anyone said NO TO screenings?

[Tara9]

So glad to know that I am not alone. I fired my neurologist three years ago (too many reasons to list). Haven't seen a MS specialist or had a MRI in over three years; needed to take a break from all that. Stopped MS drugs years ago due to side effects and not believing they were helping. No mammograms for me (that's not out of ignorance but rather much research). The MS is progressing, so I'm looking into finding a new neurologist to just see what their latest opinion of my condition is. Difficult for me because my experience has been that they want to push the latest, greatest drug and order expensive, unnecessary tests.

Not to be too depressing but I also believe that MS is terminal, at least in my case. Twelve years later and it is progressing; hit hard at first, then slowly took pieces of me and now coming on stronger and faster. It's a weird world we live in that only others like us can understand.

[Holly Golightly]

Haven't seen a MS specialist or had a MRI in over three years; needed to take a break from all that.

I've also forgone MRI's. My swallowing issues cause me to choke on saliva when lying on my back, so having my head strapped down in a scanner with no way to save myself from drowning is too scary for me. I won't do it anymore.

[agate]

I've also forgone MRI's. My swallowing issues cause me to choke on saliva when lying on my back, so having my head strapped down in a scanner with no way to save myself from drowning is too scary for me. I won't do it anymore.

Holly, if you ever have to have another MRI, the technicians are supposed to do whatever is possible to make you comfortable. I've had 5 MRIs and have problems lying flat on my back too but I told the technicians, and they kept adjusting pillows, etc., until I could tolerate it. I hope that you'll have more understanding MRI technicians if you have to go through it again.

[DonnaD]

What is all this screening? They're screenings that everyone does (I'm 53 yo). I should be glad that my GP doesn't ask for colonoscopy and feels fecal occult blood screening once a year is enough but it makes me nervous not to have a colonoscopy. My neighbor recently died from colon cancer and when he found out that he had advanced colon cancer he encouraged everyone to get colonoscopies. He saved the life of a different neighbor who took his advice and had needed surgery before it was too long.

I go for mammograms. I asked the technician if there's a way to do it sitting. She said no. There must be a way but since I was standing already she didn't want to be bothered. So the machine kept me upright by holding me by my breast . Turned out I did have breast cancer but we caught it early so I had minimal treatment. They were able to give me a lighter dose of chemo (did it because of the MS) and it wasn't bad at all.

MRI's I hate. I used to push them off for years. I said If everything seems OK, I'm not going. But now that I'm on Tysabri I've read here and heard from my neuro that the Tysabri can have some affect on your brain and you really do have to do the MRIs, so I do.

What I really hate is tests that are for the doctor's own research.

I don't live in America so maybe it's different here. My MS center is in a hospital. Once a month I'm there to get my Tysabri IV. If they want to take blood for their own research I'm fine with it as long as the needle's already in my arm anyway. They make me do a cognitive test once a year. I do it while the Tysabri is dripping anyway but I don't like it and it's for their research so I press the buttons but don't put too much thought into the test. Then for Tysabri I have to see the Dr once every 3 months. Also I do it during the Tyabri IV but even the Dr thinks it's ridiculous if I have nothing different to report (I know if I'm number or weaker). Once I was getting the IV and the neuro passed me. He said - You have an appointment with me? I said yes, later. He asked, how are you feeling? I said Nothing's changed. He said if you don't have any questions, you don't have to come down to see me LOL - The rule by the drug company is that I have to be monitored by the Dr. Even the Neuro agrees that there's no reason for it.

BTW - We have socialized medicine here so I don't pay for any of this testing or Dr. appointments