I had my MRI on 8th November. I was told results would be 2 weeks so when I hadn’t heard I called the neurology secretary. Results are in and they have been reviewed by a radiologist. But my neuro hasn’t seen them yet and as he’s only at the hospital once a month (!!!) he won’t review them until 18th December now. Presumably if he wants to see me it’ll then be middle of January at the earliest. I’m shocked that he is only available one day a month. And I know this whole process can take months but at this rate it’s going to take forever surely.
And in the last week my balance has gone to pot, I feel drunk most of the time and am exhausted just trying to remain upright. I guess there’s no point bothering my GP until the neuro has commented on the scan results.
Im struggling to see an end in sight at the moment.
Not that I agree with this method; should be no reason but quite understandable you want answers; go private. No referral necessary; ask on here for a recommendation of a good Neuro in your area; cost about £300 but all drugs; tests; hospitalisation if necessary have on the NHS; this is perfectly legal.
You can then be seen next week and although it is starting the ball rolling again it is surprising that when you pay readies how much more you get
That is not good, is it? I would be hopping mad in your shoes. A week waiting for scan results feels like a month at the best of times!
If you were at the start of this process and had not had a scan yet, I would agree with George that, if finances allowed, an initial private referral might be a good investment. It is often the case that your local NHS Consultant Neurologist sees patients privately as well, and an initial private referral if funds permit can hurry things along. But given that you are already in the NHS neurology system and have had your NHS scan, my instinct would be to sit and wait for that to play itself out - I know it’s frustrating (to put it mildly) but things can get in a muddle when set running on parallel tracks. You know already what sort of a muddle they can get in even when life is kept simple! But that’s only my gut instinct and might be completely wrong, of course.
What I do think you should do is go to see your GP: firstly to report your latest symptoms and also to seek his/her advice on whether there is anything to be done to speed things along.
I echo about seeing GP as I got my MRI results from mine before I saw the neuro as they can log in to the system. It isn’t diagnostic but it might help and then your GP could chase the neuro for you.
Thank you George unfortunately right before Christmas I don’t have the spare funds for private. Ironically I googled my consultant and he actually works out of a private hospital up in London normally and apparently only ventures down here once a month.
I think I will go and see my GP thank you, although whilst still waiting I feel like I’m wasting her time if there’s not a lot she can do other than record a new symptom but I guess each new symptom helps to build a picture to help with diagnosis.
smurf it’s interesting your GP was able to give your results. Can I ask just how much information they were able to give you and did that information help at that point?
All she did was log in and let me read what it said. Initially, it was reported as non specific white matter changes which I thought was reassuring as did the GP. However, the neurologist wasn’t as reassuring as she said there were 3 areas she pointed out to us and one was in an area where ms is typically found. She did say that she couldn’t say they definitely were lesions though. My follow up MRI result was also available at my GPs - report just said unchanged more or less.
Thank you smurf. I think I’ll definitely go, I have a day off on Thursday so hopefully my GP will be available and I can get in and see her. This whole thing makes me realise what an impatient person I am lol
Hi Deb, it’s definitely worth an ask but GPS can’t diagnose MS and might give false reassurance as mine did. I’d still rather have results though if it were me.
I’ve seen my GP today and she was rather surprised that they would make we wait for a consultant who is only the once a month so she’s contacting them tomorrow to request my results and that it’s placed with another dr so there won’t be such long delays.
She did however say that she agrees it all seems to fit with MS, including the family history, but obviously won’t know anything for sure yet. Just her saying that leaves me feeling rather depressed. Me thinking it is one thing but to hear she’s thinking it too isn’t so good.
Well apparently my gp received my results today and is going to call me Friday. Seems strange to be done over the phone I think. My poor little brain is now imagining any number of possible scenarios and outcomes. The one thing I don’t want to hear is that it’s inconclusive and nothing can be done ‘whatever’ this is :-/
So I’ve just spoken to my gp and she’s has received preliminary results, but not the full report from my neurologist.
I have a minimal disc bulge at C5 C6. Not unusual for my age apparently (46) and she said it didn’t explain all my symptoms so there will be further investigations to come, I have to wait for another appointment to arrive. The MRI was only of the cervical spine and no lesions were apparent which is good I guess but I’m not really any wiser at the point.
MRI results depends firstly on what type of MRI you have had. When there was first concern in my case of MS, spine MRIs showed some lesions on my spinal cord which were unexplainable. Only when they did a contrasting MRI (that is MRI first followed by another with dye put into your blood) which shows contrasting changes in your scan were they able to conclusively diagnose RRMS. These contrasting MRIs are also used in management of your condition as they show any progression since since new lesions apparently appear brighter than those previously there.
Did you also have a brain MRI since they need to deduce if there are any lesions there as well?
Not an expert by any means, but as it took my neuro and GP about 6 months, and numerous MRI scans later, the diagnosis of MS is not easy.
Hi I only had a cervical spine MRI, no brain, no contrast. My gp isn’t sure exactly what will happen next but said I’ll be receiving another appointment soon but whether that’s for another scan or neuro appointment I have no idea!
So this goes from bad to worse. Just spoken to neurology to find out what’s happening and other than a different consultant sending my scan images to my GP before Christmas nothing has been done. My consultant hasn’t even looked at the my scan and they don’t know when he’s next going to be in!!! I’ve told them I want it all permanently passed to a different consultant and if I haven’t heard anything within a week I’m making a formal complaint to PALS. I don’t know if the secretary has the authority to change my consultant but this is ridiculous now and I just don’t know where to turn.
Well after getting a little upset on the phone earlier it seems to have had an effect! I received a text message at 6.15 this evening informing me I have an appointment on 21st January