My Full Body MRI Results at 71

My full body MRI results are back, and they came back fast. I had them in less than 24 hours. Several people told me to expect a long wait, so that surprised me.

This is probably the last post in my MRI series, at least until I do another scan years from now. Here is what it found.

How the Results Are Organized

The report sorts every finding into one of four categories:

Urgent: things that need attention right away
Check with your doctor: worth raising at your next visit
Watch: things to keep an eye on over time
Benign: nothing to worry about

Urgent: Nothing

This is the category everyone worries about, and I had nothing in it. No cancer. Nothing that needs attention right away.

Check With My Doctor: Two Findings

My spine. There is a little narrowing near my shoulders. The report calls it normal wear and tear and says it is nothing to worry about unless it is bothering me. It is not.

My rectal lining. The report noted what is probably some inflammation. I already get a colonoscopy every three or four years, and my next one is due next year, so I will get the details then. I am not worried about it.

Watch: Eight Findings, All Wear and Tear

Eight items landed in the watch category. The report says every one of them is normal wear and tear.

Benign: Everything Else

Everything else the scan looked at came back benign.

My Verdict at 71

All in all, I think I had a pretty good MRI. I know where I stand now, and I have nothing I need to worry about.

Two Reports Still to Come

Two more detailed reports are part of the package and are done separately: one on my kidneys and one on my liver. I do not know why they take longer, but they do. I should have them any day now. If there is something worth talking about, I will write it up. If not, this is the end of my MRI series.

Why I Am Sharing This

Most of what I see online about full body MRIs is negative. If you know someone who is thinking about getting one, share this with them. It might be nice for them to see one that went well.

If you missed the start of this series, here is why I am paying cash for a full body MRI at 71, why I am getting one with no symptoms, and what the scan itself was like.

Come Walk With Me

I post every day about longevity and health in my Facebook group. Come join us at garyleland.com/facebook, and tell me: would a result like this make you more likely to get a scan, or less?

Keep Going

Everything I take is on my protocols page. What I do to stay strong is on my fitness page, and every blood number I publish is on my test and stats page.

Live long and prosper,

Gary

A note from Gary: I am not a doctor, and I am definitely not your doctor. I am a 71-year-old running a 129-year experiment on myself and publishing the results as they come. Talk to your physician before changing anything about your own health, including whether a scan like this makes sense for you.