I can still hardly believe it. Answered the phone this morning and a voice on the other end said, "This is Dr. __", the radiologist from ___. Do you mind if I talk to you and ask you a few questions?" I was surprised but of course, I said I didn't mind at all!

Let me back up...

Long story short, I had follow-up MRIs of the brain and orbits at the end of December at a new facility, the one that my doctors are associated with. I had gone to a different facility for the first MRIs these doctors had ordered (the one my first knucklehead neuro-ophthalmologist used -- I now have a great neuro-op).

Got the radiologist reports from my December MRIs and the good news was that nothing enhanced. I also found out for the first time where some of my brain lesions were located. Unlike my neuro-op, my MS specialist is not so forthcoming with info. so I was thankful for this. So, it seemed like everything was stable but I made it my business to get my old MRIs to the new facility so they could do an addendum because I knew that this would give me the real answer. I had searched for information on how long lesions light up and was unable to find a definitive answer. One source said it was only six weeks so if this was true, this could mean that there was new activity but its time had passed since my last MRI! Getting my old films was not as easy a task as it sounds and I only delivered them to the new radiology facility last Monday.

I was mostly concerned about my brain, hence my surprise when the doctor asked me how my eye was and if I was experiencing any sx! As far as I was concerned, although I have some residual effects from my ON attack, they are thankfully very slight and nothing I can't live with. The good news is that according to this doctor, the optic MRI is better than the last one (where the lesion on my optic nerve lit up) but obviously, I'm not as clinically improved as I thought. I'll certainly find out more when I see my neuro-ophthalmologist in April. I don't think/hope it's anything to be concerned about but I know that if it is, she will call me when she gets the report.

Dr. ___ and I chatted for a bit and he was more than willing to answer some questions for me! I told him how blown away I was and he commended me for wanting to know these things!

On the question of active lesions, he said that it can be as little as 6 weeks but also much longer. There really is no exact timetable. He also said that sometimes lesions will light up during/as a result of the remyelination process! He also discussed some of the confusion of identifying lesions as MS and the many mimics -- AND that 2 different doctors can see 2 different things in the findings. He told me that he's done MRIs on himself and he has white matter lesions as well although they are not MS.

I am seriously blown away. He was a wealth of information and I am happy to know that he's there! I told him he sounds like he loves what he does and he agreed. My neuro-op is like this too -- so involved.

I still can't believe I overlooked getting these MRIs to the new facility when I got the follow-ups but perhaps it was meant to be because I wouldn't have otherwise had this opportunity to speak to this doctor. Now that I know how thorough he is, I am admittedly a little nervous about getting the addendums -- he hadn't gotten to my brain yet.

Perhaps one of the things that adds to my delight about receiving this call is that when I spoke to my MS specialist's assistant and asked if the doctor wanted me to come in for an appointment, she never got back to me. (And he's had these reports and access to the films through their network since the first week in January.)

That is awesome both that he called and that you're doing okay.

I love to hear about doctors who love their job and really care about their patients.

It makes all the difference in the world. The gals in my neuro-op's office LOVE her and are motivated by her compassion and diligence. It shows. They actually helped me unravel the old MRI quandry. It was a little complicated, much more than it should have been.

I hope the info. on active lesions is helpful to others -- I went back and underlined that part.

Also, just to underscore my initial mistake -- if you're changing facilities, bring the old MRI into the new one when you get it done!

Well I AM happy for you and that you have not only a good specialist but that the radioloigst called you. I am not clear as to WHY he called you personally rather than just talk/report to your doctor???

ANd this tells me how much we are at the hands of the individual docs and their interpretations/dx. I keep getting different DX depending on who I see.
But YES I remember my new Rheumatologist saying MANY people have lesions on the white matter. Seems like it has to be collaborated with clinical symptoms to matter... any ideas?

Take care and keep us informed.
JAN

Jan, I really am not sure why he called but I am so happy he did. I think the personal interaction I had with the radiology center might have had something to do with it but I'm not sure. The woman who collected my MRIs and sorted them (they were in a state of disarray) remembered me and was sooo nice. She knew a little bit of the story behind the story regarding my quandry. Or, perhaps that it may have been that these old MRIs were delivered so long after the fact and he thought perhaps there was a reason.

I also think that something may have puzzled him and that he was trying to learn himself and that any information I could give him might be helpful in creating the addendum. He did not try to dx me and made it clear that he was a radiologist and not a pathologist. He gave both my doctors a big thumbs up -- this was comforting to hear because of my relationship with my MS specialist. I know he's smart but he just doesn't make me feel like he cares. When I visit him I feel like a statistic sitting in a chair. Completely a different experience than what happens when I visit my neuro-ophthalmologist. A lot of what I learned about MS early on was from her.

Re: the white matter lesions, I know that they can be caused by a number of things, not limited to but including smoking, migraines, small vessel disease and just normal aging. My friend's girlfriend is a neurologist specializing in migraines and she told me that MS lesions tend to be DEEP in the white matter but she HAS seen cases atypical of both conditions that can be confusing. And of course, there are also other conditions that can cause lesions that look just like MS lesions.

Talk about awesome patient attention. This is it!

I'm so glad you got to talk to him and you have a very attentive, progressive, and aggressive health team on your side. This is just so important in finding out just what is wrong with you and getting a confirmed answer.

Hang in there and keep following up with your neuro to get in there and discuss the findings.

Very cool!

Wow, now that is just awesome.

Wow Beary, this is awesome and thanks for the info on lesions!

You may want to have the radiologist sign an agreement that they'll never retire, move offices, leave town, etc. This radiologist is a definite keeper!

Bearygood--Thanks for passing on what he said! Interesting to hear. Glad you have such good doctors.

That's amazing that a radiologist called you--I thought they never interacted with patients.

(Me, I would find it amazing if ANY doctor ever called me spontaneously--it's like pulling teeth just to get them to call me BACK!)