NPA Next Week
 

Just found out my neuropsych assessment is booked for next week. I wasn't going to have it done as I wasn't going to pay out of pocket for it. Apparently exceptions can be made for it to be covered under OHIP in some cases, even when they tell you it can't and mine will be covered.

Since mine isn't being paid for by workers comp or anything, it should be a fair assessment (i hope) of what's really going on, no one is paying to have a particular result in their favour.

I'm not looking forward to 5 hours of testing though. Not sure I'm looking forward to getting the results either, though I suppose its better to know than not know. And maybe good to know what strengths are intact still, as well.

Just feeling a bit caught off guard since I'd decided not to have it, then suddenly they booked it. Wasn't expecting that.

Starr

I'm hoping you get some good information from your test that you can use to improve your work or life going forward! 5 hours is brutal but I've heard some of them are longer. Plan to do nothing the rest of the day and next.

I would love to have my testing paid for. Can you tell me who ordered it (family doc, psycologist, psyciatrist, neurologist)? And where are you having it done (hospital, private practice, clinic)?

Let us know how it goes and good luck!

CC

It was ordered by my physiatrist (doc of physical medicine and rehab) that I see at the brain injury rehab clinic at the Ottawa Hospital. It'll be done at the Ottawa Hospital at the psych dept... normally, they only do inpatient NPA's, they only very occasionally make exceptions for outpatients, apparently its part of new cost saving restructuring blah blah blah.

If you have any extended health care benefits, they won't accept you. While I do have benefits, I've used all my coverage for the year already, which is how I qualify at all.

I did the intake interview on the phone today, which took about an hour and cuts down on the overall testing time. It also gives them more flexible scheduling, they just slot you in between their inpatient appointments. So when I arrive next week, we just start right away with the testing, no interview to start. She said it also helps by not tiring people out just from the interview before testing even starts.

I didn't expect to have this done at all, never mind so soon, so I'm still feeling a bit off balance about it all.
Starr

I had min done on Wednesday this week Starr... It was pretty long, about 4.5 hours. I don't have any psych problems though (mood or depression issues) so it was shorter since they didn't have to do those tests.

I was ridiculously tired afterwards... I slept the entire way home (1.5 hour drive), and was thankful for the transportation provided by my insurance.

There were parts of the test I did just fine on. Mainly reading words, remembering names, following directions (for the most part). There were other tests I didn't do as well at. Adding numbers while crossing off all the A's in the line (killed me because I used to be top of my class in engineering calculus). Image remembrance (test one was horrible, test two marginally better). And the abstract shape remembrance test was the absolute worst. Maybe because it was last and I was exhausted. I don't know....

I was told that there are treatments that haven't been given, for headaches, for concentration... I am praying I finally get the treatment I need... and you too Starr! I was wondering how you were doing, and praying that you wree a lot better, and sad to hear you are not....

Yes, I believe the point of the NPA in my case is to open up opportunities for referrals to speech therapists etc... just to figure out what comes next. Find out what cognitive deficits exist and who to see about them.

Luckily its just information based and not for workers comp or for an insurance company or anything like that where someone is paying for a biased opinion. Any referrals will require private payment, through extended health benefits or out of pocket, so the testing and results should be ok, I think?

I don't know if they are testing for mood disorders or not, our intake interview didn't really get into that.

I will be driving myself to and from the test, but if I'm exhausted after, I'll just plan to hang out in the truck and have a short nap in the parking lot before I leave. I don't have any real options as I'm the only driver in the house and since we live rurally, taxis aren't really an option. (minimum $150 one way and you have to beg them to come pick you up and even then sometimes when they say they will come, they just don't show up.)

The tests scare me... they sound hard. But then again, writing a cheque, a task that used to take like 2 mins, now takes me at least 30 mins and may or may not be correct at the end... I can't pay cash reliably and be sure I give and get correct change, filling out questionnaires confuse me, etc etc... so these will definitely be a challenge.

Heck, the one hour intake phone interview yesterday pretty much wiped me out and that was just basic information about my injury and symptoms. By the end of the conversation, she wanted to give me her phone number in case I needed to contact her before next week and it took me 5 tries before I had it written down correctly and could repeat it back to her, reading it off the paper I had written it on. :o I imagine her job must be frustrating at times. ;)

Starr

Hi Starr. Try not to stress over it. In mine, they started with easy questions (5+3= ? ) and worked up to harder ones until I "failed" at answering the question, the point being seeing where your ability to process the various test question ends, and if that place is within a normal range.

