Hi again, Firstly, hope you’re not so sore today Poll Xxx.
As I said, I have a new consultant. He was mentioned to me by my GP when he first referred me to neurology last Feb but obviously I couldn’t pick and choose my own consultant . The consultant I was referred to was okay but is not an MS specialist and after my last consultation earlier this year left me with ‘I’ll see you in 9 months’. So, off to my GP for a referral to the consultant he had mentioned to me.
Within a month I had my appointment. I have now seen him along with my MS nurse and if I may start from the end…when I left his surgery I told him he was a breath of fresh air. He showed me my MRI scans (which I’ve never seen) and explained that he was not happy with either the quality or the way they had been taken. So, I am booked in for another MRI scan on my head and upper spine (only had head scanned last time) at the end of this month and have to have dye injected, as I’m needle phobic I’m stressing. I also have to have more blood tests so more needles, more stress. I know to some people injections are nothing but I hyperventilate so am taking diazepam before I go.
I am seeing my consultant a week later for my results……if he wasn’t on annual leave I would have seen him for the results the day of the scan!! I had to wait for 3 months the last time I had a scan.
To sum up, regardless of the outcome of the new tests I feel so much more looked after.
Regarding work, I’m doing okay, building back up to full time. Don’t know how long I can keep it up but for now its one day at a time. 45 redundancies at work and we find out who next week. I’m safe (for now) but so feel for the 120 people who were given ‘at risk’ letters.
Apologies again for not being around recently.
Much love
Oonagh
(these are all the smilies that were supposed to go in the body of the message LOL but everytime I used them it deleted my message)
Hi Oonagh, Your new neuro sounds really pro-active, as if he is determined to give you a really thorough picture of your MS! Glad he instills confidence in you. Glad your job is safe in the wave of redundancies at your firm. Try to pace yourself in order to keep it going - you’re doing well to carry on. Lovely to hear from you, Take care, Teresa xx
Thank you girls I feel very lucky to have been referred to him. He is also involved in research and trials so I may be asked to take part. It’s going to be an awful week at work as the redundancies are announced this week. All of my technicians got ‘at risk’ letters . I’m doing 9 - 4 this week so I’ll see how I go. Take care. Oonagh xxxx
Hi Oonagh, neuro sounds fantastic! One in a million.
Terrible about redundancies, but glad to hear your job is safe. My son works in NHS. Says loads of people’s jobs are ‘at risk’. Luckily his job is safe.
Good luck on the 9 - 4 hon. Lots of rest in the evenings & try not to ‘do it all’ (as we women are so inclined to do!).
So I’ve had my scan . I was in the scanner for over an hour!!! They scanned my head and spine then pulled me out, stuck a cannular (sp?) in and off I went back in for the same scans but this time with dye (I’m presuming they were injecting the dye as they were scanning. Luckily I’d taken trusty diazepam before I went and believe it or not I actually fell asleep a couple of times LOL! Poor Gary must have been so bored (there wasn’t much of a magazine choice). So, I see my consultant on Tuesday for the results of the scan and blood tests. A liitle bit worried as I only had my head scanned last time so don’t know whether there are lesions on my spine as well as my brain. Anyhoo, I’ll find out on Tuesday. Hope all is as well as can be with everyone and hope I’ll be able to do paragraphs at some point LOL! No matter how often I hit return my 'puter says no (I’m presuming the problem still hasn’t been fixed). Oonagh xxxx
Hi Oonagh, Good news that the MRI is done with and that the diazepam did the trick. Hope you didn’t snore whilst asleep in the scanner! Lol! Let us know what the results say on Tuesday! Teresa xx
God I hope I didn’t snore. If I did the technicians were so lovely they wouldn’t have told me LOL!
I have a phone appointment with my GP on the same day to discuss the last Vit D test I had…am hoping theya actually got a reading this time. Last time it was so low they couldn’t give a reading. I think my GP said the lowest they can read is 12 (don’t quote me on that)
LOL! I know, thats what I said (well I used another word Not particularly noticed any difference. My consultant asked for this blood test to be done so hopefully he’ll up my supplements if it is still low.
Hi lovelys, well I’ve seen my consultant for my results. He showed me all my scans before and after I had the dye injection. The scans were so much clearer than last time. I have no lesions on my spine and no new lesions since my scan a year ago, there was also no inflamation. My consultant is not sure if I have PPMS but does not want to put me on DMD’s at the moment. I see him again in 6 months but if any new symptoms appear he wants to see me straight away. So that’s the state of play. All my blood tests were clear (was tested for lupus and various other auto immune diseases). I’ve also had my vitamin D results 18.5 LOL! But at least they got a reading this time. Sooo I’ve just finished a 10 day course of 40,000iu a day. I am now taking 20,000iu a day and have a blood test booked in for the end of the month…watch this space. Hope everyone is okay? Haven’t been on the forum much recently. Much love to you all. Oonagh Xxx
Thank you Don, just don’t when messages appear or not recently. DMD’s are used for RRMS and I think my consultant talked about them because he’s not quite sure (because of my scans etc) whether I have progressive or not…could possibly be SPMS?? Who knows. I feel I have more energy taking the VIT D but until I get my next results it could just be the placebo effect LOL! So glad your machine is helping with the sleep apnea…it must be exhausting. Thanks for the well done with needles btw, I know they are only tiny wee things but what can I say, I’m a wuss Its not even the pain its just the thoughts of a needle in me. Well I’m off back home to Newcastle to visit my family tomorrow… 4 days of fun! Can’t wait. Stay well lovelies and have a great Bank Holiday. Much love Oonagh Xxx
Gosh what a low vit D reading Oonagh - hope the high doses make you feel a bit better. I guess it’s a waiting game to see what type of MS they diagnose. Hope you feel as well as can be in the meantime. Have a lovely long weekend in Newcastle. I hope you have a great time with your family! Teresa xx
Not particularly noticed any difference. My consultant asked for this blood test to be done so hopefully he’ll up my supplements if it is still low.