ARNIE’S MRI

Written by

Jenny ArchibaldIllustrated by

the Creative Services Studio the Hospital for Sick Children

Toronto, Canada

ARNIE’S MRI

1176237819319

ISBN 978193111762390000 >

Lash & Associates Publishing/Training Inc.100 Boardwalk Drive, Suite 150, Youngsville, NC 27596

Tel: (919) 556-0300 Fax: (919) 556-0900

www.lapublishing.com

Item: ARNI

Copyright © 2011by Lash & Associates Publishing/Training Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for brief reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Lash & Associates Publishing/Training Inc. 100 Boardwalk Drive, Suite 150, Youngsville, NC 27596Tel: (919) 556-0300

This book is part of a series on brain injury among children, adolescents, adults and veterans. For a free catalog, contact Lash & Associates Tel: (919) 556-0300 or visit our web site www.lapublishing.com

Jenny Archibald has a special interest in childhood head injury. She is a psychometrist who has worked for many years with children who have had a head injury. A psychometrist (sy-co-me-trist), is a person who works with people and helps to test their thinking skills, language, memory and school abilities (like reading, math and spelling).

Some years ago, Jenny was working on a childhood head injury research project in which children had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain

scan. This medical procedure can be scary for children because it involves noise, keeping still, and being confined in a close space. Jenny was inspired to write a story that would explain the MRI experience to children in a language they could understand. She hoped this would help them feel more comfortable with the procedure. This became Arnie’s story.

The message of Arnie’s MRI is bigger than the story itself, because it addresses head injury prevention. The message is: Always wear a helmet for activities such as bicycling, skateboarding, in-line skating, scooting, and other activities that make you go fast.

Jenny now lives in Oakville, Canada with her husband and two children. She had the opportunity to use the book to help prepare her son for his MRI. Every member of her family is a big fan of bicycle helmets. She continues to be passionately interested in how families can become better informed about childhood head injury and better able to prevent it.

About the Author

Jenny Archibald, B.A., D.C.S.

But Arnie didn’t think he needed a helmet and called back,

“Arnie, don’t forget your helmet!”

“I don’t need a helmet. I’ll be just fine.”

One day, Arnie the Armadillo wasgoing to ride his bike with his good friends, Jed and Chase. Before Arnie left the house his sister Erma yelled,

Then Arnie got on his bike and met up with Jed and Chase. As they were riding through the neighborhood, suddenly Arnie hit a huge pothole in the road.

He flew off his bicycle anddid a somersault in the air.

BOOM!Arnie landed on his side and bumped his head...

HARD!

Chase cried out, “Arnie, Arnie! Are you okay?”

Jed and Chase quickly stopped their bikes and ran over to see how Arnie was doing.

“Ouch!” Arnie yelped.

He began to cry. “My head hurts!”

Chase ran off to call 911 like he had been taught to do in anemergency while Jed stayed with Arnie.

The ambulance came quickly and took Arnie to the hospital. He was carried in on a stretcher.

When his parents and sister Erma got to the hospital, they saw the nurses asking Arnie lots of questions. They were helping him calm down because he was really scared.

Dr. Dillo came in and checked Arnie’s shell for cracks and bruises. He found a small crack on the left side of Arnie’s shell near the bottom. There was a big lump on his head.

The doctor said that Arnie should go for a magnetic resonance imaging scan to make sure nothing else was cracked or injured.

He called it an MRI.

Arnie didn’t know what those big words and letters meant. His parents and sister didn’t know either. Arnie was scared when he heard this and asked the doctor, “What’s an MRI scan? Will it hurt?”

Dr. Dillo patiently explained to Arnie that, “An MRI scan will take pictures of your head and body in a special way. Just like it doesn’t hurt when someone takes a picture of you with a camera, an MRI doesn’t hurt either. But for this picture, you will have to lie down and stay super still - just like a statue. If you move, the pictures will be blurry and then we’ll have to take them again.”

Dr. Dillo told Arnie, “The MRI scanner looks like a big, long tube—kind of like a rocket.

Just like an astronaut, we’ll give you a special helmet to wear because we are taking a picture of your brain.”

“When we press a special button, the bed you lie on will move into the tunnel that’s shaped like a rocket. You will hear a loud knocking sound while the pictures are being taken. You can pretend that your rocket is shooting at asteroids in outer space.”

“It takes 3 to 8 minutes for each picture.

We’re going to take lots of pictures so the whole scan will take about an hour. That’s a long time to stay still but I know you can do it. Your Mom or Dad can stay in the room with you, but you must be quiet and lie still like a statue. That way the pictures will be good and not blurry.”

Arnie said, “That sounds kind of fun. I’ve always wanted to be an astronaut!”

Arnie and his family went to the MRI department.

They were able to get an MRI appointment for Arnie that same day.

While they waited for their name to be called, Arnie played with a pretend MRI machine.

Lilly said, “Hello, Arnie. How are you today?”

“Well, I’m a little scared,” replied Arnie.

Soon someone called Arnie’s name and he and his Mom met Lilly. She has a fancy title of MRI technologist. This means she is the person who runs the MRI machine.

His Mom had to fill out some forms, and then she had to empty her pockets and put her purse in a locker. The nurse said that the MRI machine is like a giant magnet. So just to be safe, all the stuff in your pockets has to be put away before you enter the room. That way, nothing can fly out of your pockets and get stuck to the magnet.

Lilly took Arnie and his Mom into another room.

She showed them the big MRI machine.

Arnie looked at it and thought it looked like a rocket ship, just like Dr. Dillo had told him.

Lilly said, “Well Arnie, it’s time to pretend youare an astronaut on a special mission.

I want you to climb up onto this bed and get ready to go into the tunnel.”

“Now remember to lie super-stilllike a statue while we are taking the pictures,” said Lilly.

Arnie climbed onto the bed. Lilly put his head in the special MRI helmet and gave him a set of ear plugs to wear.

He felt just like a real astronaut!

Lilly gave Arnie’s Mom earplugs to wear too because the noise would be loud for her too.

“OK,”said Arnie.

Arnie heard all sorts of strange and loud sounds.

Arnie was a little bit scared at first but soon he got used to the strange sounds and relaxed. The whole scan lasted for about an hour.

After it was finished, Lilly told Arnie,

“Okay, Arnie, you’re all done.”

“Was that a whole hour?” asked Arnie.Lilly answered, “Yes it was Arnie, and you were very good during your space mission. Well done!”

“I was still as a statue,” said Arnie.

Lilly told Arnie and his parents that his doctor wouldtalk with them in a few days after looking at the pictures. They set up another appointment to do this.

Arnie was told that he wasn’t allowed to run, jump or ride his bike for the next few weeks to give his head some time to heal.

Arnie’s Mom said,

“Well Arnie, it’s time to go home. You certainly were a very good astronaut.”Arnie said, “It was fun being an astronaut. And you know what? I’ve also learned that astronauts aren’t the only ones who need to wear a helmet. I always need to wear a helmet when I ride my bicycle. I should do this for other sports too like when I play football or ski.”

Arnie went home with his family to rest.

That night Arnie dreamed of being a real astronaut in a real rocket.