I have my consultant appointment next week when I’m hoping to be diagnosed, will be pretty gutted if not. I already have my test results, 2 positive MRIs (brain and spine) and a positive lumbar puncture but whilst I feel sure I had my second attack in early March - I don’t know if my Consultant will agree as I didn’t see him although I did report my symptoms over the phone to my GP.
Anyone know if the Consultant would accept the symptoms as a second attack or would I need another MRI showing new and further lesions?
Hello I had a second relapse whilst waiting for MRI results and my neuro accepted that this was a relapse just by telling her in the appointment in January (had relapse in October), from the MRI alone she could confirm MS and as soon as I told her about the relapse she confirmed my MS diagnosis. I suppose it depends on your neuro.
Thank you. I do hope he does diagnose and really don’t know how some of you cope with 20 years of limboland! Whilst it will never be nice to have it confirmed that I have MS, I think I’ve pretty much accepted that it is and would just like to try to move forward x
I was of exactly the same opinion as you, that it would be nice to have it confirmed as MS and I thought I had pretty much accepted that it was, but I was still a crying wreck when I came out of the appointment. I think some of it was relief that I finally had a name for all those things wrong with me, but also upset because I now had a name for it - if that makes sense, I was secretly hoping it was still just a trapped nerve somewhere and that a bit of phsyio would sort me out. So expect the unexpected when/if you hear the words from the neuro that you do have MS, I thought I was as tough as old boots about it all and I certainly wasn’t. I still get a bit tearful about it now.
Tbh, it could go either way I would think. If it was clearly neurological, then I can’t see why they wouldn’t count it, but some neuros are sticklers and would want evidence on another MRI. The McDonald criteria do say that the patient’s self reported attacks should be taken into consideration though: “An attack (relapse; exacerbation) is defined as patient-reported or objectively observed events typical of an acute inflammatory demyelinating event in the CNS, current or historical, with duration of at least 24 hours, in the absence of fever or infection.” (Polman et al, 2011, p297)
Oh gosh, thank you Karen. Isn’t it funny that I have reached the stage I would actually like to be diagnosed with MS?
Rufus. I have already been through a spectrum of emotions and been in some dark places and this was only since I first had symptoms in January so I feel sure you’re right and that I may revisit some of those feelings soon. I think the worst part for me was reading about Jack Osbourne and reading the negative comments a lot of people had written under the newspaper article about people they knew that had suffered with MS in the worst possible ways!
I will of course update next week although I think I will be back beforehand for suggestions of what I need to ask/tell the neurologist before my appointment! x