Clear MRI's,

[ELT]

  Hi, I went to my neuro appt. last week, first one since over a year ago.  He looked me over, was going to offer me some lyrica samples, but then I asked for test repeats.  He told me he would repeat the evoked potentials, and if it showed any clear deficits he would repeat an mri.  I told him I wanted another mri, top to bottom, so to speak, with contrast.
  
   He looked back and decided since it has been over a year, he'll go ahead and repeat the mri.  Didn't say anything about using dye.  Or say how much of me he'd look at with the mri.  I don't know why I pressed for it, if he wasn't planning on it, but, I did.  Now I'm sitting here stewing about it, thinking, yeah, now what, another clear mri ahead, and another ep within normal realms, I'm sure.  

  Sigh.  I just want to know whats going on, and how to help myself recover more of myself.  Should I have pressed for the mri when there, again, is nothing obvious for neuro to see.  I was a whole pile worse off last time we did the mri and nothing.  Have I just made myself look more like a nutjob?  Demanding more of the same tests?

  Erica

[Momzilla]

I think you done good!

I have the hardest time asking for what I want or need from doctors in particular, but generally from everyone.  Good for you!  After a year, it's perfectly reasonable to request these tests if you are still having symptoms, or haven't found the cause of previous ones.  In fact, it's probably past due.  (Some docs test every 3-6 months)

If nothing shows up, wonderful!  You won't have that angst hanging over your head.  If you catch something new, great.  You'll have caught it early.  

This is not your last chance at an MRI or other tests.  If nothing shows up, you will have other chances to check on your brain, spine, and responses to evoked potentials.  Just insist on it, like you know how to do so well.

Go girl!

Zilla*

[shoshin]

I understand where you're coming from, but it sounds like you did the right thing. It's better to know than to not know. I once pressed the neuro I was seeing (before I was dx'd) if there wasn't anything else he could try and he offered me another MRI in a backhanded sort of way while implying that it would be a waste of time. I thought, oh yeah, that was an expensive waste of time the first time round and let him talk me out of it. Now I think probably I shouldn't have done that.

I understand the fear of finding nothing and feeling like you've wasted time and money. But no matter what you will know more than you know now and I think there is also a certain peace of mind to knowing that you've tried everything that you can think of. Otherwise, you're left with those nagging doubts.

shoshin