Write up

Hi,

I had my first Neuro appointment last week in am being sent for a scan to confirm MS and the consultant has written up her notes. Although most of the info on the letter was expected what has shocked me was the sentence “she has left side weakness including floppy left side of face”

Has anyone else ever had a consultant write this or similar? Myself any my family said they cannot see it so is there something particular she is looking for? Would you be shocked by this statement?

Thank you everyone.

Hi Sammy Lea,

I have got used to it that neuro’s letters sometimes often contain odd inaccuracies that may have been due to a misunderstanding or something. For example, one time I was reported as not being able to see colours, when the actual problem I’d tried to describe was seeing false colours where there aren’t any - i.e. in black and white text! Another time I was described as having pain in only one foot, when it is, and has always been, both feet (I think I made the mistake of touching a foot to indicate where the pain is, and from that, he concluded only the one foot was affected).

I don’t really get shocked by it any more - just a bit annoyed and frustrated.

Did you say anything relating to you face at all, that she might have misunderstood? I do not think there is any test for “floppy face”, so if neither you nor your family have noticed anything, and you didn’t discuss your face, I’m not sure quite what she could have seen that nobody else can. Do you have a slightly droopy or partially-closed eye, or is your smile crooked, for example? Indicating that the muscles on one side are weaker?

I don’t really know if it’s worth a complaint. Usually, I can’t be bothered. I just tell the GP, next time I see her, something like: “That bit about the foot wasn’t right - it’s both feet”, and she rolls her eyes and tuts a bit (not at me - that the neuro got it wrong), and makes a comment in the notes to record that I corrected it.

If it was anything that affected treatment decisions, I wouldn’t leave it unchallenged, obviously, but if it’s silly stuff like saying I can’t see colours when I’m seeing non-existent colours - but they don’t plan to do anything about it either way - I can’t really be bothered to get into correspondence about it.

Tina

x

Thank you. I know we are all human and mistakes are possible but I would hope they would get facts correct. I’m not looking to complain at all I just wondered if anyone else had a similar comment. I don’t think I have a crocked or droopy smile/face and family say they can’t see anything.

Never mind I guess I will have to deal with my uneven face lol. :slight_smile: