January 2017 Update

Mr Wanderer and I travelled to London from Scotland for my appointment on Wednesday 18th January.  We arrived at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at 10am we were met with a very dour woman/nursing assistant who took my blood pressure and my weight. A smile would of gone a long way, but I'm sure she was just having an off day or maybe recovering from a wine headache. Would you believe the scales were 1.5 stone out which meant I'd put on a stone and a half within a day travelling from Scotland to England, thankfully I lost the 1.5st by the time I'd got back to Scotland.  We met first with a Dr Leckie/Lecky? he welcomed us into the room and explained he had a Scottish family connection and had done his training there. He showed me the referral letter from Dr Tyagi which I had a copy of in my bag, he said it was a basic referral and we would start at the beginning and that's when I relayed all my symptoms on when they started.  He focused on the headache and seemed to disregard the pulsatile tinnitus explaining that it was tinnitus with a pulsatile nature, I went on to explain that in America it now had a diagnosis code of its own and was regarded as a separate symptom from the normal ringing buzzing tinnitus.  I went through my symptoms in detail and gave enough information on how the noise in the left of my head started one evening followed by the headache the next morning.  I went on to say about the other symptoms developing and how I'd gone to my GP several times, A&E, ENT, changed GP surgeries and arranged to have private scans carried out. I explained that I was convinced the symptoms started after painting my ceiling over two days and had relayed the same information to each Doctor I'd seen. Dr Leckie said "I see that's where the dissection story comes from" I mentioned I could hear the sound in my head with a stethoscope and although he listened later towards the end of the consultation he couldn't hear it, to be honest there was background noise and I couldn't pick it up myself, not that it matters I know the noise in my head is blood pumping through the section of my vertebral artery that has had a previous tear.  Dr Leckie said he seen many patients with vertebral artery dissection and all had serious strokes. (For note not everyone who has a vertebral artery dissection has a stroke and some can present with just headache or just neck pain)  I explained how I'd tracked down doctors on the other side of the world and sent my scans and symptoms and all had came back with the same diagnosis however no doctor in Scotland could see on the scans what the others were reporting, neither was there much investigating into my symptoms or trying to match them up to what was showing on my scans.  I also mentioned that Dr Tyagi had on his paperwork it was a carotid artery dissection being questioned. I made it very clear that at no point was the carotid ever being questioned (this was a mistake that Dr Tyagi made) . I also explained that when I'd had a hospital stay for the drug infusion back in 2015 that two consultants spoke with me in regards to my scans and could see no evidence of a carotid dissection (again wrong information and wrong artery) I asked Dr Leckie if he had any of the reports or scans and he said no. I then gave him a copy of the report from Dr Shapiro in New York. Dr Leckie had asked how my health was overall and I said it was very good, I suffered from Hypermobility Syndrome sometimes known as EDS 3 but that I had managed it well over the years and kept my muscles toned with walking. Mr Wanderer and I were then asked to take a seat outside in the waiting area and then I would be seen by Dr Matharu.

