Denial? Abnormal SPECT scan. Please help.

[NewAndNeedHelp]

Please help. I am 39, I am undiagnosed, but you may be able to help me.

I have been seeing the fertility clinic (7 early miscarriages since my baby was born 2 years ago) and the memory clinic. The memory clinic did MRI, memory testing, SPECT scan and then unofficially discharged me as not having Alzheimer's/similar, letter would be a formality once the final SPECT report was in.

I had a letter yesterday with a P.S. at the bottom telling me the nuclear brain scan I had 'reduced tracer uptake in posterior parietal lobes bilaterally.... Alzheimer's disease is a possibility'. It also cites hypothyroidism and depression as potentials.

I never expected to get a letter telling me I may have Alzheimer's. I've been up all night (bar 2 hours) reading and trying to reassure myself it's something else.

The consultant is due to ring me first thing (so I am told).

Has anyone had SPECT scan issues as described but been diagnosed with something other than Alzheimer's?

Thank you.

 

[Grannie G]

Hello NewAndNeedHelp

I do hope the consultant does phone you first thing. What a frightening letter to receive.

All I can say is if you don`t get that call, you do the phoning. You really do need an explanation.

I can also say I have Hypothyroidism , although I do not have your other symptoms , and Hypothyroidism can be easily treated with medication.

Please let us know what you hear from the consultant. I do hope it is good news.

 

[stanleypj]

My heart goes out to you NewAndNeedHelp. No wonder you've been up all night. No-one should be diagnosed by letter, even with a 'possibility' and certainly the idea of this information being part of a PS is just absurd.

It's always a good idea though to try and focus on the positive. It does only use 'possibility' and all the other testing failed to find anything worrying which is why you were discharged as not having AD.

Then a scan is interpreted (maybe by one person) as showing the possibility of AD. Scans have to be interpreted and it is not uncommon for there to be disagreement. I learned this when a leading expert disagreed with a neurologist over what a scan showed during the investigation of my wife's problems.

I can well understand you having been up all night with this - I would have been. But I think you should try and focus on this: Before you went for the testing there was a possibility (otherwise no need for tests) and there is still a possibility suggested by someone's interpretation of one test among several.

As to your lsat question, I can't answer it except to say that it is very likely that the commonest results are negative or like yours, unhelpful, rather than resulting in a diagnosis.

I would think that the suggestion will be that you will be regularly tested to see if there are any changes but that, at the moment, there's a possibility that you may have AD - and I expect that you knew that before you went.

I know it's so very hard but you may well be worrying yourself unnecessarily. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by trying to stay positive.

I hope this might help you a bit and I'm sure others will be along with support. Please keep us posted on any developments. We'll be thinking of you.

Welcome to TP.

 

[BeckyJan]

Hello,
I am so sorry you have this added worry. It seems so unusual for such possibilities to be quoted in a consultant's letter. I feel it would have been wiser to wait until everything could be discussed with you and the other possibilities (other than AD) be investigated more thoroughly.

You have obviously had much stress over the years of miscarriages and a young baby. It would be natural to be depressed over this.

I do hope the consultant speaks to you today - otherwise get on to his secretary and push for a discussion with him.

As others have said please let us know how you get on.