MRI results and question

[macaroni68]

So, I saw my neurologist yesterday to go over my MRI. He pulls up the MRI slides and tells me that there have been a lot of changes since my last MRI. He shows me that I have something called Dawson's fingers, lesions in my Corpus Collusom, and a spinal lesion with a lot of M.S. plaque.

Then he shows some active lesions in my brain around the back side of my head and he says that they are in an area that would affect eye sight, and have I had any visual changes? I looked at him and said "Uh, no". Then he said well that is the bugaboo with MRI's and MS. Anyone looking at your MRI would go WHOA! but then to look at you clinically you look great. Whereas someone else can have one or two lesions and be dramatically affected clinically. I have to admit, I was taken aback by these statements.

Because then he started saying if the rebif didn't work that they would put me on something stronger and that there were other options. So, me becoming concerned, I asked him I am going to be okay right? and he said well, I can't guarantee anything and I don't have a crystal ball, but to look at you in front of me it would seem that you are doing fine.

I then said I didn't realize that there had been so much advancement in lesion load and I won't be going off the dmd again. He just looked at me and said  "ya, you shouldn't stop taking your medication and if things get worse call me right away".

So, now  I am freaked the heck out. I mean, I know that there is no way of him knowing what the future holds for me it is just that the last time I saw him in September he made it sound as if everything was going to be okay. That all I needed to do was get back on the drugs and continue my disease course which up to now has been fairly mild.

Only now it would seem according to the MRI that things are much more advanced than they were before and I am afraid. I remind myself to not live in the world of the "what ifs" and to live my life like usual and if something happens than deal with it then, but I also think I need to let myself cry for a little bit. Give myself time to mourn what is and to grieve over what has been lost and then brush myself off and move on. I guess in the end that is all any of us can do.

So, my question is can a "bad" MRI be indicative of what the future may hold?

[madmelissa]

Chris,

Hi, welcome to the forum! I just wanted to encourage you to repost this in it's own post by clicking the "Post a Question" button at the top of the page. That way it will be seen by all of our members. They may have missed it since it was posted as a reply to another member's question.

Melissa

[chris833]

I was diagnosed with probable MS earlier this spring by my primary physician due to numerous symptoms.  I was refered to a neurologist.  An MRI was performed....  The MRI had shown ONE area of plaque on my brain - A scan of the spinal cord was not done.  Labs also indicated that I was vitamin D deficient...I have been compliant with the vitamin D regimin that the neurologist has prescribed.  Symptoms subsided for about 1 1/2 months, and now they have returned (welcome back: weakness, muscle stiffness, muscle pain, tingling, band around the head, blurred double vision,  mental fog, shortness of breath,  and dizziness , oh how I have missed all of you!)  I returned to the neurologist, and now she wants me to start taking an additional supplements (Co Enzyme Q10, high performance multivit, and omega 3).  She informed me that having one lesion on the brain is normal, and that things that could be deadly such as cancer have been ruled out.  She has not offered to do a repeat MRI or Spinal fluid analysis.  My question is ...is it possible to have MS with only one area of plaque?    Should I obtain a second opinion?  I value your opinions.l  Thank  you - Chris

[Udkas]

Hi there,
I am sorry to hear about your latest MRI and the fact there are more lesions, but I agree with the others sometimes people can have a high lesion load with very little symptoms and others can have a few lesions and lots of symptoms.  Lets hope you are the latter and stay that way.

MS is impossible to predict, sometimes the doctors can get have a bit of an idea on what type of cause your MS might take but not always, it doesn't seem to follow rules and there seems to be so many variables.

It must be a shock that it has come back after 6 years of remission. Were you on DMDs in that remission time?  I wish you luck with it all and I hope that you will go back into a long period of remission again.

Hugs,
Udkas.

[Sumanadevii]

This reaction is exactly why I don't want to know where or how many lesions.  I am guessing if they give a problem I will know at that time.  For me personally I know I would begin finding problems if told where they might be hidden...lol

[essdipity]

Jen is right. There's no predicting what will happen, based on lesions or anything else. Of course that's true of life in general.

The best we can do is be compliant with meds and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You sound mentally very healthy too. It's perfectly okay to mourn and grieve, and it may be necessary. But ultimately we pull ourselves together and get on with our lives.

Please join us here very often---it's a great place for support and understanding.

ess

[jensequitur]

Actually, no - oddly enough, those of us with MRIs with high lesion loads often have a relatively benign course.  There are others with seemingly few lesions on the MRI, that have a harder time of it.