We waited around 15 minutes outside the room and could hear conversations taking place with Dr Leckie relaying the information to Dr Matharu, we were then invited to speak with both doctors.  Dr Matharu focused on diagnosing my EDS hypermobility and went through the Beighton score with me which I've already had done years previously by a Rheumatologist.  I was a bit miffed on why he was focusing on it but then I realised he had already diagnosed me before I entered the room from the information I gave to Dr Leckie. Dr Matharu stated he seen many patients with EDS and what I had was a New Daily Persistent Headache Syndrome with no underlying cause but that it was linked to EDS. I asked why now would I suddenly have a new headache accompanied by many other severe symptoms when I'd never been bothered by headache before?  Dr Matharu moved on to say that I had developed the condition.  I'd actually read about this particular headache a few years previously and ruled it out as I was never sick or suffered nausea, the pattern didn't fit.  I listened for a bit then interrupted to state I didn't agree and that I knew the cause of my headache was to do with the previous missed tear in my artery.  Dr Matharu said it is what it is you have a daily persistent headache,  he said he agreed with his colleagues findings and that there was no vertebral artery dissection and although new daily headache occasionally had an underlying cause, mine was a primary condition and he seen many patients with EDS who had that same new daily headache.  I said I didn't agree and that Dr Tyagi had been reporting on the wrong artery, Dr Matharu then stated he had since received further communication from Dr Tyagi to say my scans had been re looked and there was no vertebral dissection.  (I was obviously not copied in to that communication yet again) I went on to ask why I can see lines on my scan images and tried to show an image on my phone, Dr Matharu refused and said they had the best doctors and he was 100% sure that I had not suffered a dissection. Dr Leckie then asked even if we did find a dissection what do you think we can do, I explained about Dr Shapiro's report and how he could close off the false side of the artery to stop my symptoms, both doctors said they wouldn't do that and that I would be creating problems for myself. I felt myself becoming angry, they were both being arrogant in answering my questions. Did they honestly expect me to sit quiet after travelling down from Scotland for a second opinion when they had not read reports or my scans and tried overwhelmingly to convince me that my diagnosis was that of daily persistent headache caused by EDS?  I continued to talk and state that something was causing my symptoms. Dr Matharu eventually offered to repeat scans and compare them and I'd be invited back to London, he continued "I can assure you we won't find anything"  I don't doubt his intelligence but he was certainly doubting mine. I had seen the scans, he had not! I tried again to show an image on my phone but was brushed off, I then repeated again please look at this one image where you can see an intramural haematoma and at that I took my phone out my pocket and thrust it towards them, both doctors stated there wasn't anything and had a few whispers to each other, Dr Leckie said it was hard to tell from one image, I reminded him that there were several more images showing the same, Dr Matharu stating don't worry about it we will compare all your other scans to the new scans. I felt his manner was self assured that he was right and I was wrong, he repeated they had the best doctors, in my opinion I had yet to see the best of doctors. Not a single Doctor has taken Dr Shaprio's report seriously. I asked do you believe that image is normal as well as the others in Dr Shapiro's report showing a clear line through the artery and Dr Matharu said look I'm happy to be proved wrong but I don't see anything and I don't believe you had a dissection I'm 99% sure I don't think we will find anything. Dr Matharu offered to arrange scans and trial some medication over 5 days, the waiting time would be around 3 months. Dr Matharu's certainty dropped from 100% to 99%.

In my opinion I wasn't given a fair second opinion, I was diagnosed before I entered the room. For both doctor's to diagnose without looking at my symptoms in detail and not having looked at my scans is very poor practice. Having disregarded my other symptoms and Dr Shapiro's report I have no trust in these doctors.

Overall the appointment went how I'd imagined and it wasn't a surprise that my original symptoms were dismissed.  No one can explain why I'm having numerous symptoms, no one can explain what's on my scan, no one is willing to link my symptoms to what is clear on the scans.  Having studied various literature on dissections and looking at scans I know what is on my scans. 

All for now your still whooshing whirring friend

Summer 2016 Update

As it comes to the end of summer and nearing 4yrs from when my symptoms first started I am in a dark place.  Dark because my headache has never subsided not even for an hour and the more I exert myself the more pressure and pain emits from the side of my neck/base of my skull including the short sharper pains.  After not working for nearly two years I have taken up part time employment.  Not being entitled to any benefits as I don't have a diagnosis has been a huge strain. Nearly having to put our home up for sale was the last thing I needed. I've had to take a job with lower hours and wages but its a start.  I just need to accept that until a doctor has any sort of empathy and decides to carry out an angiogram in the hope of fixing my artery I'm going to be living in this state for the rest of my life and comes with that a lower grade job.

I finally received an appointment for The National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery in London through the post on the 22nd May 2016 to see Dr Matharu or a member of his team on the 18th January 2017.  As I've mentioned in earlier posts this concerns me as I have lost trust in Doctors and Dr Matharu is a friend of Dr Tyagi and has written headache reports with him.  I personally would of liked an appointment with a Neurointervention specialist who can tell me exactly what is on my scans and can link my symptoms as Dr Maksim Shapiro has done from New York.  I am considering being seen at Queens Square Imaging Centre who I have previously been in contact with but again I have reservations due to doctors knowing each other.  I just want one doctor to say "I am sorry you have suffered an artery tear and it has not healed properly and you have been left with a false/double lumen, hence you have these awful symptoms, we will try and help fix this by speaking first with Dr Shapiro in New York then we can move forward"  And then I fell out my dream from the big fluffy cloud and landed on my head and realised this is the Nhs with some doctors who choose to take no accountability with no transparency when things are missed or delayed with a diagnosis.  Please note I state SOME doctors, I have actually met some fantastic doctors through out my years. I've just been unfortunate that the few doctors I have came across have no understanding of what Pulsatile Tinnitus is and have been unable to link all of my symptoms to one underlying thing causing my symptoms

