Questions to ask your Neurologist

In my previous blog about my Neurologist appointment I realised how unprepared I was when it came to answering the questions that he asked me, so I've put together some information about the kinds of questions you might be asked and some questions you should ask.

What Questions will my Neurologist ask me?

My Neurologist started off by getting to know me by asking general questions like:

How old are you?  Are you married?  What's your husband do?  Do you have any children?  What do you do for work?  Do you enjoy your job? How long have you been in your current job?  What did you do before that job and how long were you there for?  How have your symptoms been affecting your job?  How have you been coping at work? Do you have anyone in your family with Multiple Sclerosis? 

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The list of symptoms I put together after my Neurologist appointment

He then moved onto questions that were more symptom related and I strongly suggest sitting down and thinking of all the strange symptoms you've experienced and a rough time of when they occurred before your appointment because these are the types of questions your Neurologist could ask you:

What symptoms are you experiencing?  When did they start?  Have you fallen over?  How many times have you fallen over?  

Then its the questions related to sensory changes: 

Can you feel this? Is this cold?  Is this sharp?  Can you feel the vibrations of this tuning fork?  

And commands like: 

Follow my finger with your eye.  Touch my finger then your nose. Walk in a straight line.  Walk toe to toe.  Run the heal of your right foot up your left shin then the same on the other side.

Those are just some of the things you can expect to be asked and to do at your Neurologist appointment. If you have had a few visits to the GP for symptoms it would be a good idea to get a copy of your visits and what they were for because the more information you can give to your Neurologist the better.  For me my first symptom was in 2011 and had smaller attacks then my last one which was bigger and lasted for much longer then we wanted, so after my Neurologist appointment I sat down and wrote a list of all the different symptoms i'd had over the years.  I was shocked to see all the symptoms I'd been having written down and understanding they were just manifestations of my MS.

What questions should I be Asking?

What is MS and what does it mean for me? 

What parts of my brain/spinal cord have lesions and what does that mean for me? 

What kind of MS do I have? 

Is it hereditary?  

What does that mean for me and my family? 

Can I have children? 

What are my options? 

Do I need to take medications and if so in your opinion what's the best kind for me? 

Can I take vitamins and do alternative therapies such as Acupuncture? 

How do I know if i'm having a relapse and what should I do if i'm having one?

What kind of exercises would benefit me?

Are there any dietary changes I need to make? 

How does MS progress? 

Will I end up in a wheelchair?  

That is a few questions you could ask your Neurologist, some are to just confirm what you may already know and thats ok to try and give yourself a small peace of mind.  I would suggest that before your Neurologist appointment do some of your own research about MS from credible sites/books and write down your questions so, if like me, you completely forget you had any questions.  Knowledge is power and the more you know the easier it will be to take in what you are being told.  For me, being a nurse I know the basics about MS  but i'm no expert so thats why I want a Neurologist that has my best interest at heart and is aiming for the best possible outcome with my treatment - like anyone else would be wanting.  It is important to have a great relationship with your GP and your Neurologist because you will be needing them both medically and emotionally and it will be a long term relationship.  

I may have inadvertently left some off so If you have any other questions that you asked or think should be asked please leave them in a comment section below and I will add them to the list.  

Thank you all for your continued support, faithful reading, commenting and sharing of my blog.  You all are helping to spread awareness of Multiple Sclerosis and giving a voice to this silent disease.