MRI results advice please

[HeadingNorth 11]

Yes, but every single patient does not realise they can ring the Consultants secretary.

 

I'll grant you that. There are two possible scenarios - one patient is selfish and jumps the queue at the expense of all the others; or all the patients are selfish and nobody gains.

[Saffy 10]

If you're in so much pain i can totally understand hoping that calling the secretary may speed things up!!

[Arguendo 10]

I'll grant you that. There are two possible scenarios - one patient is selfish and jumps the queue at the expense of all the others; or all the patients are selfish and nobody gains.

 

Oh come HN, let’s not start beating someone because their asking for advice because they’re in pain, it’s a bit unsympathetic to say the least; I guarantee you this if you were in so much pain you wouldn’t hesitate at ‘jumping the queue’ if you had the chance. However this is not the case, by ringing the secretary, & letting them know you are available at very short notice to attend, actually saves the NHS money. You do get patients, who cancel because they no longer feel it necessary, or the appointment is inconvenient, clinic secretaries ring patients usually in advance to ensure they are able to attend, on many occasions the patients hasn’t had the foresight or decency to cancel, therefore the appointment goes unattended costing the NHS vasts ammount of money. So in effect, by placing your name with the secretary, you are saving the NHS money.

[scoop 10]

Ringing up and hassling people is not jumping the queue.

 

If you don't make a noise, no one will even notice that you are sat languishing waiting for a routine appointment to come through -it is assumed that you are ok.

 

As a nurse, I'm very aware that you can hurry things up by going a different route.

 

In my case, I spoke to the secretary, my GP wrote to my consultant to chivvy them up, but they were having real difficulties in the neuro surgery dep at that time, and it wasn't until I complained about how long my appointment was taking through PALS that anything happened - extra clinics were laid on - so everyone waiting benefitted, not just me.

 

Ring everyone involved in your husbands care and make sure they realise how much distress he's in. It may also be worth asking your GP to refer him to the physio and the pain clinic as these appointments will also take a while to come though.

[Arguendo 10]

Ringing up and hassling people is not jumping the queue.

 

If you don't make a noise, no one will even notice that you are sat languishing waiting for a routine appointment to come through -it is assumed that you are ok.

 

As a nurse, I'm very aware that you can hurry things up by going a different route.

 

In my case, I spoke to the secretary, my GP wrote to my consultant to chivvy them up, but they were having real difficulties in the neuro surgery dep at that time, and it wasn't until I complained about how long my appointment was taking through PALS that anything happened - extra clinics were laid on - so everyone waiting benefitted, not just me.

 

Ring everyone involved in your husbands care and make sure they realise how much distress he's in. It may also be worth asking your GP to refer him to the physio and the pain clinic as these appointments will also take a while to come though.

 

Although I agree in some part Scoop, I don’t feel the physio would be the right route at present, until a diagnosis as to the cause is established; a physio could potentially make the condition worse, the physiotherapist will wait for the post surgeon consultation, the surgeon may then refer for physio input, as for pain clinics it’ll take the same process.

 

There are two types of pain clinics, one is basically the acute pain team, primarily hospital based & deals with newly onset pain, or pain which is less than three months old, trauma, post surgical etc, they will only do what the GP can do & don’t take referrals from the community.

 

Chronic pain teams is the other, they won’t see a patient until the pain experienced has been deemed as now being over three months old, after this period it is then considered Chronic.

 

And unfortunately PALS no longer exist, but as you rightly point out by letting the GP & consultant know of how you are coping will help in speeding you consultation up, same as if the symptoms change become further complicated, then these are warning signs which need immediate attention, hence the reason not to be afraid to attend A&E.

[scoop 10]

Although I agree in some part Scoop, I don’t feel the physio would be the right route at present, until a diagnosis as to the cause is established; a physio could potentially make the condition worse, the physiotherapist will wait for the post surgeon consultation, the surgeon may then refer for physio input, as for pain clinics it’ll take the same process.

 

There are two types of pain clinics, one is basically the acute pain team, primarily hospital based & deals with newly onset pain, or pain which is less than three months old, trauma, post surgical etc, they will only do what the GP can do & don’t take referrals from the community.

 

Chronic pain teams is the other, they won’t see a patient until the pain experienced has been deemed as now being over three months old, after this period it is then considered Chronic.

 

And unfortunately PALS no longer exist, but as you rightly point out by letting the GP & consultant know of how you are coping will help in speeding you consultation up, same as if the symptoms change become further complicated, then these are warning signs which need immediate attention, hence the reason not to be afraid to attend A&E.

 

As I pointed out, a physio referral is likely to take some time, and hopefully the patient will have been seen by the spinal surgeons by the time they get their appointment.