I look forward to my appointment in London and spending all my recently earned wages to get there, one thing for sure is I am armed with information, so much information they won't be able to fill my head with jargon that I can't understand as previous doctors have done because I've learned the lingo. Yep the vertebral artery branches off from the subclavian artery, it weaves in between the cervical spine towards the brain, the vertebral has several smaller arteries branch off before reaching the basilar artery leading to the communicating arteries forming the circle of Willis. The circle of Willis is formed with several arteries meeting in an almost circle hence the name.  Honestly the arteries and their jobs is pretty amazing and can keep me occupied for hours reading about them.  I am readyfor London, I am Whooshing Whirring Wanderer ready to take on the world oh and any doctor who dismisses me. 

All for now your friend Whirring Wanderer
ps look out for my facebook page in the next month about Pulsatile Tinnitus awareness

Spring 2016 update

Having had no response from my Neurologist since October 2015 I emailed Dr Tyagi on the 13th April for an update on the funding and referral to London.  Dr Tyagi responded that he had written a letter requesting funding some time back in September 2015 and would chase that up and he apologised as he thought he'd already replied to me. I spoke with Patient Advice Service Scotland at Citizens Advice Bureau and they advised contacting the Complaints department.  I contacted the Complaints department asking if they could find out what was happening with my referral.


On 25th April Dr Tyagi responded through email that he had looked into my "query" ie the complaints department had been in touch with him. He seemed to think we communicated through email in September last year which we did not (I have all emails between us)  He also seemed to think I had told him I was going to New York to have my artery looked at which I did not.  He was able to state that funding was approved back in September yet provides no explanation on why he did not communicate this to me.  He is unsure why the referral was not done but said it was possible that he did not do the referral as an oversight or the referral was not typed up.  He assures me that the referral has now been done.


I feel I have been let down again by a public service that is supposed to support its patients.  Not to mention the other mistakes that's been made!  I could scream, shout and swear or just go and buy a large bottle of Grey Goose Vodka the latter seems more appealing and less stressful.




Whirring Wanderer

PULSATILE TINNITUS A SYMPTOM OF ARTERY DISSECTIONS

A few medical reports of Vertebral Artery Dissections


http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ene.13031/abstract;jsessionid=C798A3ACC0B6E910D64CB8BF6A03B296.f04t04


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15068515 Pulsatile Tinnitus as a symptom of artery dissection.


http://www.acep.org/Education/Continuing-Medical-Education-(CME)/Focus-On/Focus-On--Headache-and-Neck-Pain---When-to-Suspect-Cervical-Artery-Dissection/  When to focus on head and neck pain.


http://www.whooshers.com/2012.09.01_arch.html#1346508616550  A cured patient from the Whooshers community who had a vertebral artery dissection with fusiform aneurysm.  Please look them up on Facebook "Pulsatile Tinnitus Whooshers Unite"


http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/567644_5 Some clinical findings in Artery Dissections.


www.vertebralarterydissection.com/.../vad-stroke-personal-stories-12.htm  Female age 31 suffered varying symptoms including ear pain and pulsatile tinnitus,VAD diagnosed after 8 weeks.


http://radiopaedia.org/cases/vertebral-artery-dissection-with-left-pica-infarct-1  A 30yr old male who's images are identical to mine with a double lumen being created.  I contacted the doctor concerned who reported on the images and sent my scans to India, my diagnosis Vertebral Artery Dissection causing double lumen.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2588305/ More clinical symptoms.

