[eddie001]

Hi,

This morning was N-Day and I saw the neurologist. He was quite fierce and argumentative but I liked him anyway. He was just very thorough. Sometimes I would fight back and we would both laugh.

He said I need to have an MRI and filled out all the papers for me. MS was mentioned (which is a direction I agree with more and more, the more I learn). When I told him I could show him more things and explained what they were, he said he had enough to go on and it wouldn't make any difference.

Still a road ahead, but at least I am now on the road. Thanks to those of you who encouraged me to see a neurologist. Very grateful.

Edward

 

[KarolH]

Hi Eddie,

I did think this may be MS but then again I am just a lay man with a opinion. I am glad your appointment went well and the fact that this MRI is ordered is a giant step in the right direction.

I hope he ordered it with dye and without, do you know? Also, is he doing the Brain, C Spine, T Spine and Lumbar Spine? One can only hope.

Keep us posted and let us know when you get the date for the MRI.

I think this may yield a lot of answers for you.

Hold your head high my friend.:wink2:

 

[pollianna]

Great news Eddie that your getting somewhere. Hope it continues this way whatever the diagnosis it's better to get appropriate treatment

 

[Katharine]

Glad to hear you're on the right path. Do make sure you keep going back to see him this time though :lol:

Good luck,
Katharine

 

[eddie001]

Thanks Pollianna and Karol and Katharine,

Hi Eddie,
I hope he ordered it with dye and without, do you know?

I can't read much of his writing, but I can't see anything about dye. His writing is atrocious.

If dye is better, why do they ever bother not having it? Is there any good reason for leaving out the dye?

Also, is he doing the Brain, C Spine, T Spine and Lumbar Spine? One can only hope.

It says brain and C.Spine.

Keep us posted and let us know when you get the date for the MRI.

Will do. I have to go back to the hospital on Friday to book the MRI and then I'll have a date. The hospital is only a mile away.

I think this may yield a lot of answers for you.

I hope so!!

Hold your head high my friend.:wink2:

Thanks so much. You too.

 

[eddie001]

Great news Eddie that your getting somewhere. Hope it continues this way whatever the diagnosis it's better to get appropriate treatment

Definitely. If something happens when I'm working or involved with a big job, then at least treatment will be immediate without having to go through long hoops and hurdles to find out why. I'm lucky that this has only ever caused catastrophic disruption once, but I wouldn't want it to happen again.

Thanks Pollianna.

 

[eddie001]

Glad to hear you're on the right path. Do make sure you keep going back to see him this time though :lol:

Good luck,
Katharine

Thanks Katharine. Even though the process horrifies me more than the illness, I'll stick with it this time.

 

[elle-co]

Hi eddie,
It sounds like you are in good hands. I hope you get some definate answers soon.

Take care
Elle x

 

[eddie001]

Hi eddie,
It sounds like you are in good hands. I hope you get some definate answers soon.

Take care
Elle x

I do feel I'm in good hands. Here's a funny moment from the consultation I thought I would share...

Above, I mentioned that he was quite fierce and argumentative, but he didn't at all mind me being the same to him. In fact, he seemed to like it. When I told him that I was having electrical shocks in my brain, he told me that I wasn't, because the brain has no capacity to feel anything. It must be in my scalp.

I told him I didn't care what was possible or impossible. My brain, not my scalp, was having electric shocks. If that was impossible, then he should look for reasons to explain what I felt. If not, then he was on the wrong track and would not be doing himself any favours.

He smiled a wicked smile. He asked me to point at the location in my head where I felt the shocks. It transpired that the place I pointed to was just below my brain but was still technically in my head. He seemed satisfied.

For him, I also took along my desktop-published info pack with timeline charts, photos, family history, symptom list etc. It's like a small magazine. Like the others, he said it was very good and asked to keep it.

Anyhow, thanks Elle. Cool name by the way.

 

[KarolH]

Hi Again Eddie,

I love how you address everyone individually. It takes time but that is great.

OK, one reason NOT to use dye is sometimes if the individual has kidney disease then they may decide not to use dye as it can futher injure the kidneys. Second reason...........it is cheaper and may yield answers but remember, my MRI without dye is normal, with dye I light up like a Christmas tree. Using dye provides better pictures and more abnormalities.

