Got an MRI Scan today - Feeling a bit fed up.

[LisaB]

I'm feeling pretty fed up as I had an appointment with my consultant last month.
I explained to her that my chest and back (middle) have been the most painful for weeks, and whilst my other body parts ease off my chest is just agony all the time.

So what does she do? Send for an MRI scan of my hips and lower back. But I thought yeah, okay, they hurt too so it's not that much of a problem.

Then I get a copy of a letter 2 weeks ago that she sent my GP saying my condition sounds less and less like an inflammatory condition. I've been told my condition has been inflammatory from the age of 11-12, so I'm pretty narked off. But as it's near Christmas the doctors are full so I'll have to speak to my GP next week or the one after.

So, now my MRI scan is today, and guess what? My hips and back barely hurt and my chest is absolute agony.

This is exactly what happened last time so my MRI scan showed I was fine.

I feel like getting an MRI scan today of parts of my body that aren't even the problem is a complete waste of time.

What do you think I should do? Go and let my consultant think I'm fine, or cancel it make an appointment with my consultant again and get another MRI scan of my chest, which will probably take 8 months?


I'm getting quite fed up with my consultant at the moment. I feel like she's not listening to what I'm saying, and isn't communicating with me at all.

Sorry for the rant, just feel like I could rip my hair out

[MissEllie]

Sorry to hear you're fed up Lisa. I think it's worth still having the scan today but maybe it would also be a good idea to arrange to go back and try and explain how you feel to your consultant.
Sending you a

[LisaB]

Sorry to hear you're fed up Lisa. I think it's worth still having the scan today but maybe it would also be a good idea to arrange to go back and try and explain how you feel to your consultant.
Sending you a

Thanks Ellie
Just last time I got an MRI scan on my right hip and knee I think it was the left side that hurt, and I felt like she was under the impression that I'm making it up? especially with the letter she's just sent to my GP I feel like I shouldn't go today as it'll just make her think even more that there's nothing wrong with me.

I don't even understand where she's coming from whatsoever as my blood tests and previous MRI scans have shown high levels of inflammation in my body. And the pain hasn't changed, so how has she come to the conclusion that my condition isnt inflammatory?

[LisaB]

I should also mention that my chest is so painful today I don't even think I'll be able to lie still in an MRI scan for 5 minutes, never mind half an hour.

[perchy]

I too think you should still go, maybe mention this at the appointment sending you a

[Homemade]

I think prob best to go, but tell them at mri, They might be able to get permission to do chest too? (well it's a long shot)
Agree you need to speak plainly to consultant and get her to tell you exactly what she is looking for and what she thinks is the problem.

[Benny&Co]

Oh Lisa honey, I would dose up as best you can and go for the MRI scan.

Unfortunately you'll not be able to request extra body parts to be scanned as they follow instructions from the docs you see.

I reckon the consultant thinks the chest/mid back pain is connected to your hips and lower back? The nerve pathways from your back run all over the body so maybe thats what she's thinking?

Are you having the scan on the NHS? If so, you've done extremely well in getting a scan - I don't think they send anyone for one, just willy nilly.

Take lots of good care won't you hey and we're all here for you

[LittleBrownFrog]

I would definitely go for the scan. Explain the situation to them. Even if you're in too much pain to be able to stay still for the scan, they will note that on the information they send back to the consultant. Do you normally see your consultant on your own, or take your Mum/Dad? Just thinking that maybe having someone else there to back you up next time you see the consultant, might be helpful?

[rhubarb93]

I think if you explain clearly where the pain is to the MRI staff it may be possible for them to get medical authorisation for them to scan that area too. I'd be quite determined and point out that they scanned the wrong leg before. Take someone with you to back you up and give moral support, if you are not already doing that.
Bit of a pity you didn't contact them earlier to raise this, but in my experience if you make a polite fuss, people usually find a way to sort things out.
Hope it goes well.

[LisaB]

Yeahh, I'm gonna go, not too happy about it though as my chest is just getting worse, and I've barely had 4 hours sleep (even less the night before) so I'm just so exhausted I wish I could stay in bed all day.

I go into my appointments on my own, but I'm gonna take my mum in next time as she's not happy about what's going on.

I should add - they didn't scan the wrong leg last time, it was just the fact that by the time the MRI scan had come around the pain had switched sides. Like two days ago my back was hurting, now it isn't (apart from the very top leading from my chest).

Also my consultant said I was getting my back and hips scanned, but on the letter it just says hips, so I don't even know.

I get my MRI scans on the NHS. I usually get one every year.

[Benny&Co]

Glad you went Lisa, how did you get on?

Hope the pain isn't as bad today it's extremely debilitating when it keeps you awake isn't it sweeti

I was wondering about you yesterday, have they checked out your internal organs - just thinking outloud that's all - lungs, gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, bladder etc?

Let's hope the New Year will bring you some answers hey xxxx

[LisaB]

Thanks Bev! Had a much better sleep so I'm not as grumpy as yesterday

The scan was okay, got a bit painful towards the end but I managed it. The radiographer had to help me up though ahaha.

I've never had my organs or anything looked at, but I did have a full body MRI when I was 13 I think.

[Benny&Co]

So glad you're feeling a bit better today

[Freeranger]

Can't think of anything constructive to say so just sending .

The intermittent faults are always harder to find than a permanent problem. I think you should take your Mum or someone else with you next time you see your GP, and write down the questions you want to ask and points you want to make about the shifting pain and long timescales, so that you remember to say or ask everything that you want to. Perhaps you could ask to be referred to a different consultant. If you can't, then perhaps you could do the same at your next appointment with her. You might be interpreting her comments differently from what she actually means, too, so it would be a useful conversation from both sides.

That's fairly useless advice if you're feeling s****y, so again

[HensAloud]

Huggles and cuddles sweetie