Aa
MRI
Ok thanks to all the suggestions from everyone, I called the diagnostic center. They say if I pay $200 upfront that I can make payments monthly of what I can afford as long as I send something. Wonderful! What a load off. Now if I can figure out how to afford these expensive medicines I will be ok.
The lady asked me to look at the orders to see if this was brain only or brain and spinal cord. It is brain only with and without contrast. This is the 3 tesla machine so that is good. While looking to tell her I saw a diagnosis. It was not trigeminal neuralgia this time.
Get this! He put demylinating disease as the diagnosis with no mention of trigeminal neuralgia. I was a little confused so I googled and it is sort of a broad diagnosis I think. Has anyone else had this particular diagnosis? Most of the results from my search mentioned that MS was the most common.
Is this diagnosis because no lesions have shown yet? My scan is not until June, which is on the same day I see the dr. But he reads the scan himself no radiologist. I think that is good. It will go straight to him no middle man. I am still confused about this diagnosis. Now there is probably no hope to get health insurance unless I can manage to go back to work.
Bummer! Looks like this could be a long hard road. Let me know what you guys think about it.
Thanks,
Kat
The lady asked me to look at the orders to see if this was brain only or brain and spinal cord. It is brain only with and without contrast. This is the 3 tesla machine so that is good. While looking to tell her I saw a diagnosis. It was not trigeminal neuralgia this time.
Get this! He put demylinating disease as the diagnosis with no mention of trigeminal neuralgia. I was a little confused so I googled and it is sort of a broad diagnosis I think. Has anyone else had this particular diagnosis? Most of the results from my search mentioned that MS was the most common.
Is this diagnosis because no lesions have shown yet? My scan is not until June, which is on the same day I see the dr. But he reads the scan himself no radiologist. I think that is good. It will go straight to him no middle man. I am still confused about this diagnosis. Now there is probably no hope to get health insurance unless I can manage to go back to work.
Bummer! Looks like this could be a long hard road. Let me know what you guys think about it.
Thanks,
Kat
I'm glad you're making so much progress with things. You are definitely heading in the right direction.
We've discussed 'demyelinating disease' as a diagnosis quite recently, and in a lot of detail. You might want to do a search on that. But basically, the conclusion is that that isn't a diagnosis, any more than 'infectious disease.' would be. It's just a category. Press your doctor to commit as to which DD it is. If it's MS, you need to start on meds for that.
Best of luck in this process, and keep posting.
ess
We've discussed 'demyelinating disease' as a diagnosis quite recently, and in a lot of detail. You might want to do a search on that. But basically, the conclusion is that that isn't a diagnosis, any more than 'infectious disease.' would be. It's just a category. Press your doctor to commit as to which DD it is. If it's MS, you need to start on meds for that.
Best of luck in this process, and keep posting.
ess
Chicky is right, it's just the category.
But, I do think it's a good thing for the script to say this. That way, the technician at the facility will have to run the protocols for "demyelinating diseases" so it will include what they need to do to see MS, demyelinating, etc. I sure hope I'm right about this one.
He had to put "something" on the order. He's not put his finger on the specific dx, yet. For example, when I had my 1st brain MRI w/out contrast, it was ordered by my MD. she put on the order "headache." It was BS for sure - but she didn't know what was going on.
The technician at the facility asked me what was going on. I told her I did not have a headache, and then I described my symptoms and slurred the whole way through.
Oh, and you got a 3T to boot! Yay!
This is all good news for you Chicky.
ttys,
shell
But, I do think it's a good thing for the script to say this. That way, the technician at the facility will have to run the protocols for "demyelinating diseases" so it will include what they need to do to see MS, demyelinating, etc. I sure hope I'm right about this one.
He had to put "something" on the order. He's not put his finger on the specific dx, yet. For example, when I had my 1st brain MRI w/out contrast, it was ordered by my MD. she put on the order "headache." It was BS for sure - but she didn't know what was going on.
The technician at the facility asked me what was going on. I told her I did not have a headache, and then I described my symptoms and slurred the whole way through.
Oh, and you got a 3T to boot! Yay!
This is all good news for you Chicky.
ttys,
shell
Hi Kat,
Just wanted to tell you how good it is to hear this news - so many times we want to throw up our hands in surrender and give up; and all it often takes is a phone call and explanation to work things out.
One more thought about the cost - did they give you a price for the MRI test? See if you can get that negotiated rate like they do with the big insurance companies. I'm with Anthem and it seems to me they only pay about 20-25% of the rate that is billed for my MRI's. It would be great if you could get this worked out too.
Lulu
Just wanted to tell you how good it is to hear this news - so many times we want to throw up our hands in surrender and give up; and all it often takes is a phone call and explanation to work things out.
One more thought about the cost - did they give you a price for the MRI test? See if you can get that negotiated rate like they do with the big insurance companies. I'm with Anthem and it seems to me they only pay about 20-25% of the rate that is billed for my MRI's. It would be great if you could get this worked out too.
Lulu
Well that makes a lot of sense then cause I was thinking that there were a bunch of different diagnosis's under DD.
Lu: Great Idea! thank you so very much I hadn't even thought of that. Actually I'm not thinking of a lot of stuff here lately.
Shell and Ess: You are probably right about the dr script. I'm telling you, I think I am losing my mind. I should know this stuff and after reading it for myself still could not process, That is why I asked you all.
Lu: Great Idea! thank you so very much I hadn't even thought of that. Actually I'm not thinking of a lot of stuff here lately.
Shell and Ess: You are probably right about the dr script. I'm telling you, I think I am losing my mind. I should know this stuff and after reading it for myself still could not process, That is why I asked you all.
I'm so sorry yes they gave me a price of $600 with 200 upfront I think that that may be a discounted rate but I am not sure. I think they have charged my insurance company around 1200 when I had insurance from my work. I was thinking that this is probably a good price but will check into it to make sure.
They were really very nice about it too.
Thank you so much and I am sorry I overlooked the question you asked. I went back to read again to make sure I didn't miss anything.
Kathey
They were really very nice about it too.
Thank you so much and I am sorry I overlooked the question you asked. I went back to read again to make sure I didn't miss anything.
Kathey
Is trigeminal neuralgia a demyelinating disease? I failed to asked. Sorry again I feel I am being a pain in the rear. I think the meds I am on make me stupid.
Kat,
$600 is a great price - I'm so glad to hear they are working with you on this cost.
TN is not normally thought of as a demyelinating disease, but it can be in MS patients. It is normally a problem of compression of the myelin of the 5th cranial nerve, according to what I read on wikipedia. BUT it does also show up in MS patients when the myelin in that area is damaged..... so the answer to your question is *yes, but only sometimes.*
later,
Lulu
$600 is a great price - I'm so glad to hear they are working with you on this cost.
TN is not normally thought of as a demyelinating disease, but it can be in MS patients. It is normally a problem of compression of the myelin of the 5th cranial nerve, according to what I read on wikipedia. BUT it does also show up in MS patients when the myelin in that area is damaged..... so the answer to your question is *yes, but only sometimes.*
later,
Lulu
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