Appointment report

[hbananas]

Went to see the MS nurse practitioner today for the annual appointment.  I reported about things being slightly worse, especially the incontinence, and the eye pain that's new since I last saw him.  My MSFC is stable.  He sent me for new brain and cervical MRI today, having a repeat VEP tomorrow.  (My first VEP a couple of years ago was normal.)  Then we follow up next week.

[hbananas]

1.5T, but owned and operated by my neuro and his staff.  These are people who only do brains and spinals, all day, every day, definitely under MS protocol.  When I first came to him with my 3Ts he gave me the software lecture.  Yeah, I know he has a financial interest in me using his MRI, but I believe him.  The only thing that showed up on my 3Ts that wasn't on prior 1.5Ts were punctate brain lesions.  The spinal ones were equal.

[hbananas]

Thanks for your concern and questions.  What's worse is my urinary urge incontinence, one little incidence of slight fecal incont., this ridiculous eye pain that has sent me to the neuro-opth and optometrist with no results, and terrible restless legs.  Not while sleeping, but sitting in my chair at work, in a meeting, at a play.  And dozing off while working on occasion.  The zap I get in the sole of my foot has (just once) traveled up my calf and hit 3-4 times in a row really hard.

Maybe it's because of my herniated thoracic disc, mild scoliosis, or just plain bad posture, but I find having the thoracic area flattened out, lying on top of a hard plastic antenna or whatever they slide under you excruciating.  Heck, just having my brain and cervical done really did a number on my shoulder blades and hips.

VEP was a piece of cake.  I watched her fiddle around with the graphs before printing for the first eye, and caught the latency of the P100, and it was 90-something, which is normal.  That was my right that has the little blind spot.  Normal as before.  She finished up with the left, the one that has been hurting, after I was gone.

I got my TM about 3 years ago, and my permanent lesions (2) are in my cervical spine.  I have had small brain ones on and off that have been chalked up to age and high blood pressure.  I had one small cervical one that has seemed to heal.  I've been keeping track of things in a journal post called "diagnostic journey."

Shell, I adore the NP.  He is way smarter than most of the dodo-bird general neuros everybody here complains about.  He was an MS certfied nurse before going on to get the practitioner part, so he's really steeped in this stuff.

[Udkas]

Hi there,
I agree with Daisy Girl, I never have had to change my position for my thoracic MRI, but if they are doing my brain and all my spinal cord they make me, have my brain first, go off and have some lunch and come back in an hour for the spinal part.

I know HB at the moment you are diagnosed with TM, and as you know it can change to MS especially if you have a brain lesion, but TM is most common in the thoracic, of cause it can even be present in the lumbar spine from what i have read.  From memory you have been about 6 years with no change???
B.T.W. you made me laugh so much with the comment that they could take your appendics out on my other post, (I guess I have loss of feeling there), which the neuro was aware of, but I am guessing it has got worse), I'm going away on holiday, when I come back i might schedule an appointment, but the Gabapentin has helped with all my symptoms, feeling heaps better.
Take care,
Cheers,
Udkas.
Let us know how you go with the VEP test as well, mine was abnormal twice and then normal.

[daisy.girl]

what do you mean....position you must lie in for thoracic MRI? I always just laid flat, in fact I was never sure if they were imagining my cervical or thoracic; it was the same.

[sllowe]

Hi Haba!

I wish I had an NP. Your team of experts are definitely following you well.
I'm curious too w/these increasing issues what is going on, or what has changed.
Do you know the strength of the machine?

-shell

[hbananas]

Yes, I have had a couple of thoracic MRIs.  No lesions there, but I do have a herniated disc.  If there's nothing on the brain or cervical, they might order a new thoracic, but I hope not.  2 1/2 hrs in the machine last night was torture enough--my back and hips are killing me this morning--and the position in which one must lie for a thoracic MRI I find even more uncomfortable.  Today's the VEP, so I should be good and fatigued by the time I get there after working on my computer all day long.

And, I don't know if this means anything or not, but my follow-up appointment is scheduled with both the nurse practitioner and the neurologist.  I'm sorry you are also feeling worse.

[Udkas]

Hi There,
It is interesting to see that you feel slightly worse, I am sorry that you do, I do too :-) my neuro keeps saying that TM can cause symptoms everywhere so to speak and can flare up without it actually being worse, but I know he is uncertain as to if I am getting worse or if indeed this is just the nature of my TM. I guess time will tell.

I am glad that you are having a new MRI i will be interested in your results, of cause I hope that you have not got worse.  Why is he not doing a thoracic one as well?  Have you ever had a thoracic one done.

Good luck with it all, I will be thinking of you, I hope it goes well, keep us posted. At least your neuro sounds like he is on the ball.

Cheers,
Udkas.