Frustrated
 

I'm trying to figure out how to attach pictures of my mri. I saw my neurologist Wednesday and he seems to have given up trying to figure out what is wrong with me. He says my mri was unremarkable but I don't think he has looked at the images himself, just read the report. The images don't look unremarkable to me but I really wouldn't know.
Redcat

I had to paste my MRIs onto a different forum (not neurotalk), then copy the URL of that and stick into the "add picture" tool here (yellow box with mountain on it).

Jeffntate, love your avatar. You have to love grumpy cat. Even better is that you responded to redcat. :)

I fully support getting second or even third opinions on radiology reports.

My first two MRIs were reported back as essentially normal (just some disc, bone stuff). The third MRI report said the lesion in my cervical cord had extended into the thoracic cord since the previous MRI. Lesion....what lesion?? Turns out the third report was right, dirty great lesion all the way from C3 to T12.

I went back to the Radiology practice and complained in person about the first radiologist stuffing up the report. Nothing was done. I wonder how many other people he has killed or injured. Radiologists can get away with incorrect reports more so than most other doctors. If you think about it, the MRIs should be looked at by the referring doctor too, not just the report.

My oncologist told me he had to believe the report because he wasn't skilled at reading MRIs of the spinal cord. Fair enough. But when a Neuro only looks at the report and not the MRI, that's just not good enough.

Can you tell I have a big chip on my shoulder about doctors not doing their job properly. It's true.....they bury their mistakes.

There are two ways I know of:

1. You can insert them into a post, in whch case they must be online someplace, as you'll need to provide a URL

2. You can add them as attachments, in which case they must be on your computer or disc and uploaded.

I know that attachments have a size limitation, so you may have to reduce them (via some graphics utility) before uploading.

Doc

I'm not defending this neurologist, but why do you think it's fair enough that an oncologist not be skilled in reading MRIs, but not that a neurologist be unskilled at it? :Hum:

I've had some doctors look at imaging directly, some not, and some call in colleagues for a look/interpretation. It depends on the doctor and his practice, but some specialists only need/see imaging for a small fraction of their patients, while interpreting imaging is pretty much what a radiologist does.

I actually had one specialist disregard a radiologist's report and make a (wrong) diagnosis because of it. In this case, I think I can squarely put the responsibility on the specialist (whom I fired) but I'll still go to other doctors of that specialty when warranted.

Doc

trying again
 

Am trying with old laptop instead of my blackberry tablet. Thanks for the hints i also checked the faq. I am frustrated because the neurologist seems to have given up trying to find out what is causing all my symptoms & won't refer me to a movement specialist who was recommended by a researcher of movement disorders. I went to the lecture & was able to talk to the research Dr. afterwards.
Redcat

Do you need a referral? With recent changes (not even referring to ACA) insurance companies are no longer requiring referrals for many specialists. I'd check with your ins. carrier.

If that doesn't work, is there any way the research Dr. can see & refer you?

Doc

I'm not a dr , but it seems something is indenting in the middle section...fairly obvious to me??

What did the report say ?
I'm not sure if that is the c 3/4/5 but close to those levels?

You can see the indents can't you?

I live in rural Ontario in Canada. I have to be referred by my family Dr. , we just got a new family Dr. and haven't actually met him yet just the nurse practitioner. The neurologist could also have referred me. The research dr. Does not practice medicine just does research.
Redcat

Yes I can see the indents I posted a copy of the mri report, there isn't very much information in the report. I have hired an independent physiotherapist who pointed out things that were not reported. He took a copy of the mri disc to review later. I see him again at the end of the month hopefully he has some more information. He said c3 c4 have grown or fused together and are pushing into my spinal cord and are probably causing my constant headaches and my problems with my arms. He didn't have time the first appointment to look at my lumbar spine images. I can't pick up my feet when I walk so I shuffle or drag them. They are also very weak I can't lift them off the bed when lying down. I can't tell what temperature the pool is at the Y, I go 5 days a week when I don't have appointments. I also have Fibromyalgia and before the mva I was extremely sensitive to the temperature in the pool. I also get lhermitte's phenomenon when I cough or sneeze if my neck is in the wrong position. Before the last mva the electrical shock went down my neck, down my spine to my arms to my fingers (I would drop anything I was holding ) down my legs to my toes. Now the electrical shock (pain) stops at my low back. The posting of the mri report is back a few weeks or so.
Redcat