So I finally had my consultation today, almost 5 months since the stroke. Up till now I hadn’t actually spoken to them since the day i first went to hospital in September.
The good news being they can’t find a reason for my stroke. Is this good news? I think so. All my tests came back fine, even the PFO bubble study they did which raised questions ended up being fine. Glad I don’t need a procedure to close that.
Funnily to scratch my own morbid curiosity I asked to see the MRI images, of the day it happened then comparing to the one I had in November.
Well we did look at the images, and neither of us could see the stroke. They said they rely on the reports attached to the images, which said I had one lol.
So anyway it was cool to see my brain but that’s as far as that went
@matt_d13 Sounds like it was a successful appointment. You didn’t do too bad seeing the consultant after 5 months. Some people wait 12 months & some never get an appointment. I was like you had an appointment after about 5 months.
Good to hear all your tests were fine. I guess they have just put your stroke down to one of those things.
It probably seems odd that they can’t see your stroke on the scans. But that’s why they have specialists that read the scans I guess. I wasn’t sure about seeing my scans but the consultant just showed them me. He had to point out the affected area to me…i had no idea what I was looking for. It was obvious once he pointed it out though
I must confess I find this rather strange and difficult for my brain to comprehend.
You met with a stroke consultant and were told they can’t find a reason for the stroke and that neither you nor the consultant could see the stroke in the MRI scans.
As I understand it from this, the consultant is simply taking the word of the MRI analyst that the scan showed a stroke
I find myself asking the question, why would a stroke consultant NOT know how to identify a stroke in an MRI scan - he/she is a CONSULTANT!! I need to check the definition of a consultant in the dictionary
What qualifications do you need to become a stroke consultant?
Maybe I am missing something obvious - it wouldn’t be the first time if I was, but nevertheless I do have to ask to put my mind at ease.
Anyway, it matters not what I think or how confused I am, the good news is you have been given a clean bill of health.
Yeah me too, was a bit unsettling lol. They said they’re not specifically a stroke consultant
I take it as a good thing the stroke wasn’t so blaringly obvious on scans I suppose but did feel a bit let down?
I didn’t know what to expect in the appointment, so have a mixed bag of emotions on how I feel now. My partner came with me, who mentally took the stroke very badly as well, and she said the same after the consultation yesterday.
I have another follow up in 6 - 12 months. While they run some fresh tests on my blood and so on.
