Notes on Medical Tests Performed
During my entire "ordeal" numerous tests/procedures have been performed on me. I am writing this addendum to assist others understand what these tests are and what they should (or should not!) prove - oh and how it related to me.
The EMG tests (again carried out in similar timescales) came back as slightly low in the right leg and normal in the left hand from the first test and similar but in the left leg and right hand for the second. Please note that some consultants say it does not matter which arm/leg they use and others say it makes quite a difference!
One curious fact about having blood taken, is that there are people who are good at it (and it takes a few minutes and is a very minor discomfort) and people who turn it into the most laborious and lengthy procedure possible (and painful!). The latter group blame everything from the weather to thin veins and the time of the month. Now I have had so many and from both arms that the good ones still managed to do it efficiently and quickly and the bad ones, I ended up refusing to have it done by (boy was I a nice patient). The realistic point is that the majority of nurses were excellent, it was the doctors that were the worst!
The Neurological Consultants I have been seeing has the most unscientific test ever for detecting improvement or weakness (in my opinion)! He asks that you push up/down with a specific part of your body, whilst he applies force in the opposite direction (e.g. elbows up, thumbs out, index finger out, legs up/down...). The results are then written onto a piece of paper with his score on your strength out of 5. This seems so subjective and prone to errors that I find it very curious - yet some of the major conclusions are based on this seemingly arbitrary test! (surely there must be a more scientific method?)
His all time favourite is with the feet/ankles whereby he wants you to push up and then down. Due to my RTA (road traffic accident when I was 9)! I have severely limited mobility of my feet/ankles, on my right foot (especially upwards) so this test is totally invalid for me, as I will never score highly, yet every time he gets very concerned about my lack of mobility there (highest score 2.5 against 4.5 everywhere else, in Feb 2012) and ignores my comments about it being a bad test - which I find very frustrating!
- Blood Tests - too numerous to list!
- CT Scan (X-Ray) - detects bones, lungs & chest issues (hard structures) - trying to find cancerous growths
- MRI Scan - detects ligament, tendon, spinal cord (softer tissues) - trying to find tumors
- Pin Test - stick a pin in various locations (with you having your eyes closed) and tell them whether you can feel it or not
- Lumbar Puncture - (Celebrospinal Fluid - CSF), health of brain and nervous system, protein levels in spinal fluid (GBS/CIDP)
- Nerve Conduction Study (NCS/EMG) - for evaluation of paresthesias (numbness, tingling, burning) and/or weakness of the arms and legs.
The EMG tests (again carried out in similar timescales) came back as slightly low in the right leg and normal in the left hand from the first test and similar but in the left leg and right hand for the second. Please note that some consultants say it does not matter which arm/leg they use and others say it makes quite a difference!
One curious fact about having blood taken, is that there are people who are good at it (and it takes a few minutes and is a very minor discomfort) and people who turn it into the most laborious and lengthy procedure possible (and painful!). The latter group blame everything from the weather to thin veins and the time of the month. Now I have had so many and from both arms that the good ones still managed to do it efficiently and quickly and the bad ones, I ended up refusing to have it done by (boy was I a nice patient). The realistic point is that the majority of nurses were excellent, it was the doctors that were the worst!
The Neurological Consultants I have been seeing has the most unscientific test ever for detecting improvement or weakness (in my opinion)! He asks that you push up/down with a specific part of your body, whilst he applies force in the opposite direction (e.g. elbows up, thumbs out, index finger out, legs up/down...). The results are then written onto a piece of paper with his score on your strength out of 5. This seems so subjective and prone to errors that I find it very curious - yet some of the major conclusions are based on this seemingly arbitrary test! (surely there must be a more scientific method?)
His all time favourite is with the feet/ankles whereby he wants you to push up and then down. Due to my RTA (road traffic accident when I was 9)! I have severely limited mobility of my feet/ankles, on my right foot (especially upwards) so this test is totally invalid for me, as I will never score highly, yet every time he gets very concerned about my lack of mobility there (highest score 2.5 against 4.5 everywhere else, in Feb 2012) and ignores my comments about it being a bad test - which I find very frustrating!