Aa
My recent diagnosis
Hello there, I'm new to the forum and here is my question. I'd be hugely grateful if anyone could provide me with some answers.
I'm a 30 yr old male. I complained of headaches and saw my physician last week. He suspected it to be a case of migraine and ordered MRI scan to clear any doubts. My headaches have gone since he put me on some medicines.
Anyways, my MRI scan showed up and he suspects it to be a possible case of MS. I've been referred to a neurologist whom I'll see next week. Here is what my report says:
"There are a few small (less than 1 cm) foci of subcortical demyelination at the right frontal and right frontoparietal lobes. In a patient of this age this is unlikely due to small vessel ischemic disease. MS is not excluded."
I've felt weakness in my feet for several months along with fatigue and increased urination. But, I haven't had any other symptoms such as tremors, numbness etc.
I'm really terrified since then. Can anyone please shed some light on what are my chances that I do not have MS?
Many many thanks in advance.
I'm a 30 yr old male. I complained of headaches and saw my physician last week. He suspected it to be a case of migraine and ordered MRI scan to clear any doubts. My headaches have gone since he put me on some medicines.
Anyways, my MRI scan showed up and he suspects it to be a possible case of MS. I've been referred to a neurologist whom I'll see next week. Here is what my report says:
"There are a few small (less than 1 cm) foci of subcortical demyelination at the right frontal and right frontoparietal lobes. In a patient of this age this is unlikely due to small vessel ischemic disease. MS is not excluded."
I've felt weakness in my feet for several months along with fatigue and increased urination. But, I haven't had any other symptoms such as tremors, numbness etc.
I'm really terrified since then. Can anyone please shed some light on what are my chances that I do not have MS?
Many many thanks in advance.
here's the link to my journal
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/42150?personal_page_id=865800
good luck with figuring all this out - you now know you have a bunch of folks here willing to talk this through.
my best,
Lulu
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/42150?personal_page_id=865800
good luck with figuring all this out - you now know you have a bunch of folks here willing to talk this through.
my best,
Lulu
I am so thankful to each one of you here for your selfless help, advice, and sharing your experiences. It definitely makes me feel better to read your messages at the end of the day when I'm back home after work.
It is definitely not an easy time for me and I hope I get the answers to my questions soon.
Once again, thanks to all you wonderful people: LoveMyBostons, sllowe, Lulu54, PastonDan, Tonyad, Deb61.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
It is definitely not an easy time for me and I hope I get the answers to my questions soon.
Once again, thanks to all you wonderful people: LoveMyBostons, sllowe, Lulu54, PastonDan, Tonyad, Deb61.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Should probably clarify that I missed a lot of time from work for the MS testing and only 3 hours due to feeling too cra ppy to work.
You've got us now - k?
It is an individual decision. But, since you are unsure, before deciding for certain, and to make you feel better please ask this Dr. some questions. For example:
-What has been ruled out as a culprit of your problems.
-What he is looking for in terms of spinal fluid results.
-What else can be ruled out, or in, through non-invasive procedures.
Where spinal taps are concerned, they ARE considered invasive procedures when compared to other tests. There are a garden variety of experiences to consider, but please consider these couple things too if you do choose to go through with it.
-ask it be performed under flouroscopy
-know that if you do get a leak (cause of horrifying headache) as soon as you lay down you get instant relief. There will be no guessing as to what is going on.
- There are 2 options to resolve the fluid leak. You can lay flat for at least 24 hrs and there is a good chance it will seal back up. Or, you can go back to the hospital for a blood patch. Both are worthy and work.
There are also some things you can do to avoid the leak (though there is always a chance of it happening anyway). Lay down as long as you can after the procedure. Plan on doing nothing the days following. Don't go up and down steps or carry in the groceries. Get lots of fluid in you and caffeine.
Hope this helps. Anyone else have questions Karen can add to this list for the Dr.?
