Private Ultrasound Scans

http://www.ultrasoundnow.co.uk/private-ultrasound/general-price-list/

Hi Everyone

When I was at the hair-tearing-out stage because no-one would offer me a simple ultrasound even just to see if we were on the right track with thinking I had a PTH adenoma (because they couldn't read the blood test results) I searched high and low for a private ulttrasound company that could examine the thyroid area. There were very few, but today I've come across this one that actually lists it.

It's a bit steep at £185 but maybe the price reflects the specialism. I thought it was a good sign that when I chatted to the private sonographer I went to for an abdo scan she told me that they mostly also worked within the NHS as well.

Anyone looking for a private thyroid scan who isn't in the Manchester area might like to give these people a call and ask if they know anyone nearer to them who offers scans of the thyroid and parathyroids. It requires a special US wand, apparently, and as we all know a whole lot of operator skill!

Love from Tigerlily xxx

This is also interesting in connection with US scans:

http://www.londonimaging.co.uk/referrals

This hospital is a charity and you can be referred there for ultrasound by your GP. They have state of the art equipment and list thyroid imaging specifically.

There's usually no such thing as a free lunch, so perhaps anyone considering going there would like to check if you have to pay for their services. I have a feeling that you wouldn't, if only your GP would refer you.

Let me know what you find out with this one - if it's free, they'll soon see a long queue forming at the front gates!

Love from Tigerlily xxx

Thanks for this fab info Tigerlily! Very useful to have to hand.

I'm thinking of exploring some private imaging myself now as I think I may be having some pancreas involvement. This past week, especially over the weekend, I've been having some very uncomfortable pain in my upper central abdomen, just below the breastbone, which radiates into my back. Also feeling very nauseous and hot. It varies in intensity - not too bad at the moment - but always there in the background, if you know what I mean. When I saw Dr Cox and we were going through my personal and family history, he felt it was very possible that my elderly maternal aunt, who passed away two years ago, given her various diagnoses over the years, could possibly have had undiagnosed pHPT, or even possibly MEN1, and her cause of death was pancreatitis, so I'm very mindful of this and, whilst not wanting to get fixated on it, wouldn't want it to slip through the net. Dr Cox is actually willing to explore the MEN issue and I'm waiting for my prolactin and gastrin results to see if I need genetic screening for it. If it wasn't for the fact that I've already had my gall bladder removed my first thought on this pain would have been gallstones - it's in the same area so it could be pancreatic - or liver I suppose. 

Don't want to get all hyperchondriacy, but this bl**dy disease makes you second guess everything!

Jasmine x

Jasmine
I've had exactly the same pain as you on and off for about 4 years, the only thing anyone I've spoken to about it says is reflux but it isn't that type of pain.

I did get pancreas scanned on Saturday as well as everything (minus bowel) that is in abdomen and all clear. I haven't had that pain for about 6 MTH's so I'm not sure if anything would show if I'm asymptomatic at time of US. 

I would recommend the US people Tigerlily introduced me to as my local BMI hospital were over 3 x more expensive. The Sonographer I had works in NHS as well.

Love A xxxx

That is the exact same area in my stomach. Finely my doc did a gastrin and a pancreatic polypeptide test. The gastrin was normal but the pancreatic polypeptide test was elevated. I did some research online and of course it was a little scary, it also mentioned MEN1 and elevated pancreatic polypeptide. So I e mailed my endo and ask him if I should be concerned, he told me not to worry if the test came back twice as high then he would worry. But I think it is a good idea to have a ultra sound in that area to be sure.

Hi Jasmine (have emailed you!) - just to say that your gastrin etc tests seems to be taking a long time. Mine came back within about a week. Do you think it's time to chase them up in case they've got lost somewhere?

Just a thought!

I have the same abdo pain - but for me it's upper left quadrant and I've had it since 2011. I keep telling medics I see and have the option of a gastroposcopy if I want it. Thing is, I don't think it would show up anything as the pain is not related to my stomach - even though it is a "gnawing" hunger-like feeling and is relieved by food and drink.

I have an US for it again soon. Let me know what they think yours is, won't you? We've probably both got ulcers because of the stress of all this!

Love from Tigerlily xxxx

Oh did you? Must have missed it .....or it's lost in cyberspace somewhere. It's probably receiver incompetence though, so I'll do a search.....

Yes, I have emailed JC to chase up my results. Sadly, as much as I really do like him, he's not as good as FP at responding promptly to emails, if at all. It's quite frustrating really as I don't wish to be seen as a pushy patient, but I want answers.....and quickly! Deep sigh ...

Could be ulcers through stress, or chronic GERD I suppose, but it doesn't feel like that sort of pain in that it doesn't feel related to the stomach, or intestinal. It's quite high up and central, going into my back, virtually in the same place as when I had gall bladder disease, which is why I'm thinking pancreas. Think I'll bite the bullet and pay for a scan, it's only down the road from me. I'm a bit reluctant to go to the GP and ask for yet another scan, think I still have the paranoia of old when they looked at me like a sad old menopausal hypochondriac!

Jasmine x

Mr T-L calls it "pilot error" !!

You deserve to be the pushy patient with all you've gone through, Jasmine - join the club!

I think it's really interesting that the pain isn't related to the stomach, so I guess that points to the pancreas - in my case maybe the tail end of it that is located over to the left upper abdo area. But I have read recently that ulcer pain can also be there, too, so I'm planning on asking GP for an H. Pylori test to try and rule that out first.

Don't worry about what anyone thinks, Jasmine. And if you can get a scan just down the road, go for it. We shouldn't have to do this, but the waiting around isn't good.

Chins up, girl - Love from Tigerlily xxxx