Hi all, I have been suffering from symptoms such as tingling all over my body, weakness and difficulty concentrating at work.
I have previously suffered from the same symptoms once 26 years ago and again 20 years ago, but it seemed to mostly clear up so never followed it up with my GP.
This time the symptoms are worse and have been lasting longer so I have seen my GP a couple of times and now have been referred to what is called a ‘Neuro telephone assessment clinic’.
Has anybody else been through one of these as I am unsure of what it entails. How would I prepare for something like this that is just done over the phone.
Wow over the phone assement that is definitely news to me, i don’t know how they can complete a. Physical exam via. Call Hope it. Goes. Well and please update the site of. Your findings
Having re-read the documentation regarding the appointment I think it means that I am not involved in the triage at all, and just wait to find out what happens next.
Does anyone agree? what are your opinions?
Here the relevant text:
‘Information: THIS IS TRAGE APPOINTMENT ONLY PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND OR WAIT IN FOR A CALL.
After triage patients will be appointed in the correct clinic here at Salford Royal. Patient will be notified of the appointment via telephone and post. Any redirection will be sent onward from us into a more clinically appropriate service, if we are unable to reach you by phone a letter containing this information will be sent to you by post.’
Hi Toby You are correct, this is for triage purposes. A consultant will review your referral letter and triage to hopefully the appropriate specialist clinic. A triage phone appointment is usually made so if they ever needed to request an investigation prior to the clinic appointment they are able to as there is an ‘appointment’ on their system. You should receive a clinic appointment after this ‘telephone triage’ appointment date. At least I think that is how it will work. Regards
Hi Toby Same thing happened to me with Salford Royal. I rang outpatients dept a couple of weeks after receiving this letter and appt had been made for clinic. Letter was on way confirming this. My care with Salford has been first class, now seeing MS specialist and have been assigned an MS nurse. Good luck Mel
I was referred to neurology at Salford by my GP this week. They didn’t specifically mention MS, but google suggests that is at least something to be eliminated. They rang a day later to give me an appointment within a week.
Im under Salford Royal too, its supposed to be a fantastic Hospital. Im currently undiagnosed but had a MRI in December for what my doc thought was something else, sadly it wasnt. I had my first appointment within a week too, which is amazing but seen a Neuro Surgeon? I think we both wondered why but have my 2nd appointment tomorrow to see a Neurologist.
Good Luck everyone, I hope it goes well for us all.
Can only speak of my own experience. Started seeing a general neurologist at Salford in May last year and have been for all sorts of tests. I now see an MS specialist and have been assigned an MS nurse. Highly likely to receive MS diagnosis at next visit in early April. Not a place I want to be but feel extremely lucky to be looked after by the amazing team at Salford. The whole set up and care I have received is top notch.
One of my many appts was with a neuro surgeon, he told me that the MRIs are so good now that they are picking up lots of incidental findings. I apparently have a defect in my brain, nothing to do with MS, it is something which I was probably born with - nothing to worry about! He too wondered why I was there as it could of been dealt with between departments. Just passing this info on and my experience.
good luck to all you fellow Salford patients, and of course any one else reading these comments.
Thank you so much Alberito, your post has made me feel a little more at ease as the Neuro Surgeons report came back with Incidental hyperintense cord signal at C2 for Neurological evaluation. My Doctor has scared me senseless and MS was mentioned, however she has referred me and I was very fortunate to have the MRI at the Manchester Institute for Health & Performance and I believe it is a stronger MRI scanner, so Im hoping it has picked up something that infact is nothing to worry about.
As my name on here suggests I am very scared! as I expect we all are, fear of the unknown and all that.
I have nothing but praise for my experience so far and feel extremely lucky to have been seen so quickly as the waiting game is horrid.
Really hope everything works out for you, take care x
I don’t really know how to answer this? If you’re asking what happens at a neurologist appointment I can help.
My doctor called me to his room watching me walk to his room, no problem there, next he asked me lots of questions about my health what problems I have had? How many times that I have been in hospital, he then did physical tests with me push against my hand, leg, arm, touch your finger against your nose do it with your eyes closed. Me totally puzzled why I am here and don’t know what’s going on.
Roll on a month and I get a letter from the consultant saying that I have 4th muscle palsy in my left eye( why I am seeing double) then legions in white matter owing to demyelinating disease or like I think.
The letter said that what they are going to do a lumber puncture, he said would you have a lumber puncture, blood test and second MRI. He did mention about MS three times and asked me if I knew why I was there??? I didn’t know. So now I have had my LP, waiting for the MRI and I have an appointment with the neurologist in April
Now I am in limboland waiting for the neurologist to tell me what’s happening. There was one thing it was after I got the letter that I looked up on dr Google, it was reading the symptoms from the demyelinating disease and that it was MS that was the most common the others didn’t match or it was for only boys that had this or that. If I had known I would have been able to tell him about the problems that I have had, like shakes pain in the hip getting up off the floor feeling very wobbly going up stairs without holding the banister spilling things.
I hope that has helped, I do know that MS has many different symptoms for many different people. Which is why it’s difficult to diagnose.
I to was very scared and wondering about the unknown. My MS nurse has been fabulous in helping me come to terms with my diagnosis. All tests I have had are leading me to an MS diagnosis in April, I am slowly getting my head around it all, it is such a lot to take in.
Keep asking questions and take it one step, one test and one day at a time. I am in no way an expert just happy to share my experiences. I have had some great advice here which has really helped me. People around me try to say the right things and the things they think will make me feel better but in all honesty they haven’t a clue how I feel. And I totally agree the waiting is the hardest.