Hello All.....Going For An MRI On Monday

Love2Draw

Hi .
This is my first post in the "main" forums, although I did introduce myself in the "Say Hello" section recently.
I have OA of my lumbar spine and both SI joints. I found out after having X-Rays in November 2007, then an MRI scan in March 2008. I had back surgery (microdiscectomy) in May 2008 because the MRI showed a major disc prolapse at L5/S1.
After recovering from the surgery, I went back to work on rehab where my hours were gradually increased back up to full time over the next 4 months. Work provided me with an orthopaedic chair, built specifically to my measurements and physical needs, and they changed my workload to very light duties only. I stayed on these ammended duties for the next 3 years, but my back pain became too bad and I was given ill health retirement in August 2011 on the recommendation of our occy health.....none other than the lovely ATOS :roll: .

Last year, my back pain increased again and has continuously become more intense. I have also started feeling weird tingling sensations down my back, bottom and back of my thighs. Then, there's the very embarrasing problem of.. :oops: ..ehm.. :oops: .some loss of bladder control which often results in me wetting myself :oops: .

Anyway, I have spoken regularly to my GP about this increasing back pain and on/off neurological symptoms (and the bladder problem :oops: ), and that I sometimes feel pain down my right leg...in exactly the same place as the severe sciatic pain I had before my surgery in 2008.
He took blood samples for testing...he told me at my next appointment, 5 days later, that my blood tests were "normal" but that there was inflammation showing in my results. After saying that this fits in with the pain I am experiencing, along with the neuro problems, he told me (15th Jan 2013) that he would refer me for an MRI scan. Being the NHS, I fully expected to have to wait quite a while for an appointment.

SO, this morning, just 10 days since my GP told me he would make a referral, I received a phone call from the hospital.
"Hello," said the caller, "could I speak to Miss ******** please ? He then went on to say that my GP had made a referral and that they have an appointment available on Monday, at 7.30pm, for an MRI scan !
I honestly can't believe how quickly I have been given an appointment after my GP saying he would make a referral.

I'll have to get the bus in. I can't drive anymore because of the amount of prescribed dihydrocodeine I have to take for the pain, (8 x 30mg daily, plus 8 x 500mg paracetomol and 4 x 400mg ibuprofen daily). The hospital is 14 miles away, by 2 buses. This is the same hospital where I had my back surgery in May 2008.
I'm thinking that the bus journey in will aggravate my sore joints, so the consultant at the hospital will have a better idea of the pain I am in ?
I'll try to take less of my pain meds on Monday too, but will take them with me because I will be in absolute agony...especially after such a long bus journey. My brother in law will be picking me up from the hospital after my scan.

mig

Good luck for Monday,hope its not too painful for you. Mig

stickywicket

Good luck with the MRI. Please let us know how it went - and how you are afterwards.

kellerman

Its amazing how the NHS find these appointments quickly when they have to. Hope it all goes well.

villier

Good luck for Monday keep us updated how you go xx

dreamdaisy

Hello Love2Draw, it's good to hear from you again. I wish you the very best for Monday, I would advise you to take your pain meds because lying on the scanner is not very comfy, I'm not sure if you will see a consultant at that time of night but he will be aware of your pain levels due to what you take. Take a copy of your repeat prescription with you for general info because they ask questions before you go in.

The scanner is VERY NOISY. You will given earphones and maybe a choice of music but be prepared for the noise. This varies according to what type of scan is being done, you will have a call button to hand and they can talk to you via an intercom. All will be well and please let us know how you get on, yes? DD

dachshund

Hello Love2draw
welcome to the forum. good luck on monday i hope you dont have to wait too long for the result.
take care
joan xx

bubbadog

Hi Love2draw, good luck with the mri scan, hope you can get through the appt and then take your pain meds after to settle the pain. Please let us know how you get on.

Love2Draw

Thank you for your replies and support .
I will let you all know how things go with my scan.
dreamdaisy, thank you. I've had an MRI before and yes, it is very noisy in there isn't it ? Last time was back in 2008, but it was done privately and was paid for by my last employer. I was sent a copy of the MRI report too.
My last MRI was followed very quickly by an appointment with a Neurosurgeon, then 2 months after my scan, I had back surgery.