-Shell
It is an individual decision. But, since you are unsure, before deciding for certain, and to make you feel better please ask this Dr. some questions. For example:
-What has been ruled out as a culprit of your problems.
-What he is looking for in terms of spinal fluid results.
-What else can be ruled out, or in, through non-invasive procedures.
Where spinal taps are concerned, they ARE considered invasive procedures when compared to other tests. There are a garden variety of experiences to consider, but please consider these couple things too if you do choose to go through with it.
-ask it be performed under flouroscopy
-know that if you do get a leak (cause of horrifying headache) as soon as you lay down you get instant relief. There will be no guessing as to what is going on.
- There are 2 options to resolve the fluid leak. You can lay flat for at least 24 hrs and there is a good chance it will seal back up. Or, you can go back to the hospital for a blood patch. Both are worthy and work.
There are also some things you can do to avoid the leak (though there is always a chance of it happening anyway). Lay down as long as you can after the procedure. Plan on doing nothing the days following. Don't go up and down steps or carry in the groceries. Get lots of fluid in you and caffeine.
Hope this helps. Anyone else have questions Karen can add to this list for the Dr.?
-Shell
I know you're overwhelmed. And I know exactly what you're saying. I base a lot of my self-worth on my education and abilities also. I know that if I was unable to work, I would totally lose it. It's my biggest fear. But so far I've only missed 3 hours of work due to my MS. I can deal with that.
I also have no idea if I have a good neuro or not. She seems to brush off my symptoms at times when I'm certain they're related to MS. But then again, she's the expert and I have to place some trust in that.
Please don't skip an LP simply because you're afraid of the headache. If you take it easy I'm sure you will be fine. I went on a road trip the next day and didn't get home until about 8:00 and I was wiped out! I had a mild headache for a few days afterward, nothing major. You will seriously come out of it okay if you choose to have the LP.
I believe it's completely normal to feel depressed and anxious. God bless my family for putting up with my mood swings for the last 6 months! I was a basketcase for a while there. You're going through a lot right now and it's okay to be worried and feel like crying at random times.
I'm sure your fiancee will support you. It's not like you had a choice in any of this. There are plenty of us here who can completely understand everything you're going through so if you ever need anything you're sure to find support and help here.
I also have no idea if I have a good neuro or not. She seems to brush off my symptoms at times when I'm certain they're related to MS. But then again, she's the expert and I have to place some trust in that.
Please don't skip an LP simply because you're afraid of the headache. If you take it easy I'm sure you will be fine. I went on a road trip the next day and didn't get home until about 8:00 and I was wiped out! I had a mild headache for a few days afterward, nothing major. You will seriously come out of it okay if you choose to have the LP.
I believe it's completely normal to feel depressed and anxious. God bless my family for putting up with my mood swings for the last 6 months! I was a basketcase for a while there. You're going through a lot right now and it's okay to be worried and feel like crying at random times.
I'm sure your fiancee will support you. It's not like you had a choice in any of this. There are plenty of us here who can completely understand everything you're going through so if you ever need anything you're sure to find support and help here.
Hey Lulu54, PastorDan, and sllowe,
Thanks a lot to you all for sharing your experiences and thoughts.
Lulu54: Thanks a lot for offering to share the link for your experiences. Yes, It'll be great if you could send me the link to that journal entry or post of yours.
Now, I'm really confused as to whether or not to go for the spinal tap. On one side, the doctor suggested doing it on the first meeting. Secondly, the spinal tap experience that I've been hearing or reading seems too individualistic. I mean some people may not experience any pain after the test, while some others complain of terrible headaches, in fact the Dr. himself mentioned the same to me.
Honestly, its not easy for me to judge if my neuro is a good one or not. I've just had one visit. But, at the same time, I'd like to know soon whether or not I have MS in order to contain the symptoms and start an early treatment.
