Guest guest Posted September 11, 2003 Report Share Posted September 11, 2003 How long are the waiting lists for MRI's? Can you like be on the list twice, like in 6 months and then again in 12 months (at the same time)? Enhancement is the way to go....with and without. I still had one enhanced active lesion on the last MRI and I've had it since diagnosed. I was on Beterseron for 8 months and that didn't do it! Margie > > From: " jchrissullivan " <chris_sullivan@...> > Date: 2003/09/10 Wed PM 07:47:05 EDT > low dose naltrexone > Subject: [low dose naltrexone] MRIs > > I plan on my neurologist taking as many MRIs as it takes to convince that I have improved or at least halted progress, using gadolinium enhancement and without. Unfortunately that may mean I cannot start right away because of the long waiting list for MRIs in Canada. -Sullivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2003 Report Share Posted September 13, 2003 Sue, I have Federal insurance (Medicare) and Fl. state insurance (Medicaid) and I have no trouble getting MRI's at any time. My spinal fluid is normal. all my lesions are in my brain and the only way to see if there are more active lesions is with an MRI. I believe MRI's are a valuable tool and without them, the Dr's would still be looking for a diagnosis. Your Dr's are correct, there is no cure for MS. But there is treatment to stop progression and an MRI will tell you if there are new lesions...which, to me means that the progression has not stopped. There is no definitive test for MS....they rule out everything out, take spinal taps, MRI's and symptoms into account. I also had evoked potential tests (sensory and optical), both abnormal. Margie > > From: " Sue Goose " <suegoose@...> > > Subject: [low dose naltrexone] MRIs > > my neuro he told me that an MRI alone was inconclusive and he did not seem to consider that they were important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2003 Report Share Posted September 13, 2003 <on soapbox> A self evident truth and a fundamantal human civil right, is the right to treatment when you are sick no matter how poor you are. In the US they have short to non-existent waiting lists and price competition but not for those who can't afford it. As with cannabis people should not be denied treatment, jailed, lied to, or humiliated just because they are sick. Ask yourself what the insurance company has to gain if you accept what they say. Also ask yourself if they pay for any other treatments of " incurable " diseases. Symptomatic treatments are all you can do sometimes. Some people treat their dogs *way* better than they would ever treat a poor man. They have every right to, in law. But would you want one to marry your daughter? <off soapbox> BTW I talked to the radiologist just after he completed my MRI. He showed me the lesions, and said there is a pattern typical of MS. I think a good radiologist can tell the difference on an MRI between clinically definite and consistent with. Especially after the 2nd. If you don't have enough lesions one your MRI, *then* it's inconclusive. But it is the primary tool for diagnosis and monitoring of MS. -Sullivan " The only thing wrong with poor people is they haven't got enough money. " Dave Barrett, BC, Canada's first NDP and first Jewish premier --- In low dose naltrexone , " Sue Goose " <suegoose@b...> wrote: > There is always a lot of talk about getting new MRIs done noticeably from contributors from the US. When I mentioned this to my neuro he told me that an MRI alone was inconclusive and he did not seem to consider that they were important. I had one done in 1991 when I was diagnosed but that was paid for by my medical insurance (which I no longer have since giving up work). I remember thinking at the time how expensive it was - something like £450. I am just curious - who pays for all these MRIs that you guys seem able to have done at the drop of a hat? The insurance company I was using told me that they would not pay for any further " treatment " following diagnosis as it was a condition with no known cure! > > Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2003 Report Share Posted September 14, 2003 My insurance will pay for any lab work any of my doctors request. Blue Cross Blue Shield Alabama PPO. B. ----- Original Message ----- From: Sue Goose low dose naltrexone Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 11:55 AM Subject: [low dose naltrexone] MRIs There is always a lot of talk about getting new MRIs done noticeably from contributors from the US. When I mentioned this to my neuro he told me that an MRI alone was inconclusive and he did not seem to consider that they were important. I had one done in 1991 when I was diagnosed but that was paid for by my medical insurance (which I no longer have since giving up work). I remember thinking at the time how expensive it was - something like £450. I am just curious - who pays for all these MRIs that you guys seem able to have done at the drop of a hat? The insurance company I was using told me that they would not pay for any further "treatment" following diagnosis as it was a condition with no known cure! Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2003 Report Share Posted September 14, 2003 > > There is always a lot of talk about getting new MRIs done noticeably > from contributors from the US. When I mentioned this to my neuro he > told me that an MRI alone was inconclusive and he did not seem to > consider that they were important. I had one done in 1991 when I was > diagnosed but that was paid for by my medical insurance (which I no > longer have since giving up work). I remember thinking at the time > how expensive it was - something like £450. I am just curious - who > pays for all these MRIs that you guys seem able to have done at the > drop of a hat? The insurance company I was using told me that they > would not pay for any further " treatment " following diagnosis as it > was a condition with no known cure! > > Sue I must say that it sounds like the British Med system is pretty harsh on MS patients. I have a friend over in Scotland who should be on Rebif and they don't give it to her. When they say 'it doesn't work' what they mean is 'We can't afford it'... I'm in Canada, and we have free health care too, (I guess you guys are going private a bit?) and my Neuro is studying under Paty, the retiring genius who first found MS on an MRI at UBC. Is an MRI important? Well it can teach you what a flaky disease we're dealing with. I've heard that up to 5% of people given MRI's for non-MS reasons show some lesions. Given that .01% of people are diagnoses with MS, this means that 98% of people with lesions don't have MS. Is MS the symptoms? Yes. I guess. Just having a lot of lesions got me diagnosed (and some symptoms) but I'm starting to think I might be able to become symptom-free with a lot of lesions, so join the 98%. The main thing is when you read papers on research on MS the main thing they measure is the Lesions. There is special software that compares one MRI to another and tells exactly the changes. A drug is considered good or bad based on MRI's. The LDN effort needs people who can to get MRI's before and after years of treatment and somehow make the results known. BTW: there was so much red tape here that I paid for my own MRI. (the only medical thing I've ever paid for) It cost about 400 pounds if I remember. Is an MRI important in looking at MS? Is an x-ray useful in deciding if a bone is broken? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.