MS Expert Patient
MS Expert Patient
Cranial Nerve Examination
I have recently met some 3rd year medical
students at my GPs’ surgery on their
request; an activity I usually do if I can when asked to do it, being someone
living with MS – not solely stuck
in MY head!
What this does is not only the giving me the chance to give something back to the medical body, that they (students) learn from, but the chance for me to share some of my story.
I have assisted with a/the Cranial
Nerve Examination several times now being the patient, as my eyes are affected
by my condition. These (examinations) have taken part in a learning centre area of the RVI*
and separately my GPs’ surgery.
*This has been different across the years! I go along with
about 15 other ‘patients’ across 2 wards, each in our own respective ward area, to sit or
lie and await a small team (5-6) of students with a qualified doctor per team. These
teams each have their task/s to perform depending on what these are. Do I enjoy
it? Yes, I do now being somewhat of an expert patient (well, it was said to me!) I
can help them (a bit) without interfering with the lead doctor of course! Quite
a long afternoon, 15 teams of 6, with 15 minutes each. Tiring!
So, this time (February 2017) in my GP Surgery there were
just 3 students. It never ceases to astound me how much they know of their
field. But I suppose when I was in a similar position (3rd year) at Glasgow
University I knew a lot of my then stuff (Aeronautical Engineering); a
different kind of gibberish (numbers, Greek characters, diagrams, more numbers
etc!) but my gibberish. Trying to put that – the Cranial Nerve Examination – into
context even now, in what they know about even ONE element of their study being
an element of multiple sclerosis is I suppose, harder (contextualization) for me having
MS.
The specific focus (ha) was on my eyes, e.g. Visual Acuity, Visual Fields, Visual Extinction. Me being the
patient and they performing the above mentioned Cranial Nerve Examination with
more concentration on my eyes. They only did an hour’s examination and test
practice. Students after all! I’m sure they are getting younger. Ahem. Good people though.
Last year’s 5 took longer to grill me but they did a bigger
investigation into and around other nerve responses etc. e.g. leg reactions, spasticity
tests, responses and more! Some from the suggested list below – I can’t remember
exactly which ones!
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