Having said that, one of the things we all as human beings tend to do is imagine the worst case scenario in times of a crisis. I've done really well all my life for my career and I've always hoped to make a difference to the world with my education and abilities. However, the thought of my mental faculties deteriorating over time (If I do have MS) just depresses me every day. I know I might be exaggerating or sounding really foolish and ignorant to you. But, this is how I feel.
To just add to my difficulties, I really do not have any family members or friends around me to support in this tough situation. I would really like to know soon so that I can communicate my status to my fiance as I really feel that she should have the choice of either staying or walking away based on my situation.
Finally, again many thanks for all your support and advice.
Thanks a lot to you all for sharing your experiences and thoughts.
Lulu54: Thanks a lot for offering to share the link for your experiences. Yes, It'll be great if you could send me the link to that journal entry or post of yours.
Now, I'm really confused as to whether or not to go for the spinal tap. On one side, the doctor suggested doing it on the first meeting. Secondly, the spinal tap experience that I've been hearing or reading seems too individualistic. I mean some people may not experience any pain after the test, while some others complain of terrible headaches, in fact the Dr. himself mentioned the same to me.
Honestly, its not easy for me to judge if my neuro is a good one or not. I've just had one visit. But, at the same time, I'd like to know soon whether or not I have MS in order to contain the symptoms and start an early treatment.
Having said that, one of the things we all as human beings tend to do is imagine the worst case scenario in times of a crisis. I've done really well all my life for my career and I've always hoped to make a difference to the world with my education and abilities. However, the thought of my mental faculties deteriorating over time (If I do have MS) just depresses me every day. I know I might be exaggerating or sounding really foolish and ignorant to you. But, this is how I feel.
To just add to my difficulties, I really do not have any family members or friends around me to support in this tough situation. I would really like to know soon so that I can communicate my status to my fiance as I really feel that she should have the choice of either staying or walking away based on my situation.
Finally, again many thanks for all your support and advice.
Hi Karan,
Adding on a belated welcome to you, and to add my 2 cents. Karen, if it were me, and after 1 visit to the neuro he/she was suggesting spinal tap to help determine what could be going on, I would move on to a 2nd opinion - period. Simply because it takes much more investigation on the part of the Dr. to get to this point.
Please do not let the thought of having MS consume you, rather seek out Dr. who is willing to dig a little deeper. And, in the meantime, I hope we can help you sort all of this out along the way.
Thanks for joining us, be as well as you can,
-shell
Adding on a belated welcome to you, and to add my 2 cents. Karen, if it were me, and after 1 visit to the neuro he/she was suggesting spinal tap to help determine what could be going on, I would move on to a 2nd opinion - period. Simply because it takes much more investigation on the part of the Dr. to get to this point.
Please do not let the thought of having MS consume you, rather seek out Dr. who is willing to dig a little deeper. And, in the meantime, I hope we can help you sort all of this out along the way.
Thanks for joining us, be as well as you can,
-shell
Yeah, what Lulu said. My LP was pretty much painless and uneventful, but I was strongly cautioned to drink lots & lots of fluids before and after. Results were useless, really. Faint hints of one thing or another here & there in some of the chemistry, but nothing dramatically out of "normal" range. No O-bands. No answers.
We'll pray it goes quickly for you. I've been seeking answers for about 18 months now. I understand that's not at all rare. It is frustrating. Send me a PM if you want to share thoughts anytime.
We'll pray it goes quickly for you. I've been seeking answers for about 18 months now. I understand that's not at all rare. It is frustrating. Send me a PM if you want to share thoughts anytime.
Hi Karan,
The Lumbar Puncture (LP - aka Spinal Tap) is often misunderstood as a diagnostic tool. The LP results will NOT prove a case of MS. It also will not disprove a case of MS. It is possible to have a negative LP and still have MS. It is also possible to have o-bands in your spinal fluid but not have MS.
Confused yet? That is understandable. The results of the LP can be used as supporting evidence for a diagnosis of MS.
There are some doctors who no longer even recommend an LP as part of the diagnosis process.
