How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

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popjinx
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How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by popjinx »

Hi,

I have been having symptoms that could be related to MS. I have not been diagnosed with anything yet. I just had an MRI of my cervical spine on Monday. I called my doctor on Friday to see if he knew the results, and his secretary told me that the results were in. She told me that she would have the doctor call me before he left for the weekend. He never called me. Part of me wants to think that him not calling me was because he just forgot, but another part of me thinks that maybe he doesn't want to tell me the bad news over the phone. So my question is, is it normal for a dr. to not tell you your results over the phone? Has anyone had their dr. give them their results over the phone?
nooper
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by nooper »

When my doctor suspected it was causing my problems, he called me personally and scheduled me a time to come in the next day. He did not tell me any results on the phone.
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dlynn
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by dlynn »

my Dr. called me and told me she wanted to see me to discuss my test results. It was in her office that I was told I have ms.
I suspected all along because of my symptoms, but the diagnosis was still a shock.
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lyndacarol
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by lyndacarol »

After three "normal" MRIs, I went to a new neurologist; he ordered a fourth MRI; his office staff called me with the results saying, "You have MS." After I hung up, I fell apart, cried, called my husband at work – he was aghast that they would handle it this way! He call the doctor's office and told them that we would be right in to discuss the situation. By the way, I no longer see that neurologist!!!
shaight
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by shaight »

after my initial mri a neuro surgeon brought me into his office and said it 'looks' like it could be ms. i was then referred to a neurologist who also suggested that it 'looked' like ms. i also went to two other neurologists and they all performed the same tests and had the exact same thoughts suggesting it 'looks' like ms. to this day my primary neuro has not confirmed that i have ms as she is waiting for more history to occur, although we are treating it like ms...as i am sure i have it. everything was handled in person, not over the phone.
Maledicte
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by Maledicte »

Had a MRI, he told me it was MS, i had already done a ton of research on MS, he asked what i knew, found out i was fairy educated about it, suggested rebif, discussed what vitamins/supplements I was on, any herbs etc, talked about nerve pain meds, i told him what lyrica had done
he's very nice and discusses it w/me and even calls me (most drs seem to have their nurses call)
he told me from MRI that i had some brain shrinkage and most likely had had it for years
he's very straight forward, no bs, and gets to the point, before him i saw a HORRIBLE neuro who tried to blame my symptoms on valium, and gave me lyrica and i almost killed myself.
i found out from her nurse it is ALL she prescribes (talk about kickbacks)
she even told me 'ignore anything bad i found online about it'
Well I definitely know the difference between a good and bad neuro now. :(
I pity anyone who gets her.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Maledictesjewels
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Azaeleaprawn
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by Azaeleaprawn »

How was I told that I had MS. Let me think...it was so wonderful - not!
I got home on a Friday to find a message from the neuro asking me to call for an appointment so he could discuss the results of my brain scan.
Too late to call back, so I was going to call back Monday.
Early Monday morning while I'm in the shower, I hear a voice leaving a message on the answering machine telling me that it's the MS clinic calling to make an appointment that my neuro has requested.
Nice, Huh? I stood in the shower in shock - I mean I had asked my GP almost 3 years ago if I had MS & was told no. Had a thoracic MRI which I was told was clear aand now this?
Called the clinic back to confirm what I had just heard & told them that I hadn’t had a consultat with the neuro yet.
And because of that they played a cat & mouse game refusing to confirm I had MS - I told them thanks for nothing and that it was pretty obvious.
Saw the neuro two days later, who tells me he had suspected MS the 1st time he saw me almost 2 years ago when he ordered a thoracic MRI & should have ordered a brain scan as well but he didn’t. Also he thought maybe he saw telltale MS lesions but didn't bother to ask for a brain scan right away.
So I felt I had been hung out to dry by this clown. I mean what was I to him -- chopped liver???
The whole thing was a vile fiasco and left me reeling, depressed and angry at the medical community in general.
I haven't been back to see either that neuro or my GP. I figure I'm better off without them - with physicians like that who needs enemies?
Went to the MS clinic to see a different neuro who after examing me and interviewing me in depth told me I had SPMS and there was nothing to be done for it.
So guess what? I'm taking vitamins, supplements, exercise following a modified SWANK diet and seeing a naturopath.
highheeledfagin
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by highheeledfagin »

My doctor didn't! After my MRI, I didn't hear from them, and just assumed that everything was okay, but then really needed to know and couldn't get hold of the right people. It was about a year later that the uni welfare officer who had been helping my try to get hold of them, brought me in to discuss my diagnosis, assuming that I had received the same confirmation letter that he had. Of course, I hadn't, and this conversation was mostly one-sided as I absorbed what he had said. Not nice, but I was glad that somebody else had said it out loud, because I was pretty certain by this point.
acekay
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by acekay »

Gosh, I went to the ER because I was having trouble walking, and after an MRI, a doctor came in and told us it looked like MS and there was a low chance of it being anything else but they wanted to confirm with an LP. My mom started crying even though she had no idea what it was, and I laughed. Not because it was funny, I was laughing at every little thing. I think that was a symptom though.
belky73
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by belky73 »

Some of these stories are just horrible. Thankfully I have an amazing Neuro who thought enough about me as a human being to do extensive testing for almost an entire year before he would formally diagnose me with MS. Some dr's have ZERO bedside manner and have no business being in the health care profession.
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Azaeleaprawn
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Re: How did you doctor tell you that you have MS?

Post by Azaeleaprawn »

Some dr's have ZERO bedside manner and have no business being in the health care profession.
Ya think ?????

I wish that there was a mandatory course for bedside manner in medical school that all dr's would have to pass before they were unleashed on the unsuspecting public.
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