 

That aside, the physio are independant practitioners with expertise in back pain and may often negate intervention from the spinal team - in fact a believe a senior member of the spinal team is a physio who runs his own diagnostic clinics.

 

The PALS team has been replaced by the patient services team, who provide te same service and should definitely be able to help the OP.

 

http://www.sth.nhs.uk/patients/patient-services

[wendybr 10]

thank you very much for all your replies.

 

Just to let you know a bit more he is already on tramador, naproxen and gabapentin which are having little effect.

 

we have been to a & e on 2 occasions but both were befor the scan so we were told to wait for that befor they could do anything which is fair.

 

the reason for the scan is to discover what exactly is causing the pain although they seem to be thinking that it is stenosis. either caused by wear and tear or a problem with a disc.

 

he is still no better and can virtually not sleep as it is so painful to lay down, we are currently having a few hours sleep each night. during the day he is pottering about in the house but is unable to get out as car journeys are too painful

 

we are hoping the scan shows somethig up and they phone for him. there is still the worry that as they only got 75% of the MRI finished befor he pressed the stop button there wont be enough to look at.

 

thanks again

[HeadingNorth 11]

Oh come HN, let’s not start beating someone because their asking for advice because they’re in pain

 

I'm not having a go at the OP's husband. It wasn't his idea to try and paint his own suffering as being more important than anybody else's. Nor the OP's, come to that.

[Arguendo 10]

thank you very much for all your replies.

 

Just to let you know a bit more he is already on tramador, naproxen and gabapentin which are having little effect.

 

we have been to a & e on 2 occasions but both were befor the scan so we were told to wait for that befor they could do anything which is fair.

 

the reason for the scan is to discover what exactly is causing the pain although they seem to be thinking that it is stenosis. either caused by wear and tear or a problem with a disc.

 

he is still no better and can virtually not sleep as it is so painful to lay down, we are currently having a few hours sleep each night. during the day he is pottering about in the house but is unable to get out as car journeys are too painful

 

we are hoping the scan shows somethig up and they phone for him. there is still the worry that as they only got 75% of the MRI finished befor he pressed the stop button there wont be enough to look at.

 

thanks again

 

 

I would seriously get back in touch with your GP, there are other pain medications which may benefit him better. Spinal stenosis is severely debilitating,& depending on the cause may require different approaches, whether or not the stenosis is caused by trauma or the effects of degenerative processes; however the most common & main focus of medication should be towards anti-inflammatory & nerve type pain, I've worked in spinal surgery for many years however I won't give advice specifically to individuals on a public forum, this can extremely unhelpful & dangerous, you need to see your GP who will attend to you in a more personal way. Not all medications will work, there are a variety of different medications which may benefit him better, an example maybe changing the type of anti-inflammatory, Until the inflammation is brought under control your pain will not be eased, at times it can be very much a hit & miss, trial & error process, you have deepest sympathy for what is a terribly horrible condition, but one which can be sorted.

[wendybr 10]

thanks arguendo, he has an appointment back with the GP early next week to discuss tablets again.

night time is the worst. the pain is there all the time day and night but at least during the day he can sit leaning forward to get a bit less pain, unfortunatly he cant sleep in that position - maybe there is a gap in the market for a sitting position bed!!!

thanks again

[Arguendo 10]

thanks arguendo, he has an appointment back with the GP early next week to discuss tablets again.

night time is the worst. the pain is there all the time day and night but at least during the day he can sit leaning forward to get a bit less pain, unfortunatly he cant sleep in that position - maybe there is a gap in the market for a sitting position bed!!!

thanks again

 

Ask your GP to consider something on the lines of Amitriptyline, a medication taken at night, and one which many individuals have had great success with, taken at night it may help your husband to sleep, however as I’ve said your GP will know best as he has your husband’s history, medications are the key here, but you both need to sit down & discuss with your GP, keep a diary of events, such as when the pain is worse, what aggravates & what gives some form of relief, irrespective of how little relief it gives.

 

The site I posted earlier in the post http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spinal-stenosis will help in enabling you to understand the condition, there is a forum, which you have to join, but talking to others in the same predicament may help you to become more informed, give you idea’s on alternative relief techniques such as heat pads. Sites such as these are a great way to increase your understanding & improving your ability to cope, however no site is any good in helping you treat spinal or other health conditions, this has to be a personal one to one exercise with your GP & spinal surgeon.

[naturels 10]

'Although I agree in some part Scoop, I don’t feel the physio would be the right route at present, until a diagnosis as to the cause is established'

 

I agree. With something as serious as this, do not go down the route of alternative physical treatments until you have a diagnosis. One, it could be dangerous and make the condition worse, and two, it is easier for a therapist to treat when they know what it is that is causing the problem.

 

Keep pushing your case to try and get seen quicker, make it clear how much pain he is in. And good luck, hope he gets better soon.