December 2015

Today I received my original MRI scan that I had carried out at Ayr Hospital back in April 2013 around 6 months after my symptoms started.  I also received consultants notes that I requested.  Lets just say doctors are a bit economical with the truth.  Its disgusting that doctor's write whatever they think and not what the patient is relaying to them.  For Miss Shanks of Ayr ENT to write in her notes that I have anxiety is beyond belief, I only spent 20 minutes with her and because I asked several questions I was labelled, she doesn't know me, I was her patient for a short period of time.  It seems not only are doctors able to diagnose you with anxiety within a short appointment but they can also write whatever untruths they want. Maybe Miss Shanks should undergo training to differentiate between tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus because she clearly does not know the difference.  My A&E notes could of been written about another patient, the doctor I seen did not record that I was hearing a noise in my head, I explained I was hearing a baby's ultrasound noise in my head on three occasions and it has not been written down once.  My temperature is recorded, my pupil size and my heart rate yet unbelievably none of these assessments took place, it states my blood pressure reading was taken by the doctor, where in actual fact it was only taken once by the nurse before seeing the doctors but the doctor felt justified to record my blood pressure in his notes.  The nurses notes are very poor too, she noted I had an ear infection and developed a pressure in my head after painting, she failed to note the headache I'd had for nearly 6 weeks, neck pain, ear pressure and baby ultrasound noise. I had explained I felt it was related to the fact I had done a lot of overhead painting.  She either never listened to me properly or decided not to write what I was telling her.  The Nurse also noted my pain scale was 2, I am annoyed at that statement in my notes because the Nurse did not even ask me about my pain or a pain scale, how bloody presumptuous .   The A&E doctor said to me at the time he would check my eyes but he forgot and went away to get another doctor.  He also wrote in my notes that I had an ear infection that was resolving but I clearly remember the appointment and have it noted in my diary and he said I had the cleanest ears he had ever seen and possibly an old healed perforation on the ear drum, the best of it was the other doctor agreed that I had no ear infection and that the diagnosis was I had pulled a neck muscle.  At no point did I tell any staff member at Ayr Hospital on that visit to A&E that I had an ear infection, what I did say was that several GP's had treated me for suspected ear infection but no infection was present. These are the sort of things that happen within our NHS so what chance have I got in trying to obtain an honest and true diagnosis when doctors falsify documents.  Below is two images from my MRI showing the dissection of the left vertebral.  The images were taken 6 months after my symptoms developed and shows the wall thickening of the left vertebral. The image shows a large haematoma with no double lumen.  The double lumen must of developed sometime after this scan. Had doctor's at A&E investigated my symptoms in more detail and sent me for a scan my artery tear would of been picked up at 6 weeks, instead they sent me home.  A further 18 months passed before I could arrange and pay for an MRA scan privately, these too were marked normal. These were the scans I sent to New York and Dr Maksim Shapiro gave his opinion.  I then obtained a further two opinions yet unbelievably my doctor's would not confirm diagnosis, instead they ordered a CTA which again they marked normal.  On all three scans MRI 2013, MRA 2014 & CTA 2015 there is definite evidence I have suffered an artery tear which has left the artery with a double lumen causing me horrendous pain due to the nerve fibres that run close by, I believe the artery is damaged and now wider and pressing on adjacent nerves.  Doctor's refuse to carry out the angiogram that Dr Shapiro suggested.  I have been waiting since September for an NHS referral to attend hospital in London for an opinion.  I personally have done some research and found that the doctor I am being referred to is a colleague of Dr Tyagi my Neurologist.  Why has my Neurologist referred me to someone he has worked with writing medical papers on headaches? Is it so that he too can say "your scans are normal" "there is nothing wrong with you" He too is a Neurologist and certainly not independent by any means, why not send all my scans to London for a second opinion from a Neurointerventionist rather than send me to London to see another Neurologist.  I need to see a specialist who has a vast knowledge of dealing with artery dissections and reading scans.  You can read about vertebral artery dissections here http://radiopaedia.org/articles/vertebral-artery-dissection and also Dr Shapiro's wonderful site  http://neuroangio.org/patient-information/patient-information-arterial-dissection-carotid-vertebral-basilar-arteries/