As for the test itself, most people have no problems. I had my LP and absolutely no side effects at all. I wrote about it in my journal in full details. Let me know if you want me to find the link for you to read.
Please try to learn all you can about MS while you wait. There is a lot to know ....
be well and see you around,
Lulu
The Lumbar Puncture (LP - aka Spinal Tap) is often misunderstood as a diagnostic tool. The LP results will NOT prove a case of MS. It also will not disprove a case of MS. It is possible to have a negative LP and still have MS. It is also possible to have o-bands in your spinal fluid but not have MS.
Confused yet? That is understandable. The results of the LP can be used as supporting evidence for a diagnosis of MS.
There are some doctors who no longer even recommend an LP as part of the diagnosis process.
As for the test itself, most people have no problems. I had my LP and absolutely no side effects at all. I wrote about it in my journal in full details. Let me know if you want me to find the link for you to read.
Please try to learn all you can about MS while you wait. There is a lot to know ....
be well and see you around,
Lulu
Hey LoveMyBostons,
I truly appreciate your detailed reply, advise, and the tips.
I know one thing for sure that there is something wrong with my body. My feet feel tired almost every day and my energy level is not good at all though I've been getting at least 8.5 hrs of sleep every day.
In addition, I really feel so depressed most of the times and trust me it is not because of the MS anxiety. I feel so restless and panicky and feel like really crying at times.
Like even now, while writing this post, the side joints in my feet are hurting. In addition, my back hurts if I sit without any support. I simply cannot sit without a support.
I really have no idea whether or not to take the spinal tap. I don't know, but now I feel all the more disinclined not to take the spinal tap since the headache that you and my doctor mentioned sound terrible to me.
But, then I am also anxious about my status.
Thanks for all your support.
I truly appreciate your detailed reply, advise, and the tips.
I know one thing for sure that there is something wrong with my body. My feet feel tired almost every day and my energy level is not good at all though I've been getting at least 8.5 hrs of sleep every day.
In addition, I really feel so depressed most of the times and trust me it is not because of the MS anxiety. I feel so restless and panicky and feel like really crying at times.
Like even now, while writing this post, the side joints in my feet are hurting. In addition, my back hurts if I sit without any support. I simply cannot sit without a support.
I really have no idea whether or not to take the spinal tap. I don't know, but now I feel all the more disinclined not to take the spinal tap since the headache that you and my doctor mentioned sound terrible to me.
But, then I am also anxious about my status.
Thanks for all your support.
Hi there,
I'm sorry that you've been going through this. I know exactly how it feels. I'm 28 and I was just diagnosed 4 months ago. It's so scary to know that something is wrong but the doctors aren't sure exactly what yet. I went through a period where I was convinced I had a brain tumor and could barely function to get through my day because of the worry. It consumed every single moment of my days.
I had an MRI and a spinal tap plus all of the bloodwork. The spinal tap can be scary because it's a fear of the unknown. Mine was done with fluoroscopy guidance which is where you lie flat on your stomach and they use an x-ray to find the spot where they need to collect the fluid. It was uncomfortable, I would never lie to anyone about that.
But now it's just a memory of an not-so-pleasant day. My sisters and mom waited on me hand and foot the rest of the day while I sat in a recliner. Please read up on spinal taps if you do decide to get one. You have to be very careful that day and the day after to not strain yourself - even if you feel fine. You will get a monster headache if you don't take it easy and stay flat or reclined as much as you can.
I hope you have family or friends that you can talk to. It's weird and it took my family a while to know what to say and what not to say to me! Friends are a little different story. Some are really great and ask how my meds are going and how I'm feeling. Others pretend it doesn't exist which is fine some days and frustrating on others.
Please visit this page often. There are always interesting discussions and you can really learn a lot. You can also search for topics that have been addressed in the past.
