Im 33 years old and recently suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or 'mini stroke’and have subsequently been having lots of tests, I recently recieved the following letter from the hospital:
I now have the results of your MRI scan of the head thats was arrange by Dr … who saw you in the outpatient clinic recently. The MRI scan of the head has shown some abnormalities raising the possibility of Multiple Sclerosis. I have therefore reffered you to the Consultant Neurologist, who will hopefully review you in his outpatient clinic as soon as possible.
Apart from this letter being completely tactless it has put the fear of god into me.
Has anyone else experianced this? What will happen next? Any advice will be greatly recieved.
Unfortunately these letters are more common than they ought to be. I received my diagnosis of SPMS by letter, which actually contravines NICE guidelines.
A neurologist will examine you and based on the examination/your symptoms/the MRI scan will hopefully make a diagnosis.
If it is MS there is no certainty about the prognosis, many people go on to live perfectly normal lives with their MS. Treatments are also advancing all the time. Nobody can tell you what the future will hold whether you have MS or not.
Hi Katie, and welcome Sometimes I wonder what planet medics live on I suppose he thought, he was just keeping you updated, but he clearly didn’t think about how it might be to receive it! As Anne said, many people with MS live really quite normal lives that are far removed from the stories seen on the TV from time to time so, if it does turn out to be MS, it honestly isn’t the end of the world. But the letter does say “the possibility of MS”. From this I would guess that there must have been more than one lesion on your MRI, rather than the single one they were expecting, but this does not in itself mean that it is MS; it is just one possible cause of several, some of which are one off attacks that gradually improve and then never return. So if this is the first time that something like this has happened to you, it may well be the last. Hopefully the consultant will clear it all up when you see him/her. In the meantime, try to keep an open mind and not dwell too much on worst case scenarios. Many people I know with MS were diagnosed a long time ago and still have very good, active, happy lives. Let us know what happens? Karen x
I was sent for a spinal MRI after my osteopath wrote to my GP, I called the spinal unit about 5 times in weeks 3/4 after the MRI to try to find out the results and they were so evasive with me and kept making excuses that someone was looking into it… til the final call when they told me I’d been referred back to my GP - I was furious and beyond frustrated! I called my surgery and luckily the lady I spoke to was able to locate my MRI online even though she had not had anything from the spinal unit. My GP called me within the hour to say I was being referred to neurology I phoned my husband and cried like a baby.
Naturally, I was terrified and assumed it was bad - I can’t imagine how you must have felt getting a letter like that. I was actually quite relieved when I saw the neuro and he said ‘no, we don’t anticipate fing a brain tumour but your head MRI will probably be similar to that of your spine’. It was a weird relief when the neuro spoke to me.
Sorry, I’ve waffled but I can imagine how I’d have felt if I’d got a letter like that. I think it’s pretty appalling the way they communicate sometimes.
Thankyou, I have put a complaint in to the hospital in the hope that this does not happen to someone else.
Since this email I have visited my GP who appologised for the letter on behalf of the NHS and also gave me as much information as he was able to. He advised that there are a few lesions on my brain which is why the doctor has raised the possibility of MS. I now finally have an appointment for the 20th June with the Neurologist, fingers crossed.
Thankyou, I have put a complaint in to the hospital in the hope that this does not happen to someone else.
Since this email I have visited my GP who appologised for the letter on behalf of the NHS and also gave me as much information as he was able to. He advised that there are a few lesions on my brain which is why the doctor has raised the possibility of MS. I now finally have an appointment for the 20th June with the Neurologist, fingers crossed.
Sometimes I wonder what planet medics live on 
I suppose he thought, he was just keeping you updated, but he clearly didn’t think about how it might be to receive it! As Anne said, many people with MS live really quite normal lives that are far removed from the stories seen on the TV from time to time so, if it does turn out to be MS, it honestly isn’t the end of the world. But the letter does say “the possibility of MS”. From this I would guess that there must have been more than one lesion on your MRI, rather than the single one they were expecting, but this does not in itself mean that it is MS; it is just one possible cause of several, some of which are one off attacks that gradually improve and then never return. So if this is the first time that something like this has happened to you, it may well be the last. Hopefully the consultant will clear it all up when you see him/her. In the meantime, try to keep an open mind and not dwell too much on worst case scenarios. Many people I know with MS were diagnosed a long time ago and still have very good, active, happy lives. Let us know what happens? Karen x