All for now
Whirring Wanderer

GP appointment November 2015

Hi lovely people.  I haven't received an update on the progress of the funding request from my email to Dr Tyagi in October so I visited my GP Dr Stevenson yesterday but unfortunately he couldn't give an answer but suggested it would most likely be next year!!! He said he was unsure how the funding worked but assumed it would go to Ayrshire & Arran Healthboard and Dr Tyagi would be in touch.  I asked him if he would chase it for me but said he wouldn't and would see little point as it would likely be a lengthy process.  I asked some questions and every response I received was "I can't answer your questions its beyond my expertise" "your questions are valid" "I can't comment on that" the responses were due to the fact I mentioned Dr Tyagi's mistakes about reporting on my Carotid Artery instead of the Vertebral. I also reminded Dr Stevenson that he received a letter from Dr Tyagi stating my Carotid Artery was normal and I explained that the wrong artery had been investigated.  Dr Stevenson's response "I can't comment on that".  I told him had my original doctor's acted on my symptoms, had A&E not sent me home and had Dr Dosumu listened and not refused to refer me to neurology I might not be in the position I am in now with a chronic headache, pulsatile tinnitus and multiple other symptoms.  He suggested A&E was probably not the best place to be diagnosed as they are there to save lives and triage patients who were most possibly not going to make it till 9am the next morning, I politely reminded him that I must be one of the lucky ones, had I not lay down to my symptoms I could of quite possibly have been one of those patients who had a stroke.  His suggestion after me asking "if A&E is not the place to go and GP's don't listen and believe you then where would I go? His answer "a Neurologist"  I had to contain myself and not lift my size 5 foot to his rear end, his partner Dr Dosumu was the one who said I did not have pulsatile tinnitus and would not refer me due to a previous normal scan, she read from her computer screen from my previous doctor's practice that I had neuralgia and normal tinnitus and asked me to come back with a named doctor to be referred to.  Dr Stevenson asks what my response will be if the opinion from London is obtained and it shows no dissection has taken place.  Yet as my doctor he does nothing to offer to investigate what else could be potentially causing my symptoms.  This man is an arrogant twat in every word that comes out his mouth. It beggars belief that doctor's abroad can diagnose me from my symptoms and scans yet doctor's here can't or won't!  There is one certainty that I can assure myself and that is I will get to the bottom of my symptoms and receive a diagnosis.  (see I am being arrogant now, I learned that from the numerous GP's I have seen over the last 3 years)


My husband Mr Wanderer is a Gas Heating Engineer and if he is called out to a boiler that has problems and the householder is reporting its broken and making awful noises, it is his duty to find out what is wrong with that boiler and keep investigating until it is fixed, if he didn't and told the householder I am sorry there is nothing I can do, I am unsure what is wrong with your boiler and I might never be able to answer your questions and I can only treat the symptoms with medication(ie I will change every part of your boiler because I don't know) then he would loose his job because his employer would dismiss him for not carrying out his job properly.  I know its a rubbish comparison but you get where I am coming from.  I decided to give Dr Stevenson a copy of Ten Top Tips for Doctors on Pulsatile Tinnitus written by doctors for doctors, its taken from the Whooshers.com website.


I also asked for a copy of the recent discharge letter from my neurologist Dr Tyagi and there was also a letter from Dr Tracey Baird (the colleague of Dr Tyagi who visited me during my hospital stay) explaining there was no evidence of dissection and my question of dissection would never be answered.  Again the communication has been very poor because I should of been sent a copy of this letter from Dr Baird. I should be kept informed about decisions about me yet this seems non existent. Why has my symptoms now been put into the bracket of has she or hasn't she? Why am I not being treated as an individual patient who has on going symptoms? Why has no doctor taken the stance to look more in depth at my symptoms to find a cause and treat me. Dr Baird didn't mention in her letter that she had reviewed my scan and that she had based her decision on looking at my Carotid Artery instead of my Vertebral Artery.  It's slightly bewildering that doctors leave key facts out of their letters. I know myself what I am experiencing and that sound is coming from that artery and the pain is coming from that artery. (the arrogance is creeping in again)  Dr Baird goes on in her letter to state that she is not aware of anyone in Scotland who carries out that sort of intervention on an artery. Dr Tracey Baird this link is for you http://www.whooshers.com/2012.09.01_arch.html
Doctor's may not carry out these procedures in Scotland but they are carried out worldwide, Scotland is most definitely not at the forefront of Neurointervention and by not offering me the test of a cerebral angiogram to confirm the suspicions of Dr Shapiro in NY is alarming considering the seriousness of the diagnosis and the fact that the only test available to confirm what is going on with my artery is the cerebral angiogram.  Of course this is to stop me being given the diagnosis that they have missed. 


Dr Shapiro explains in detail in his report on how to carry out the procedure and what to look for and how to fix the artery. After having suffered for 3 years I have very little trust in what any of the doctors tell me here in Scotland.




There are many doctors who honestly need to pay a visit to an optician or maybe go back to med school, all the doctor's who report my scan is normal really need to stop covering each others backsides, not one of them will take a stand of their own and say they see what Dr Shapiro see's.  Would their family members be treated in the same manner I have been?  I have no other option but to conclude the Neurologists of Glasgow have severe eyesight problems.




