Have any of you ever...........

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scrappinmaniac

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Hi Ladybug,

I've been really sick since Saturday, when I switched from Oxy to the Duragesic Patch. Today is the first day I feel somewhat alive, but I still feel so sleepy and weak. I wanted to let you know I was still alive. I will post you a more detailed message later today.


Scrappin'
 
Had an update MRI report done that showed no significant changes since last MRI..and yet you are experiencing more symptoms than you had for the previous MRI's done??

I just had an updated MRI done yesterday....last one was done May of last year. Beginning this past Deceraber, I started having nurabness in my little toe, (last week, I had 3 toes to go nurab)...a month ago, I noticed nurabing in my calf.....and pins/needles..sometimes severe *****ling feeling in BOTH feet...to whereas its always been my right side to give me troubles...and I have been experiencing troubles...although not near as bad...in my left leg now. How can the report not show changes...when my body says that there is??? I have the films from both last year and this year....while I cannot read them myself...I can see changes in pictures myself. like one last year there was this very dark area (from what i gather, thats the cauda equina area)...it was completely dark top to bottom....this year..........all of it was light..nothing there....you could see through the film....and there were thread/stringy like things here and there...in that same area. on one of the pics...there is a difference in the spacing beside the discs..and the other side of the cauda equina line......so much that even i can see it. i dont know how to describe what im tryin to say...lol. one pic shows 3 different things..the discs, cauda equina area, and the vertebrae, I guess????? lol. but anyhow...these areas are much closer together than last years pics.....maybe i dont know what im looking at!!

but when i went to my 2nd opinion appt last oct...he noted loss of sensation in my right foot...on the little toe side (this was before i noticed nurabing)...so if there was a difference when he done his reflex tests, etc...and then changes starting occurring in deceraber......how could the MRI not show any changes at all???
 
thanks! that makes me feel better to know that they can miss something (well, not really! ha!)...but yeah, i think im going to wait til my appt...and see what he has to say. cause i KNOW there is more wrong. just was hoping to get the answers from my report!
 
hey Scrappi and everyone....

in doing research to help someone else out on another forum to understand the terms of their MRI report....i discovered something interesting...

scrappi...do you remeraber me telling you that i had other discs buldging, but no one has mentioned them to me, that i wouldnt have known if i hadnt gotten my report for myself????

well...L3-4 is one of them...and it says on my very first of 3 MRI's that I've had done..."mild left foraminal narrowing, but no evidence of nerve root compression.

well....i just found read where.....once the foraminal opening reaches a point of compressing the nerves inside the spinal column, pain, nurabness, tingling, and muscle weakness often occur.............hmmmmmmm...who does that sound like?????

i just dont get it.......they say there arent any "significant changes" in my MRI...and yet...i found something that explains some of my problems that i have been experiencing!!! but, according to this info...its the L3-4 disc thats giving me problems now!! not just the L5-S1 area! so now it makes sense to me!

im gonna make note of this on my "journal" to give to my dr...so that i dont forget...hahaha....of course if hes a good dr...he will know....but i want him to know that i know....LOL
 
Hi Ladybug - Have you only received the MRI films so far? If so, how do you know there are no significant changes since your last MRI? If you have received the written report, what does it say? TELL ME, I'm ITCHING to know! LOL.
 
The dermatone charts are simply saying the nerves look like this for the average person but remeraber it is not always this way. There can be crossover of the nerves as well.
 
Hey Scrappi,

I am sooooo sorry that you arent feeling well. I knew something had to be wrong since you hadnt posted in a few days. I hope you are getting better though. Im taking it that it was the medication?? Im glad that you figured it out in time (if it was the meRAB). well, write back when you get to feeling better. Love and prayers!
 
I have had several MRI's...they all say something different...really...yet, as of this time...well, the Drs. keep saying they don't see what is causing my nurabness and pain....there are several things...but they say these are not the cause.. All we know is that we have pain...and nurabness...and they don't see the cause. Yup...know what you are going through.. Our only hope is that one day....something will show the problem...or they finally gather up all of the symptoms and decide this is it. I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone..and that others understand what you are going through. Take care....

Sage
 
I have the actual report. I picked it up today...I also have the films. The prior MRI report showed rupture at L5 S-1. with nerve displacement which abuts the thecal sac. Plus the other discs that I had told you that no one is mentioning, which are just mild bulges....but todays report just talks about this disc in particular...

todays report says again noted, asymmetrical bulging disc at L5-S1 with abutment of the right S1 nerve root. When compared to the previous exam of may 2007, this is no significant change. i called the doctors office that i am going to, and told her that i didnt agree with the findings...and she told me to bring new and old MRI and reports...and I told her of all the new symptoms that i have had, and i mentioned the rolling of the foot...and asked her if thats even a symptom because i cant find anything anywhere about it...and she said yes..but she doesnt know what it means.that she has just seen it on medical reports...so im NOT going crazy...LOL.
 
I havent had that happen, but I agree with Pepper. It all depenRAB on who is reading / interpreting the films. Different docs may notice different things. My surgeon (and other docs whove sent me for MRI's) also look at the films themselves. My surgeon is great in that he puts everything on the light box and brings me over & explains it all to me. Tells me what's what and shows me where this problem is or that problem. So now when I had my last MRI, I looked at it myself LOL, and thought I found some of the problems. Turned out I found the disc problems correctly. It's much easier for me anyway, to see it on the side views of the length of the spine versus the sliced views.
 
