18 days since MRI and still no results ....

[YJ120]

Hi all,

Well I had an MRI for a small bowel study on 24th Sept. It's now 18 days after that and I still have no results. I've tried getting answers from my GP but they have no info, I've tried going through my Consultants secretary who finally advised on Thursday that she's seen my file and the report is there, so she's put it on my Consultants desk but he wasn't in on Friday and tried going through my IBD nurse. I'm shocked it's taking do long and I'm just left being ill!!

I actually cried down the phone to my IBD Nurse on Friday afternoon, I'm at the end of my tether with this. She says she'll discuss with the other nurse who's back on Monday and they'll speak to my Consultant and come back to me weds/thurs. But I'm not holding my breath!

Does anyone know any other way I can find out my results? I'm sure I shouldn't be left feeling this way and having to try all these angles to get answers?

Thank you

Yvette

 

[UnXmas]

My experiences with NHS consultants and test results have led me to a few conclusions:
If test results reveal something urgent, the consultant will usually contact you pretty soon. If they don't, your consultant will (or should) probably have arranged a follow-up appointment for you, usually several weeks after the initial appointment, and will talk about the test results there (if the consultant perceives them to be relevant). Asking a GP to chase up results from tests ordered by consultants usually isn't any better than chasing them up yourself - all your GP and you can do is nag the consultant's secretary. You can try asking the secretary to send the results to your GP, or to make you an earlier follow-up appointment with the consultant.

18 days really isn't that long - do you have a date for a follow-up with the consultant? If you don't, keep ringing the consultant's secretary and ask her to send the test results to your GP and/or make you the follow-up appointment.

But the issue that doctors and secretaries don't seem to understand is that us patients are left suffering while we wait. The MRI results might not actually help with this - what you need is treatment and help with symptom management. I'm assuming you already have a Crohn's diagnosis and the MRI is to identify any complications or to assess the current state of your disease? I would try going to your GP, explain the symptoms that are making you suffer the most and that you need treatment to get you through until you see the consultant. If you already have a Crohn's diagnosis then a GP should be ok with authorising some medications regardless of what the MRI shows.

 

[valleysangel92]

Hello,

I have similar experience with the NHS and waiting a long time for test results, especially MRI. When I had an MRI they took over two months to send me a letter telling me that the specialist wanted me to have a colonoscopy.. With no explanation why.

I called the Secretary and kept asking for an explanation, I eventually got a call telling me they thought I may have crohns and needed to confirm it.

18 days isn't that long for the NHS but it is a horrible thing when your waiting on results. Go to your GP, keep on top of your nurses. Hang in there!

 

[YJ120]

Hi Both,

Thanks for your replies. I've been diagnosed for 3 years. Since beginning of July my symptoms have got worse and I have a lot of nausea and vomiting. When I saw him in August my bloods were not showing any infammation, therefore my consultant thought I may have some low level blockage so wanted to MRI to determine the next steps; either a resection or to start adlimumab.

I have recently had bloods done for my next telephone appt with IBD nurse on 28th Oct, and a couple of the counts are slightly raised but when I spoke to her about these she said she's not overly concerned as they have been higher (doesn't help me feeling awful though!)

I guess, like you both say, I'm finding it so frustrating because it's me who's been left ill. I'm usually quite patient, but it's been over 2 months from Consultant requesting MRI to now....and I'm still waiting. My next appt with Consultant is not until 20th Nov, I told the nurse this on Friday and think she understands I cannot wait this long.

Hopefully they will contact me this week and give me some form of update. I am having my flu jab at my GP on Monday, so I think I'll ask the nurse to look on her system to see if the MRI report is on there....can I do that?

Thanks again. Yvette.

 

[YJ120]

ps. I'm currently on pentasa 500mg x 8 and 9mg budesonide daily, so am already on medication....it's just not having much effect.

Also for the past 3 months all I have done is work...it takes all my energy and when I'm home I just have to rest, so I think that is the major source of my frustration.

 

[UnXmas]

Hopefully they will contact me this week and give me some form of update. I am having my flu jab at my GP on Monday, so I think I'll ask the nurse to look on her system to see if the MRI report is on there....can I do that?

The consultant's secretary sends a copy of the results to your GP surgery, then the receptionists at the GP surgery add them to your GP medical record. Sometimes a GP will look them over and contact you if they think any action is required. So when you go for your flu jab the nurse can check your record and see if they're there, but if they weren't there last Friday, they're probably not going to have arrived and been added to your record by tomorrow.

A couple of weeks ago I went and asked my GP for a prescription my urologist had recommended. I'd seen the urologist last July. The GP said there was no letter about the prescription (though she gave me the prescription anyway). Last week the letter from the July appointment arrived! They really do take their time about things. Keep nagging them! I've come to a point now where I just have really low expectations; I just expect each test and appointment not to result in my feeling better then I can't be disappointed and no longer spend so much time getting frustrated whilst on waiting lists. Then when I do have an appointment which leads to a test which leads to a test result which leads to a doctor recommending me some treatment and the treatment actually helping, it's a nice surprise.

 

[YJ120]

Lol, I think I'll start thinking like you!

Thanks for your help, it's much appreciated.