There are a lot of other things that can cause your symptoms. Your lesion could have been caused by an old injury or some other kind of condition. Did you ever have some sort of accident when you were little? Have you have a bunch of bloodwork to try to rule out other diseases like Lyme Disease, Lupus, HIV, etc?
It's up to you if you want to wait and see if there are more lesions in 6 months. It would be beneficial I'm sure to have 2 MRI's to compare. I would request the next one be done with contrast. If you wait and it does turn out to be MS though, there are 6 months down the drain where you could have been on a DMD which would have hopefully helped to halt the disease progression.
Personally I would go ahead with the spinal tap - but that's just my opinion. I know with the anxiety I would just rather know now what is going on - and what steps I could take to help myself get better.
Good luck with all of this. Believe me, you are stronger than you even know. You'll realize it someday.
I'm sorry that you've been going through this. I know exactly how it feels. I'm 28 and I was just diagnosed 4 months ago. It's so scary to know that something is wrong but the doctors aren't sure exactly what yet. I went through a period where I was convinced I had a brain tumor and could barely function to get through my day because of the worry. It consumed every single moment of my days.
I had an MRI and a spinal tap plus all of the bloodwork. The spinal tap can be scary because it's a fear of the unknown. Mine was done with fluoroscopy guidance which is where you lie flat on your stomach and they use an x-ray to find the spot where they need to collect the fluid. It was uncomfortable, I would never lie to anyone about that.
But now it's just a memory of an not-so-pleasant day. My sisters and mom waited on me hand and foot the rest of the day while I sat in a recliner. Please read up on spinal taps if you do decide to get one. You have to be very careful that day and the day after to not strain yourself - even if you feel fine. You will get a monster headache if you don't take it easy and stay flat or reclined as much as you can.
I hope you have family or friends that you can talk to. It's weird and it took my family a while to know what to say and what not to say to me! Friends are a little different story. Some are really great and ask how my meds are going and how I'm feeling. Others pretend it doesn't exist which is fine some days and frustrating on others.
Please visit this page often. There are always interesting discussions and you can really learn a lot. You can also search for topics that have been addressed in the past.
There are a lot of other things that can cause your symptoms. Your lesion could have been caused by an old injury or some other kind of condition. Did you ever have some sort of accident when you were little? Have you have a bunch of bloodwork to try to rule out other diseases like Lyme Disease, Lupus, HIV, etc?
It's up to you if you want to wait and see if there are more lesions in 6 months. It would be beneficial I'm sure to have 2 MRI's to compare. I would request the next one be done with contrast. If you wait and it does turn out to be MS though, there are 6 months down the drain where you could have been on a DMD which would have hopefully helped to halt the disease progression.
Personally I would go ahead with the spinal tap - but that's just my opinion. I know with the anxiety I would just rather know now what is going on - and what steps I could take to help myself get better.
Good luck with all of this. Believe me, you are stronger than you even know. You'll realize it someday.
Hey all,
So I had my first visit to my neuro. As several of you had said, they did like a million preliminary tests such as asking me to move my body parts, bend my knees, twist my fingers etc etc. To be honest, I'm not sure if those help since it would be difficult to say anything on the basis of these tests if a person has a case of MS but is only in the very initial stages.
Anyways, the doctor looked at the MRI images and told me that there is only 1 lesion that he observed and one of the images has some haziness which could be white matter, but he is not sure. He also mentioned that this one lesion may not mean anything, one lesion could be something a person may have had since birth or for several years.
He further added, that I have two options. I could either wait for another 6 months before getting a second MRI to see if there are additional lesions. Secondly, he suggested getting a Spinal tap for testing spinal fluid.
Could anyone please shed any light or provide their opinion and advise on my situation? I was kinda dreading to be in this situation where I wouldn't know my status one way or the other.
Please Advise.
So I had my first visit to my neuro. As several of you had said, they did like a million preliminary tests such as asking me to move my body parts, bend my knees, twist my fingers etc etc. To be honest, I'm not sure if those help since it would be difficult to say anything on the basis of these tests if a person has a case of MS but is only in the very initial stages.