I'm going to ask if I can have a copy of this MRI report, because I'm going through a battle with the DWP over my ESA claim. I'm appealing after being declared "fit for work" after some ATOS NURSE decided that there's not really that much wrong with me :roll: . My ESA85 WCA Report is full of false, innacurate and misleading statements. Stupid NURSE said that there's "no weakness or muscle spasm" in my back, when she didn't even touch my back at any point during my assessment. But hey, I guess that she could see through my fairly loose fitting fleece jumper, worn over a t-shirt, with her superhuman power of x-ray vision :roll: . She also stated in the ESA85 report that my pain meds are "normal dosage", yeah right ! So, it's "normal" for someone to be on 4000mg paracetomol, 1600mg ibuprofen and 240mg dihydrocodeine daily, continuously, with no break from taking them over the last 5 - 6 years ?
Those are just 2 examples of what the ATOS NURSE stated in my ESA85 report. I have given a copy of this report to my GP, emailed my MP and will be going to see a CAB advisor about this.

Anyway, best wishes to all of you. Take care of yourselves and I hope everyone isn't in too much pain. xx

barbara12

Hello Love2Draw
I will be in your pocket on Monday ...has we say on here pocket duties...and I so hope you get some answers when the results come though.
I will be thinking about you x

Catie

Hello LoveToDraw,

I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow. Good luck - there will be lots of us here on the forum sending you positive thoughts .

Catie

kentishlady

Hi. I'll be with you too and hope that all goes well for your scan. Let us know how you get on. Do hope your pain level can be sorted out soon. Beryl ((()))

Milly8

Just a quick hello from me and good luck for Monday.
Bye for now
Milly

hileena111

Good Luck for Monday from me as well

Love
Hileena

stickywicket

I hope it goes well. I am thinking of you.

Love2Draw

I'm just back home from having my MRI.
I ended up getting a taxi in to hospital because my back is hurting too much to stand around waiting, then travelling by by bus. It's lashing with rain here and there's a very cold wind, I would have had to get 3 buses there. My brother in law brought me back home afterwards.
My scan went well, I could almost fall asleep in there, but I struggled to get back off the table thingy afterwards because of sharp, burning pains in my SI joints.
During the scan, I could feel a tingling sensation in my lower back, bottom, back and inside of thighs, down the outside of my right leg and in my right foot and toes. I didn't feel this when I had an MRI scan before, so wondering if there's some connection with my increased pain. The radiologist said that some people have more sensitive nerve endings so can feel tingling.
She said my GP should have the scan results/report within a week.

Oh, and I took my pain meds as normal today. I just couldn't manage without. My back is killing me now, and I've already had 8 x 30mg dihydrocodeine today. My joints are burning and I can feel my back muscles seizing up and going into spasm. OUCH !

stickywicket

At least it's over with now. I hope you'l feel a bit better by tomorrow.

villier

That's good it's all by with fingers crossed you are feeling a bit better in the morning..............Marie xx

bubbadog

Hi Lovetodraw, Glad you had your MRI scan done, those tables are a nightmare to get off! Are you arranging to go and see your G.P next week to get results? Sorry you suffered on the day of the MRI and had to take a lot of pain meds. Hopefully soon you will have pain relief that works better keeping your pain at bay!

kentishlady

Well done for having MRI completed. The idea scares me rigid as I hate confined spaces and I think they would need to knock me out before I could undergo one, but I really admire people who do have them. Hope you get your results soon. Let us all know how you get on. Take care. Am sure you must be suffering after all that effort to get there and back. Beryl. ((()))

dreamdaisy

I have yet to discover an MRI table that feels like a feather bed. I end up with increased pain after being still for any length of time so my thinking would be that your tingling etc was related to that. My SI joints hurt too, it's miserable, isn't it? Bless your BIL for bringing you home and please let us know what the results show, OK? Take care and take things easy for the next day or so. DD