Can anyone help me know what kind of MRI I need?

[cwashing]

I have been enduring severe pain in my left side near my waist, radiating across my back for 6 weeks. It is tolerable during the day, more noticable if I take a deep breath. But ten times worse when I am lying down and I attempt to move at all in any direction. When I first get up in the morning, I am in terrible pain. I can hardly stand it. As I begin to move around it subsides after about an hour or so, but it does not go away, it is just more tolerable until I lay down again.

Also, when I am lying on my left side, I can feel a clicking or popping in my side each time I take a deep breath.

Also, sometimes I feel a pulsating or throbbing in the area that comes on strong and slowly lessens and stops.

I have had an ultra sound that showed mild hydronephrosis in my RIGHT kidney, and large gallstones which are on my right side, but nothing wrong with my left kidney where my pain is. My doc sent me for a ct scan of my abdomen and pelvis and it showed nothing in addition to the problems the ultra sound found.

I've had a periurabilical hernia for over 10 years now that hasnt given me any problems so far so I dont think it has to do with that, the ct scan showed it but said there was no obstruction or anything.

I have spinal stenosis in my lurabar and cervical area, so I am wondering if it could be in my thoracic area as well.

I am going to ask my doctor to schedule me a Thoracic MRI, but I dont want him to focus just on the stenosis issue, because what if there is something else causing my pain such as the gallstones or something else. I was reading another post that was suggesting to someone to make sure the mri was of certain "sections" what kind of MRI should I ask my doc for, any suggestions at all would be so helpful, I am in agony, thanks Connie

 

[feelbad]

hi connie, while you most definitely want and need that thorasic done for a few different reasons, just considering that you do also have other issues going on, it wouldn't hurt for them to just do the full spinal at this point. just how long ago was the MRI done that found the c and L stenosis and were there ANY other findings? do you have your own copies of the MRIs? if it has been more than like a year or so, it really should be redone anyway as a comparritive type study just to see progression of confirmed findings. this is only becasue most spinal problems just ARE progressive in nature. what was there as findings upon like the very first MRIs on that C and L could have very easily changed. just how exactly does that pain feel to you? is it ONLY in that one area or does it appear to kind of radiate out or down to other areas too?

if i were actually in your current situation right now, i seriously would be asking for a contrasted full spinal MRI, just to fully 'see' all levels and like i mentioned, check progression of confirmed findings too. you just really never know how this stuff will play out or what could even just be in any given area of our bodies til it at least gets scanned. i myself have had some really insane 'incidental findings' pop up in certain types of scans over the years that i NEVER ever could have imagined were actually even there or ever heard of before either. just try and obtain that full spinal. that would give you much more and clearer info than 'just" doing that T spine area alone. it can all be done at the very same time with one simple referral. instead of the tech just doing one area alone, they simply do the whole thing all at one test.
i do hope you can at least find the answers here upon an MRI. it just makes it so much easier when you at least KNOW what it is that is creating any symptoms in us. please let me know what you find out connie, marcia


just an FYI here for you. if you have not already done so, obtain every single copy of every single test you have had done for this back and neck stuff. all rad reports in your own posession just allows you to really see every single finding that was actually found but may NOT have even been told to you depending upon if this was from a primary or a specialist. many speciualists just do NOT actually even tell their patients about ALL even pertinent findings. its sick but this happens like every single day to someone who is getting an MRI result dictated to them by their own specialists. just obtain them and keep them for your own recorRAB. they DO really come in handy for many different reasons. and make certain to request a copy of this new one right from the facility you have it done at. they have you just sign a form and they will send a copy out to you in a couple weeks. i have been doing this for many years with all my 17 MRIs i have had to have done. bye