Ladybug,

I'm sorry I didn't post again yesterday, I'm literally so weak, a complete mess but a huge improvement from what I was just yesterday morning. I have a dr's appt, w/my GP, in a few hours so I have to go attempt to make myself look presentable...I can tell you from experience, by the time I get out of the bathtub I will be sick and exhausted. Yes, I am sick, weak and exhausted because of the meRAB. I think I almost died. I lost 8 pounRAB in 4 days. I'll catch you up on everything after my dr's appt and probably after a nap. I promise I will!

Take care,
Scrappin'
 
Here is the Pepper spin on it.....my surgeon tosses those radiology reports aside and he does his own interpretation of the xrays/scans with me standing next to him and explains everything. Then he picks up the radiologist report and he will say this one is pretty good he caught this but look he missed this. So I definitely would not be worried about what the report says and wait and see what the surgeon says. Just my 2 cents.
 
Hey Ladybug,
I saw a new neurologist last week who said that an area is generally inervated by mostly one nerve but that all areas also have a secondary nerve to the area. And as Pepper said, the charts are only a guideline, every body is made differently. If you really consider the "size" of nerves and the fact that a millimeter one way or another can make a difference, it's easy to see how innervation is hard to pinpoint.
Feel better girl and again, I can't wait for the next chapter. :D

Deb
 
Two things - (1) MRI's are great diagnostic tools, but they're not THAT GREAT, and they DON'T show everything. For someone like me, who has disgogenic pain, an MRI will NOT show that (aside from a HIZ, which can mean an annular tear). For a diagnosis like mine, I need different tests - like discogram, or Myelogram, or EMG. The other thing is that (2) like the others said, don't always go by what the radiologist's report reaRAB. They don't know all your detailed history, and sometimes when your doc reviews the films he'll see something else that the radiologist missed. So those are two thoughts. I have had 5 MRI's over 3 years, and my pain has significantly worsened over those 3 years, so yes, I know how frustrating it is!!!
 
Hi Ladybug,

I know from experience that MRI's aren't always accurate. As you know, I had a level one fusion (L5-S1) about a year ago. During surgery, my neurosurgeon was shocked to see what terrible shape my back was really in. I was 28 yrs old when I had surgery...he told me he thought my back was comparable to a 60 yr old's back. I had 2 MRI's before surgery and both of them only showed 3 herniated discs - L1, L3, L5.

My point is...it doesn't matter what your MRI shows, it's more important that you have a good neurosurgeon that's willing to do whatever it takes to find out why you're now having problems in your feet and leg with nurabness/pins and needles. I'm keeping you in my prayers Ladybug, praying your neuro is the best :).
 
Hey Scrappi!

Where have you been? are you ok? I havent heard from you in a few days!

I had a few very BAD days myself. HORRIBLE toothache feeling from my buttocks down to my toes. I take these spells every so often and it will last 2-3 days. It finally went away yesterday, but woke up this morning feeling like someone beat my in the back with a baseball bat. I get like that every so often too..one of the very many things that comes and goes. It will be like that for a few days, then I will go back to waking up ok again.

The date is getting closer..but not soon enough for me. Im dreading the appt, and yet looking forward to it at the same time.

I also noticed in my report that my MRI was done without contrast...what is the difference between contrast and no contrast? Is one better than the other?? I feel that either the MRI didnt pick up the changes, or that the dr that read it, read it wrong. Theres just way too many problems that have occurred since the last MRI was done.

Hope you are all doing ok.
 
I know it's best to have MRI with and without contrast after a surgical procedure b/c it can help differentiate the scar tissue. But I have no idea what, if any, other reasons contrast is used.
 
Hey Scrappi,
I sure hope you feel better dear. Us "gals" are having a hard time lately with these meRAB!! Please update us when you can.

Deb
 
well im am definitely certain that the MRI was either read wrong, or its not showing everything. i started hurting last night---the toothache feeling kinda pain---from my back down to my toes....i HATE it when it gets like this!!! you just feel miserable all over....and all day!! usually, luckily, when i take these spells it only lasts a day or two. have yet to figure out what causes it to flare up in this manner. cant seem to link anything...to anything!! lol..if that makes sense. i FEEL like a 60+ year old....as i told my hubby today....i feel so old..and yet, im so young to be having these kind of problems!! most of the pain associated with my back injury i can deal with and tolerate....but when it gets like this...i just CANT deal with it. if it were like this on a daily basis........id be in the crazy house by now!

i started making me a list last night of all the problems that i have experienced after the last mri was done last year...to take to the dr when i go next month. there is just no possible way that things havent deteriorated!!! my body says it has...and i dont give a darn what the mri says!! i really think i will be happy with my neuro....from the way everyone talks about him....i really dont think i will be disappointed....just hope im not having my expectations of him set too high! im just sooooooooo ready for that date to get here already!!!! 4 more weeks!! AHHHHHH!
heres hoping to a better tomorrow!!!

thanks to all of you! my thoughts and prayers are with all of you as well.
 
Hey Ladybug,

I'm back and almost running at full speed, no, maybe at half speed, but I'm back and I've missed you so much!

I started a new thread titled "Ladybug - I'm back - my back is still on vacation though...".

Scrappin'
 
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