Hi all.
I had an MRI over a month and a half ago now.
I originally had an appointment for October with a neurologist but now it has been put back to the 30th of November.
I have heard nothing what so ever…my doctor has called the neurology department only to be told the report has not been done by the consultant.
These delays are not good for the patient, mentally. Unfortunately it seems to be the norm with the NHS right now - too few neurologists, too many patients and of course covid also increasing delays. Good that your GP is willing to push for you though. Sometimes ringing the neurologist’s secretary to ask if they have any cancellations can prove fruitful.
If it is MS, then a few months delay in diagnosis isn’t going to make any real difference to the course it takes, which is why, I think, neurologists don’t see any real urgency. Just hang on there, and try to live your normal life as best you can whilst you wait. It can be hard if your work is impacted and employer’s start to get impatient.
Yeah this is the thing i have been off ill from work for many many months now.
I’ve been hospitalised on numerous occasions.
I do wonder my MRI wanted me to have dye…but due to being needle phobic i declined.
Is that going to have any affect on the results?
every neurologist has to share a typist/secretary, some of them have so many to type for i am surprised they dont have nervous breakdowns.
the trouble is they DICTATE all their notes, being an audio typist is rarer then winning the lottery. I was told this as as FACT back in 2007 by my neurolgoists secretary and I saw him privately so it has little to do with covid or now, its always been the same. The problem is there are so many people sick with problems that need neurology it isnt just about MS. My friends husband for example collapsed last week and he was taken to hospital. He saw a neurolgoist who was on call. That neurologist then had more case load. Sadly they have found a massive tumor in my friends husbands brain. This report then will go into the typing pool.
If you have only been pushed back a month its nothing. back in 2007 we had to wait a year to get to see the neurologist lol. Never mind get a letter.
It is and has always been a waiting game sadly. I used to be an audio typist lol out of classroom of 40 i was the only one who took the exam.
not being very helpful am I but i had to wait and wait, even my last test took 4 months to get my letter and the letter had the dictation date which was the day i had the test.
xxxx
If it helps mine was changed from 12 july 2021 to 29 april 2022. we are all suffering the same issue
No, not having the contrast isn’t going to make any real difference to the results. If you have lesions they will show up anyway. The contrast would highlight any very new lesions, i.e. those that have developed in the last 2-4 weeks. It can be helpful distinguishing between new and older lesions, and hence being able to say whether there has been more than one occurrence of a lesion forming event.
Quite a lot of neurologists and radiologists try to avoid using contrast these days, anyway, as the chemical they use doesn’t get completely removed from the body, so, erring on the side of caution, better not to use if not really needed. My neurologist asked for MRI with contrast, the radiologist did not use contrast, and I asked him about that and he said the MRI was clear enough without needing it.
Oh phew!
Thank you all so much for your comments and suggestions.
I guess it’s just a waiting game!
The radiographers said to me when I left “We have good photos for a clear diagnosis” and that’s played on my mind quite a bit! But i suppose it’s just waiting.
I spoke to my MS nurse and she is going to get me a copy of the report from my last MRI. It might help you to do the same. MS nurses have been a huge help to me since i was diagnosed.