So glad you can schedule soon and the place is very close to your home.

Guess there are advantages to living on a tini tiny island huh...:wink2::wink2:

 

[pollianna]

Was just wondering eddie, what actually happened when you saw the rheumatologist? what was his/her opinion of what was going on? did they do bloods or any other exams?

 

[eddie001]

Was just wondering eddie, what actually happened when you saw the rheumatologist? what was his/her opinion of what was going on? did they do bloods or any other exams?

The rheumatologist didn't think I had Lupus. In my opinion he was correct but for the wrong reasons. For example, I didn't 'look' like I had Lupus. Nevertheless, he ordered Lupus blood tests but told me to wait a month before having them.

On the other hand, he was quite taken with my neurological symptoms but only in conversation. He didn't examine anything except for my lungs and my eyes. Unknown to me at the time, when he was listening to my lungs I already had a lung infection in progress. My GP diagnosed it a few days later, prescribed antibiotics, and it has now gone.

He did give the impression he was onto something, but not Lupus. He didn't tell me what he thought he was onto.

 

[eddie001]

Hi Again Eddie,
I love how you address everyone individually. It takes time but that is great.

I don't mean to be high bandwidth, but it just feels rude not to reply to people who took the trouble to say something.

Hi Again Eddie,
OK, one reason NOT to use dye is sometimes if the individual has kidney disease then they may decide not to use dye as it can futher injure the kidneys. Second reason...........it is cheaper and may yield answers but remember, my MRI without dye is normal, with dye I light up like a Christmas tree. Using dye provides better pictures and more abnormalities.

Thanks for that. I did some research and found the following.

A Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted scan reveals only new lesions
These are areas where the disease is currently active.
http://www.mslifelines.com/understanding-ms/diagnosis-and-ms.jsp

Obviously it's better to have both types, but given a choice between having dyed or undyed, I would go for undyed at the moment. Everything I've read says that Gadolinium only shows new lesions. I've had this stuff for twelve years. By the time I get to have my scan (which could be weeks), any new lesions might have disappeared. There seems to me to be a much greater chance of finding old lesions than risk new temporary lesions disappearing.

Hi Again Eddie,
So glad you can schedule soon and the place is very close to your home.

Not that soon. A few weeks. I only get to book the scan on Friday.

Hi Again Eddie,
Guess there are advantages to living on a tini tiny island huh...:wink2::wink2:

It's pretty cool here.

 

[Lily]

Hi Eddie

That's great news that this Neuro is taking things seriously, listening to you and ordering the MRI. I laughed out loud how you çhallenged him :lol: go Eddie! Neuro's are notorious for giving no fuss, quite serious stick to the facts consults. They like to be mysterious, poker faced and lacking in sense of humour. HOWEVER, deep down inside some of them is a normal person just waiting to get out :rotfl:and yes they do appreciate a challenge and a bit of spunk in a patient :yes: OK I am generalising but I've seen a few so that's just my observation.

An MRI with dye will 'light up' active lesions but will still show old lesions. The advantage of MRI with dye (aka MRA) is that it gives a very clear view of blood vessels in the brain..............something one without dye does not. This is all important when trying to diagnose anything that involves the vascular system, i.e. CNSV, aneurysms etc. etc. I'll use my own case for example: without dye I have multiple lesions, full stop. With dye they could see active vasculitis and they could also compare an older MRA with it and see that my right posterier artery had been obliterated by the disease when it had clearly been ok before.

I would enquire about having the dye with him prior to the test. The only reasons not to have it would be severe kidney disease or an allergy to the dye (even in that case they use much kinder dyes these days anyway). The other reasons for not having it are not your problem :wink2: but theirs. No. 1 - the dye is quite expensive. No. 2 they (at least in my country) have to have a doctor present in case something does go wrong after it's administered. That's where they balk, it's more troublesome, costly and time consuming for them but it gives you (and them) more accurate info so could save money and time in the long run.

love
Lily

 

[onetay]

eddie,
That is great news. And having a disagreement with your doctor does not make him or her a bad doctor doing nothing is what makes them a bad doctor. It does sound like he is trying to start ruling things out as best as he can. I am glad that you did make an appointment with a neuro. I hope you have an answer soon, hang in there.