*A note to the Neurologists and Neuroradiologists of Southern General Hospital/Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Glasgow please have a look at my MRA & CTA again and have a look at the left vertebral artery at V3 level, you will notice at the back of the atlas loop there is a strange bulge in my artery, it is called a double barrel lumen or false lumen which is caused by an artery tear.  I hear turbulent blood flow in my head, I have a constant headache, neck pain and ear pressure.  When I stand up or bend down I get a massive head rush and hear a loud roaring sound, when I exert myself and try and do too much I become off balance and I am pulled to the left.  I have pins and needles in the left of my head!  So my question is what is causing my symptoms if all scans are normal?





Whirring Wanderer

So what have I learned about the NHS over the last three years?

As the title suggests I will explain what I have endured from NHS Ayrshire & Arran and Greater Glasgow & Clyde.  My three year anniversary or suffering is more applicable, has been and gone and I'm still in limbo.  There has been no urgency to investigate and find a diagnosis.




The first thing that is apparent to me is cost cutting, it took 7 consultations with GP's before I was eventually offered and referred to an ENT consultant at the hospital, at this stage nearly 5 months had passed. I moved to a new GP practice because a doctor said they would no longer investigate my symptoms and to accept that I had some sort of soft tissue damage. At my new and still current GP Practice I was refused a referral to a Neurologist as the new doctor seen no need to refer me based on a previous normal scan. I was forced to go private therefore saving them their budget.




Secondly I have found that doctors including ENT Consultants do not have any knowledge of pulsatile tinnitus nor have they taken my combined symptoms including headache seriously.  Many doctors tried to separate my symptoms even though I repeatedly told them everything happened around the same time. Not one doctor has connected my pulsatile tinnitus, headache, neck and ear pain.




Thirdly not one doctor has gone out their way to try and make investigations on what could be causing my symptoms.  I have done all the investigating myself by arranging a private MRA scan and sending them to New York.  When I provided doctors with a diagnosis none of them were quick to act, I had to constantly chase my neurologist up with constant emails and calling my GP practice.  I gave doctor's print outs of my symptoms to make it easier for them so that they had a list in front of them.  My neurologist made several mistakes and he is yet to admit them, not sending me letters of results, mixing me up with another patient, sending me for a scan questioning a carotid dissection instead of vertebral dissection.




I should also mention the lack of notes that GP's have recorded about my symptoms, it is very concerning that GP's do not note everything that you state to them and in my case many did not type or note anything until I was leaving the room.  On another small issue, I have found Doctors very evasive when I have asked questions so much so I believe they must be sitting in the same classrooms as high class lawyers.  Not one doctor will give me a clear answer on what is showing on my scans.  It ranges from "nothing" "movement in the scanner" "no abnormality found" "the artery is normal and patent" "unsure of the abnormalities within your scan"




Going forward after presenting Dr Shapiro's report from New York, doctors never properly acted on it.  Dr Shapiro's preferred method was an angiogram and also a balloon occlusion test which would confirm the diagnosis and also allow time to fix the artery at the same time.  My neurologist decided on a CT Angiogram and not the conventional Cerebral Angiogram which is gold standard in cases such as mine.  Of course doctors were then free to report my CT Angiogram as normal.  They were never going to own up that my MRA and CTA had shown the double lumen all along and that they had missed it.  Except it does show a clear double barrel lumen at the atlas loop of the vertebral (V3)  When I questioned Dr Tyagi he said he had to go on what the neuroradiologist reported.




When my husband and I met with Dr T in May he said that normal variants were not openly reported on.  I asked if  a normal variant or fenestration could be causing my symptoms he said that there was nothing showing and my artery was completely normal. 




After finally receiving my CTA in July and carefully viewing it I could see that the artery was not normal and within the report it stated a Carotid Dissection was being questioned.  I sent two emails to Dr T asking why he had questioned the wrong artery but he has never responded to that question.  I then obtained my GP notes and Dr T wrote to my GP stating my Carotid was fine with no evidence of dissection.  Now what really alarms me on this is that my GP had the report from Dr Shapiro and it only ever mentions the Vertebral Artery throughout the report.  Why did my GP not pick up on this? 


Thanks for reading
Whirring Wanderer