MRI scan

Everyday living
1

Conclusion.
Multiple white matter lesions. The distribution and morphology is consistent with the given diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

This is all I got from my last appointment with MS clinic - that’s it then…

2

So yeh, I guess that`s your diagnosis proved.

So where do you go from here?

Is it time to talk about DMDs with your neuro or what?

pollsx

3

Polls - I’m on tecfedria anyway - diagnosed over 15 years ago and was on copaxone but just felt there might have been more an insight into MRI as I’ve only ever had 2 in all these years - how does it compare to the previous one, all those years ago???

Thanks

Stephen x

4

Hi

I think wanting to know how they compare makes a lot of sense. For one thing it might indicate how effective the DMD has been.

After kicking up a bit of a fuss they finally got round to comparing my MRI from 2016 with the one from 2017. This told me that the number of white matter lesions had not increased which was kind of the first bit of good news for about 18 months. Though it sounds like there are quite a lot of these lesions in cortex and sub-cortex.

Im not sure why they didnt do this in your case. Apart from NHS being under funded and chaotic that is. Maybe will need to give them a bit of a kick up the arse.

Bob

5

The only reason they want to take annual MRIs is to compare in order to determine disease progression and thus, infer DMD efficacy*. You can have no better a test group, than the ever expanding, real world guinea pig population of the general public.

To this end, i do not resist my annual photo shoot. I trust my neuro has a quick look before passing them on to the drug company data hoarders and consequently i tell him i do not need to know the lesion count or overall quality, unless it is suggestive that i need to change my current behaviours.

I am optimistically presuming a wrong diagnosis of MS and consequently, ignorance remains blissful!

(*for tecfidera consumers, the annual MRI also helps to assure that no case of PML is developing. (i took a look at my MRI order form the last time…))

6

Thanks Bob - I did call my MS nurse but would really like a bit more feedback if possible…

Steve

7

Thanks Paolo - I’ve only ever had 2 MRI’s in 14 years and just wanted to se the state of play as such…

Steve