My husband had a bleed in March 2008. His large brain AVM is not treatable. He goes to work and lives his live however, he is very often tired and has short term memory issues. After his bleed, he was seen by his physician throughout the summer and early fall (2008). He has not been seen since. When I called last fall for his yearly visit I was told to call back in a year. When I called back today I was told that he does not need to be seen. It has been two years since his visit. Is that the “norm”? Does he not need to be seen or have an MRI to make sure that nothing has changed? By the way, he is treated at a large Boston hospital.
Hi Tricia,
My husband’s AVM was treated in the 80s after a hemorrhage. We found out in 05 that it wasn’t fully treated at the time, that a lot of the problems he had been experiencing were due to the remaining AVM, and that there was a new treatment (embolization with onyx). His doctors in the 80s told him he wouldn’t need to see a neurologist again…they were wrong. Keeping up with a neurologist could have helped us catch the changes in behavior and cognition earlier, and we could have found out about the treatment earlier.
I don’t understand why your husband’s doctor won’t see him; he has a neurological condition, so he should see a neurologist once a year, in my opinion. I suggest that you find a doctor at a different hospital who can give you a second opinion on how often he needs to be seen, and the question of whether he should get an MRI every year or every few years.
JH