MRI

[cjacks]

I need some help. I had my MRI today /  with&without..    I went immediately to my friends house and looked at the CD that I was given . My friend and her cousin(both veteran nurses) were there .  
the first couple of slides we couldn't tell much , although I 'think' there were many bright areas. Then came one that I probably shouldn't have seen , My right hemisphere is remarkably smaller than left .. there was a pause in the room no one said anything except me '  OMG"  , I did not look at any more. They made small talk and dispersed .

I am at home and in shock .. I am probably absolutely wrong about this but ???????  The radiology techs were suppose to follow a certain protocol , they ended up doing double the amount. I was suspicious then ..    Oh my ,  what to do.??   I don't want to say to much or speculate for fear of appearing to be overdoing on the dramatic side .

Someone here professionally works in the field .
are MRIs pretty straight forward ( least one side verses the other in size ) . Could you give plain opinion?

thanks for the input

Jo

[cjacks]

Hi

I saw pcp yesterday , got MRI results (posted it last night ). Radiologist says I have scattered foci. Said possible chronic microangiopathic changes , could not r/o demyelinating disease,  clinical correlation advised .  So I have to wait two wks. for neuro.

New blood work  , I have a yeast something or other ( not candida) , will need to take herbal antibiotic and digestive enzymes .  Tests indicated I am not absorbing vitamins or minerals . Borderline gluten intolerant , no wheat products , that's going to be a hard one .

I forgot the chocolate cake , I need post-it reminders for everything!!!!!  (even cake ????? )

Needananswer  Your and Quix are right of course. , what I saw was probably a normal asymmetry.
One side smaller than the other . Big lesson!!!  

Citygirl  So glad to hear your results look good.  A few calm weeks would be super. Bundle up , stay warm and safe .

Cheryl,   Have you seen your neuro to go over the mri and report yet? Hang in there . Don't freak ,relax ( this is coming from the person who started this' freaking' thread )  I can't believe I'm giving advise.  We learn from our mistakes.  I  would like to offer you and anyone else an hear if you need one     Good luck to you !  

Best wishes to all       Jo

[needanswers54]

Hi!  

I can certainly understand your anxiety.  I just wanted to let you know that my brain MRI shows some slices where it appears the lower back of one side of my brain developmentally herniated out or something.  But, it is considered entirely normal.  It makes one side appear two or more times bigger than the other.  But, upon further examination I realized that my brain and skull is also somewhat turned or lopsided.  Hmmm, I guess that explaines a whole lot about my personality--Ha!Ha!

When I examined the films further I realized that is why one side is appearing so very much larger than the other.  Now, I am not down-grading what your films are showing...I am just trying to ease your anxiety because as Quix said there can be remarkable assymetry since birth.  Mine has shown on several films now with little or no apparent change so I figure it must be a birth anomaly.  Oh, heck, I enjoy being unique, anyways....

Also, in one of Quix's posts, if I recall correctly [sorry Quix if I am incorrect] she notes how some areas can appear hyperintense but as you scroll through the pictures you can see that they are not actually lesions.

I would just try to find something else to concentrate on until you get the explanation from you physician.  In the meantime, will that chocolate cake have lots and lots and lots of gooey chocolate icing?.....MMmmmmMMmmmm......

We are rooting for you!

[motorcitygirl]

Hi Cheryl,

I am from the detroit area, born and raised in MI.   Sorry to hear of your dx.  This site definitely has some very helpful and caring people.

I am happy to say the white spots I saw must be normal because I rec'd the report  from the neuro today and it said normal findings.  I am hoping things calm down with me now.  Definitely a lessson to not try to read the MRIs and leave it to the professionals.  I caused myself two days of unneccessary grief.   So glad there is no significant atrophy Jo.  Hope your wait for the neuro appointment goes quickly.

Best Wishes to All.

Alison

[cjacks]

Thanks for all the good wishes. I would never advise any one to try to read their own report and interpret the mris.  But that is me , very inquisitive, can' not be patient so I scared myself and put it out here a bit too soon, sorry. (Human nature) with the help of all our technology now.

Citygirl , you're right, the white spots are hard to judge , it depends on size, shape , brightness and location as to whether they are a problem . Why do they give us the cd s? I for one am glad I got mine , but have not enough information to correctly assess it. Thanks for your post. :) Let me know how what you find out today .  Good Luck .  