Regarding the mood disorders, on mine they did a Beck Anxiety and Depression inventory which is self reported.

Consider that it's a diagnostic tool, the outcome to of which is to evaluate where you are, with a goal of identifying next steps in your recovery.

Good luck Starr. I am still having my evaluation. I have gone twice now for 5 hours each time. I am supposed to have my last session at the end of the month and then I will get their report. I, like you am hoping they can direct me as to what treatments could be helpful. It is very tiring. I think that is why they have split up my appointments so much is so I can recover before going through another round. They know exactly the kinds of things we have trouble with and aggravate our brains. Wish you had more people around you to help you with chores and driving etc. I wish you the best and am in support of you.
Let me know what they say.
Brain :hug:

My NPA was delayed a week and was today. Whew that was brutal. 5 full hours.

By the end, I was having a lot of trouble answering the general knowledge questions, like "tell me who martin luther king jr is" and "who is ghandi" and stuff that I would normally know and be able to explain, I just couldn't find words to describe things anymore.

It was like my brain just gave up and left the building. I barely remember leaving, I just remember saying to the woman doing the testing, "I'm all done and can go?" and her saying "yes".

I walked out to my truck, locked the doors and passed out for about 45 minutes. Then I felt awake enough to drive the 40 minutes home and walk upstairs and just laid in the dark for 3 hours and napped on and off, too over stimulated to really sleep, but not able to really do anything either. My head was and still is brutally sore.

Some of the tests were not too bad, but some were obviously quite difficult... the ones where you look at a picture and then remember who is in the picture, where they were located and what they were doing, I failed miserably at. All the tests that involved remembering numbers, I know I did poorly at.

The results should be ready in about 2 weeks, so we'll see what they come up with... see if the official results match what I had noticed or if there are any surprises.

I'm feeling pretty hyper emotional tonight... the sort of night where anything/anyone can bring me to tears... you know you overdid it when...!!

Starr

Let us know how it goes! We got it covered from a referreal from my husband's neurologist. We have and HMO so I was surprised, but I think having a TBI diagnosis helped get it covered. We just pay a co pay. Not sure if it's for all the testing or for each visit. We are waiting for an opening, but the person we are getting in with is supposed to be the best out here, so I am hopeful. I had no idea how intricate the testing was! So after the testing it's like 'normal' psychology therapy right?
Best of luck...be sure to get lots of rest!

It sounds like mine, which my LTD paid for after a long while. I did it in one hour chunks. Hope you can rest after that grueling day!

I completely understand Starr... I was so thankful I had arranged for a driver with my insurance that day, as I couldn't even keep my eyes open all the way home. Once home I sat in a stupor for the rest of the evening, and was incapable of much more than a nod...

Mine lasted about 4.5 hours, although I got a half hour break in the middle. I don't have any signs/symptoms of depression so that shortened it a fair bit. Certain things I did horribly at... Like crossing out all the a's in a line of letters and numbers, while adding the numbers at the same time. Remembering images I had seen was another place I did very poorly, and there were times I found myself in tears, out of frustration, since I used to be really smart...

Hopefully this will get you what you need... treatment and help... That's what I hope for too...

I did get a 45 min break in the middle... we did 2.5 hours of testing, then the lunch break, then another 2.5 hours of testing.

There was no depression screening on mine either.

I didn't cry DURING the testing... but afterwards, I was just so tired... I just couldn't cope... even this morning things are rough... and its like the worst hangover ever.

And I'm not sure HOW I managed to not think this through, but I booked my truck in to get serviced this morning WHILE I WAIT, so I have to leave in a few minutes and sit and wait while my winter tires get changes, the oil gets changed and a few other maintenance things... in the noisy horrible waiting area at the mechanics... the day after my NPA.

Clearly my ability to plan ahead is impaired. ARGH!! MUST remember ear plugs.

Apparently the results should be available in about 2 weeks. Hopefully none of the results will be surprising or trigger any investigation into my ability to drive or anything. I don't want to have to regret having done this.

Starr