Anyways, the doctor looked at the MRI images and told me that there is only 1 lesion that he observed and one of the images has some haziness which could be white matter, but he is not sure. He also mentioned that this one lesion may not mean anything, one lesion could be something a person may have had since birth or for several years.
He further added, that I have two options. I could either wait for another 6 months before getting a second MRI to see if there are additional lesions. Secondly, he suggested getting a Spinal tap for testing spinal fluid.
Could anyone please shed any light or provide their opinion and advise on my situation? I was kinda dreading to be in this situation where I wouldn't know my status one way or the other.
Please Advise.
Hey Tonya, Thanks much for your reply.
I will keep you all updated about my dx as I visit my doctor this coming week. Once again, thanks a lot for your advice.
I will keep you all updated about my dx as I visit my doctor this coming week. Once again, thanks a lot for your advice.
I am sorry thatyour are over taken by anxiety. Do you have family and/or
a close friend around that you can talk to and share your feelings with? It is very important to have an outlet. And of course you can always come here, but having
someone near you in person to talk to is almost almost vital.
Let me also say that even if you do get a diagnosis of MS......It is NOT a
"Death Sentence". They are making great strides in the treatment for MS and there is a lot of research going on to nip MS in the bud!. They also have great presciptions for treating symptoms and then there is of course the Disease Modifiying Drugs.
Finally, Yes! It usually does take a while for a diagnosis of MS. Now that is in no way to say that it will take you a long time.......but, it could take a little while. They have to rule a lot of other things out. Since your MRI is not showing a CLEAR CUT case of MS (let me add here...they are not supposed to dx you w/ only an MRI. Some people have MS an their MRI shows no lesions or only one) meaning a lesion or two in very specific arear of the brain, they will really want to look closely so not to give you a dx and treat you for something you do not have. I hope that makes since.
There are some people on this forum that have benn in "Limbo land" for quite a while and having to go to several different doctors in oreder to get a final clinch on a dx. Again, I am not saying that is going to be you....but, you could be waiting for a bit just for the initial tests to be done.
Lastly, believe it or not.....YOU ARE stronger than you think!!! We are all here for questions and support or just to come here and vent. I am notorious for being the most anxious and worried person about health issues but have learned that.......You know what.......I can worry, and worry, until the cows come home but that is NOT going to change anything NOR speed anything up. Rather, only make my life a living hell!
Please note that I am not saying to take it with an I don't give a crap attitude but rather, just think........I can handle this! I am at least on the rode to answers!
That in and of itself is a good feeling. Some people on here have hit so many brick walls because of having doctors who are less than satisfactory in the "Listening" to the patient part and dx someone who meet the criteria for diagnosis but would rather
Lolly-gag around and sit on the fence.
Hope the rest of your weekend will be of peace and relaxation. Take Care my friend.
Everything will be ok. :)
~Tonya
a close friend around that you can talk to and share your feelings with? It is very important to have an outlet. And of course you can always come here, but having
someone near you in person to talk to is almost almost vital.
Let me also say that even if you do get a diagnosis of MS......It is NOT a
"Death Sentence". They are making great strides in the treatment for MS and there is a lot of research going on to nip MS in the bud!. They also have great presciptions for treating symptoms and then there is of course the Disease Modifiying Drugs.
Finally, Yes! It usually does take a while for a diagnosis of MS. Now that is in no way to say that it will take you a long time.......but, it could take a little while. They have to rule a lot of other things out. Since your MRI is not showing a CLEAR CUT case of MS (let me add here...they are not supposed to dx you w/ only an MRI. Some people have MS an their MRI shows no lesions or only one) meaning a lesion or two in very specific arear of the brain, they will really want to look closely so not to give you a dx and treat you for something you do not have. I hope that makes since.
