Here's my two cents, for what it's worth. I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned it by this point, actually. I think it should be up to the doctors as to what tests to order, not us patients.

While I am all for becoming familiar with the various testing procedures, new technologies, differential diagnoses, best places to have everything done, read, filmed, interpreted and on and on, I know from personal experience you can waste a lot of time energy and money - and even lose credibility with your specialists - by essentially demanding that certain tests be done STAT!

Tests ordered too early will be out of date by the time they are actually needed for their intended purpose (review by a top surgeon, for example), and will only have to be repeated.

Same with tests ordered correctly but done at a facility other than the one favored by the doctor who will ultimately interpret the results, wanting to use not only his or her preferred lab but favorite radiologist as well.

What's the name of that old song! 'ya got the right string, baby but the wrong yo yo....

Just saying, be careful. Discuss all the test options to your heart's desire once you find a trusted doc who will work with you in sorting through this nasty business. Diagnosing TOS is not easy and is part of what makes it a controversial area of medicine.

But go slow, stay aware that timing is important here and go one step at a time. The key is finding that one good partner/doc to drive everything: tests, referrals, rx's, all of it.

Or maybe two. Not saying it's easy. But it ain't us! We de sick ones! Our job is to find the specialists and let them do their jobs (with plenty of healthy input from the patient, but their decisions are final).

And hey, bottom line? TOS remains to this day primarily a clinical diagnosis anyways. Go figure...

Hope I have not offended anyone as that is not my intention here at all. I'm just speaking from personal experience, having outsmarted myself more than once asking for expensive (and painful!) tests that turned out to be a waste of time!

Alison