Hello,
My 26 year old sister with moderate/severe scoliosis, has been suffering with severe neck pain for 3 months, which has gotten worse and also spread to her shoulders, head, arms, and chest. After 20+ appointments with the NHS, I paid for her to see a physiotherapist privately. The physiotherapist said she was concerned my sister had spinal compression and wrote a letter to her GP telling them to refer her for a full spinal MRI. She had the MRI four days ago. Today she received a call from her GP, who told her she had a bulging disc in her cervical spine that was causing compression. He said he was going to refer her to see a neurosurgeon urgently. But, he didn't tell her anything else.
Needless to say, she is extremely anxious and borderline freaking out. Her pain has gotten so bad int he past few days that she can no longer brush her own hair. I am having to do it for her.
I don't know what to do. I fear she may already have severe nerve damage and that any further waiting will make her worse.
The Surgery she goes to knows they have messed up. They have not said so, but I have read the doctor's notes for her appointment today, and they say that many, many red flags were missed and that the patient, my sister, should have been taken more seriously, and that the complaints she made should also have been taken more seriously. (Yes, she complained multiple times about the lack of help she was receiving and they still did nothing.)
I am considering booking her a private appointment with a neurosurgeon, but I'm sure that it will cost a fortune.
Does anyone have any advice about what I should do next?