There are some people on this forum that have benn in "Limbo land" for quite a while and having to go to several different doctors in oreder to get a final clinch on a dx. Again, I am not saying that is going to be you....but, you could be waiting for a bit just for the initial tests to be done.
Lastly, believe it or not.....YOU ARE stronger than you think!!! We are all here for questions and support or just to come here and vent. I am notorious for being the most anxious and worried person about health issues but have learned that.......You know what.......I can worry, and worry, until the cows come home but that is NOT going to change anything NOR speed anything up. Rather, only make my life a living hell!
Please note that I am not saying to take it with an I don't give a crap attitude but rather, just think........I can handle this! I am at least on the rode to answers!
That in and of itself is a good feeling. Some people on here have hit so many brick walls because of having doctors who are less than satisfactory in the "Listening" to the patient part and dx someone who meet the criteria for diagnosis but would rather
Lolly-gag around and sit on the fence.
Hope the rest of your weekend will be of peace and relaxation. Take Care my friend.
Everything will be ok. :)
~Tonya
Hi Tonya, First of all a big thanks for your time and posting your view.
My first MRI was done without contrast. In fact, after my reports came out, I asked my physician if I should get another one with a contrast done since they observed something in the MRI. The physician simply said no, it won't say anything new.
So, clearly my physician is not a neuro expert. Its just that the anxiety is killing me and the only thing on my mind 24 hrs or at least when i'm awake is MS and the consequences.
I've read that it is not easy to conclude that one has MS unless after extensive testing and examination. I'm just so worried when will I get a final answer.
Honestly, I'm not all that strong mentally right now.
My first MRI was done without contrast. In fact, after my reports came out, I asked my physician if I should get another one with a contrast done since they observed something in the MRI. The physician simply said no, it won't say anything new.
So, clearly my physician is not a neuro expert. Its just that the anxiety is killing me and the only thing on my mind 24 hrs or at least when i'm awake is MS and the consequences.
I've read that it is not easy to conclude that one has MS unless after extensive testing and examination. I'm just so worried when will I get a final answer.
Honestly, I'm not all that strong mentally right now.
Hi Karen.
Actually, it is not unusaul for a radiologist's report to read what you posted to
us. Basically, your MRI report is saying that the radiologist sees something
on the MRI and in his opinion (givin your age and possibly your history) he feels it is not ishemic in nature but with that being said, he can NOT say for certain what he IS seeing on the MRI.
I have heard of many people's reports reading something similiar.......Mine included!
So the next steps (I would Imagine) is they are going to do lots of blood work, talk with the Neuro about your history of symptoms, some in office tests such checking for reflexes, balance, and skin perception. He/she may even wait a couple months and order another MRI. Did you have the first one done WITH and WITHOUT contrast???
I personally think that you are fortunate to have a GP that has not ignored you, ordered an MRI, and now referring you to a Neuro because there is something fishy going on. Now......hopefully you will get a GOOD neuro that will not just blow you off because that happens to many.
I wish you all the best, and I pray that you don not have MS but if there is something going on that they will figure it out soon.
Have a good weekend and keep us posted.
Take Care,
~Tonya
Actually, it is not unusaul for a radiologist's report to read what you posted to
us. Basically, your MRI report is saying that the radiologist sees something
on the MRI and in his opinion (givin your age and possibly your history) he feels it is not ishemic in nature but with that being said, he can NOT say for certain what he IS seeing on the MRI.
I have heard of many people's reports reading something similiar.......Mine included!
So the next steps (I would Imagine) is they are going to do lots of blood work, talk with the Neuro about your history of symptoms, some in office tests such checking for reflexes, balance, and skin perception. He/she may even wait a couple months and order another MRI. Did you have the first one done WITH and WITHOUT contrast???
I personally think that you are fortunate to have a GP that has not ignored you, ordered an MRI, and now referring you to a Neuro because there is something fishy going on. Now......hopefully you will get a GOOD neuro that will not just blow you off because that happens to many.