I see my pcp this afternoon , hope he received the report.

Ess  I don't see the neuro for TWO weeks ,   waayyy too long for me to wait. I would have finagled an answer somehow , someway.  I'll keep you all informed . Thanks  You are a sweet woman.

Jo

[cherby]

Hey there
I to have just began the dx quest... my mri came back stating numerous lesions . Im freaked out however, this is the right place to come to for anything and everything! These are some great people!

I noticed yourname and are you fr the detroit area?? I just moved from home (macomb twp) due to my husbands job w/Ford motor co.

Welocme and keep us posted!
Cheryl

[gooddays]

Hi guys,

Sometimes we do so much reading and think that we are subject matter experts when it comes to MS. and guess what?  We are not, even if we all we were doctors, we will always encounter anxiety, denial, feelings of loss, the worst of the worst is happening to us and if you add a cd of your MRI without the results and try to understand what is going on without being trained on how to read the cd, all these feeling go straight to the moon.  Some of us have been on that road.  

We have to let our good neuros and radiologist do their job in due time in order to have a clear picture of what is it that ails us.  This is easier than done, I know.  I have been dealing with MS for the past 14 years because that's when I finally had a name to what may be causing all my symptoms.   After I found out the name to ailment, I became the best researcher in the medical community, even though I am not a doctor and I do not even have a job in the medical field, but I had to understand what was going on.

Needless to say, I read all of my test and started to panick because I did not know how to determine when one type of MS went into another, I would pictured myself bed ridden in the next 3 to 6 months.  I am not bed ridden or in a wheelchair, but I wear an eye patch an my left eye for the next 6 months to a year and was just fitted with leg braces on both my legs, which my doctor indicated to me that the braces and my cane would be my lifetime companions, and I am still working full time.

What I am trying to say is, do not panick, MS is a hard dx, but is not the end of the world, it does not kill you and best of all we have MS, but MS does not have us!!!!!!

Good luck in your appointment tomorrow and keep us posted.

A big( (HUG)), Zulma

[motorcitygirl]

Sorry to  hear you are so worried.  I did the same exact thing just tonight, I had an MRI of the brain done yesterday and looked at the disk tonight, even though I told myself I wouldn't.  I see some white 'spots' but I don't know what they are.  I am trying not to be anxious myself as they could be normal.  Try not to worry and wait for the specialists to read the films as they are the ones most qualified.  I think my neurologist gets the report tomorrow so I am going to call in.

I'll say a prayer for both of us tonight.

[essdipity]

I know you're really scared at this point and I don't blame you. It's good that your anxiety has died down. At least you get to see your doc tomorrow, instead of having to wait and wait, so do your best to keep things together overnight.

Please do let us hear about all developments, and know that we're pulling for you from every corner of the world. That's a lot of pull!

ess

[cjacks]

Thank you for the cyber hug.

I called the imaging center and they will send the report to my pcp , I see him tomorrow. They would not give it to me.

My anxiety was high last night but has calmed down now . I figure IF what I was seeing was right I'm doing a fantastic job in the compensation department.. Tomorrow  I will pick up a large piece of chocolate cake on my way to pcp office , just in case .. :)

Jo

[sllowe]

Hey Jo,

How's your anxiousness? You call the facility yet to see if the report is complete? Maybe it will be ready by tomorrow.

Hang in there!

SL

[vizslagal]

Quix was giving you a cyber ((HUG)).  Now you have two. :)

[Quixotic1]

I don't know, wasn't thinking, lol  Yes, a ((HUG))!

[cjacks]

Thank you for your help. Yes, you're right , it would be a good thing to have proof .  

I do not have other brain MRIs.

Yes.  A (HUG) anyway!  ??     Jo

[Quixotic1]

No, there is nothing straightforward about interpreting MRI, in my opinion.  And there can be remarkable assymetry between the sides that is usually present since birth.  I encountered this frequently in practice.  Are there older fims than could be used to see if this discrepancy is new?

I do suspect there are problems (lesions) and that the extra images and cuts were done for that reason - as do you.  But, I would try not to visualize the worst before you talk with the neuro.  It won't do any good anyhow.  What the MRI shows is what it shows.  And you already know something is worng with your body.  Rather than picturing your brain shrinking, look to the possiblility that a test will match your complaints - and this is a GOOD thing.

A ((HUG)) anyway!  Quix