Hi July last year l noticed first symptoms , when walking my legs felt weak and l felt off balance, l told my doctor and he did an xray of my knees which showed very minor early stage arthritis he said almost normal for someone my age in my 50’s . Over the next 6 months my walking and balance got worse and worse and l went back 7 times telling him this and that l could hardly walk at all, but he kept saying in was just a bit of arthritis . in january l collapsed and went to hospital and diagnosed with RRMS, over 20 lesions in brain and spine. Over the 6 months l saw my my doctor there was lots of damage and disability being done to my brain and spine which could have been avoided if l was diagnosed much earlier, l think a competent doctor would have referred me to a neurolgist or told me to get a MRI of my spine when l told him l could hardly walk at all. Was my doctor negligent or are these situations quite common with delayed MS diagnosis
It’s a difficult one to answer, in some ways yes a quicker response could have stopped further degeneration however, it also sounds like you progressed quite rapidly over those months.
MS is not always the cause of very similar symptoms in many people, so I think the genuine cases have a bit of a battle to get recognized and to get the diagnostic tests they need in a timely fashion like in your case.
My GPs in our authority cant order MRIs as this is something only consultants can arrange. Therefore I had to spend time working through the Orthopedic appointments and that long route and only when the ruled things out from their end, they recommended for me to see a neurologist of which there was a very lengthy waiting list.
I did however at this point go private as the damage particularly to my leg and foot was worsening and it had been several months of this.
I often wonder if it had been diagnosed earlier and I had been given steroids if the outcome might have been less damaging.
Focus on what help you can get now, hopefully you have been offered or already started a good DMT, request access to a Neuro Physio.
I’m no medic but I thought arthritis had fairly easily diagnosed symptoms and it affects the joints ( typically with some pain and tenderness)? Did you report joint pain?
THere no pain in left knee , but pain and numbness in right knee, but x rays in both knees said " Mild early stage arthritis" and my doctor said it was so minor it was normal for someone in their 50’s . l also told my doctor l had alot of problems with balance, the pain was probably MS pain not arthriritis