I wish you all the best, and I pray that you don not have MS but if there is something going on that they will figure it out soon.
Have a good weekend and keep us posted.
Take Care,
~Tonya
Hi Deb61. Many thanks for your post.
I got my report and then after reading on the web for all these days about MS, even I'm a little surprised how they suspect that it could be MS. The more I read about MS, the more it seems like it is not easy to diagnose the disease.
I'm also surprised how he put a statement in my report saying "MS is not excluded" and not something else.
I got my report and then after reading on the web for all these days about MS, even I'm a little surprised how they suspect that it could be MS. The more I read about MS, the more it seems like it is not easy to diagnose the disease.
I'm also surprised how he put a statement in my report saying "MS is not excluded" and not something else.
Hi, hopefully your neuro can shed some light on the MRI. My neurologist has had a different take on the MRI than the radiologist.
I'm not a doctor (every day I am amazed about how little I really know about MS--and I have the disease), but I am curious to how your radiologist knows that the tiny spots/changes are demyelinating. Of course it could be demyelinating, but from the little I know about this topic even a trained neurologist would have some difficulty distinguishing the two apart based only on the MRI. Maybe the lesions turn out to be caused from migraine attacks or from something else. There's lots of other causes for lesions in the brain besides MS. A couple of the big mimics are lupus (of the CNS), Sjogren's, and Lyme Disease.
Of course it could be MS, but as Lulu said, for most of us, we remain able to walk. I hope you stick with us on the forum. The members on this forum or knowledgeable and very supportive. I'd be lost without the support I get from here.
Deb
I'm not a doctor (every day I am amazed about how little I really know about MS--and I have the disease), but I am curious to how your radiologist knows that the tiny spots/changes are demyelinating. Of course it could be demyelinating, but from the little I know about this topic even a trained neurologist would have some difficulty distinguishing the two apart based only on the MRI. Maybe the lesions turn out to be caused from migraine attacks or from something else. There's lots of other causes for lesions in the brain besides MS. A couple of the big mimics are lupus (of the CNS), Sjogren's, and Lyme Disease.
Of course it could be MS, but as Lulu said, for most of us, we remain able to walk. I hope you stick with us on the forum. The members on this forum or knowledgeable and very supportive. I'd be lost without the support I get from here.
Deb
Thanks, Lulu for your suggestion and pointing to the resources.
Its just that the anxiety is too killing and I'm sort of expecting that the first visit will not bring anything conclusive. I hope that I get to know something soon one way or the other.
Many thanks once again.
Its just that the anxiety is too killing and I'm sort of expecting that the first visit will not bring anything conclusive. I hope that I get to know something soon one way or the other.
Many thanks once again.
Hi and welcome to the MS forum here. Unfortunately we can't talk about chances of this being MS or not .... we can't even predict our own course of this MiSerable disease. There are too many unknowns and you have lots of testing to be done to eliminate the mimics of MS before this can be narrowed down.
We can tell you that MS comes in all forms and for over 80% of patients they will remain ambulatory and lead a relatively complication free life. Please take some time and educate yourself about MS - knowledge will help take some of that terror away.
We have excellent health pages here - yellow icon, upper right side - including a good one on what to expect from your first neurologist appointment. I hope you will read that and some of the others there to demystify MS for you..
Please come back and let us know what the neuro says from the exam - we're here to help even though we can't shed light on you main quesiton.
take care and welcome again.
Lulu
We can tell you that MS comes in all forms and for over 80% of patients they will remain ambulatory and lead a relatively complication free life. Please take some time and educate yourself about MS - knowledge will help take some of that terror away.
We have excellent health pages here - yellow icon, upper right side - including a good one on what to expect from your first neurologist appointment. I hope you will read that and some of the others there to demystify MS for you..
Please come back and let us know what the neuro says from the exam - we're here to help even though we can't shed light on you main quesiton.
take care and welcome again.
Lulu
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