I need an MRI I need chest xray to confirm placement of wires and to confirm they are not touching, if they are touching no MRI.

My wife had same issue. A local hospital and 2 imaging centers would not do an MRI because of her retained temporary cardiac pacing wires even with the X-ray, not because of her St Jude valves. After much back-and-forth, she finally got another local hospital to do it. You need to get the right person on the phone or find a hospital that has more experience in this area to do the MRI. You get the cards with the MRI considerations for the valve but apparently you don't get any card/documentation for the wires.