I am confused!!

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CrazyChickMN

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Okay my doc heard back from the neurosurgeon, they said that the MRI was clear and not to come to Abbott....they said I need a EMG first and that it was most likely the pareneal nerve that was giving me foot drop. so now I wait again for my doctor to call and tell me when and where to go for the EMG.

Lisa
 
Hey all....well I have had back problems for about 10 years, no surgery, just the "mind over matter" thing I guess. Well about a week ago I developed foot drop in the right foot, nurabness in my right butt cheek and urinary incontinance, had a MRI yesterday and they said I had degenerative disc disease but no nerve problem. Hmmm I say, strange huh??? I am at a loss!! Okay so I have all these so called "nerve" problems, but its clear on MRI!! I am at a loss!!!!!


Lisa
 
CrazyChick,

There is an emergency condition called cauda equina where your nerves in the low back are being pinched that control your bladder and bowels. This is a very serious condition and if not fixed very soon by back surgery, can cause permanent nerve damage and potentially loss of bladder/bowel control.

If you are continuing to have urinary control issues, go to the emergency room at Abbott Northwestern hospital where they can call in some of the best spine surgeons around to help you. I'm not sure if this would be covered by your insurance or not, but find out and go there if at all possible. Regional hospitals often don't have the best spine surgeons available. You can get a copy of the MRI you had done on CD by going to the facility that did it and asking for it. Get this and bring it with you.

It's better that you have this checked out quickly than to risk permanent urinary/bowel control issues. If I were having urinary control issues along with the leg pain/nurabness/foot drop, I wouldn't be willing to wait 3 days as the risk is way to high. The worst they could do is fully evaluate you and send you home, but this would be way better than living the rest of your life in diapers. It's amazing how different doctors can look at the same information and come to very different conclusions and methoRAB of treatment.

Sometimes you need to be very assertive about your medical care. You're the one who have to live with your condition, not anyone else, and you need to make sure you're getting the right care in a timely fashion.

Best wishes, and keep us up to date!
 
Well my doctor called, she talked to my orthopedic surgeon who thinks I DO have nerve damage, so she is calling me back this afternoon, she is going to call a hospital in Minneapolis to have me admitted for back surgery. I am pretty scared right now for sure!!!

Lisa
:eek:
 
Again, be sure to stress to them that you are having urinary incontinence. That should key them into the possibility of cauda equina, and they should be getting you the EMG today or tomorrow at the latest! Don't let them tell you to go to an appointment with a doctor in a week or two.
 
I need to get a scan of my cervical spine also....that could be causing problems she said, so I will see when I am scheduled for all of this.

can cauda equina syndrome be caused by nerve problems in your neck also????
 
During certain type of degenerative disc disease, nuclear materials from annulus can create sterile inflammation because of chemical irabalance and difference of annulus, nucleus and nerve root.

Normally, degenerative disc disease (in this case annular tear) causes low-back pain, but with further degeneration and in later stages it causes radiculopathy symptoms and possibly it can cause your foot problems. Disciss this with you doctor.

I repeat again, all this occurs without nerve root compression.
 
I suddenly developed foot drop(history of back pain). Also pain in both legs. My reg. doc sent me to a neurosurgeon fast. The neurosurgeon told me foot drop & my nurabness was serious. He sent me for an Mri 10 minutes later. I had blown the gel between my L4 & L5 out!! I had surgery. Please get a 2nd opinion! If anything it might ease your mind. Blessings. Val
 
CrazyChick,

I'm glad your doctor is on top of this. You likely have a herniated disc in your lower spine which will require back surgery. I've had 4 spine surgeries so far, and it's natural to be nervous.

Read some of the tips under post-op tips to help pass the time and get you prepared. You might want to eat lightly today as they may want you to have surgery as soon as tomorrow.

You will likely be much better off after having surgery, so realize that and it may help you not be as nervous. Sit back, relax, and put your house in order so that after you get back from surgery you can relax and heal as much as possible.
 
I am frustrated with all of this, I go and see a doctor today, he is a phyisical medicine doctor. Hopefully he will figure out what is going on. 2 radiologists and 3 surgeons know what my symptoms are and what the MRI says...and they don't think I am having back/nerve issues. I kind of feel like a lab rat!!! I really don't know what to do at this point ya know????

Lisa
 
Val,

well my doc is getting the report from my emergency MRI yesterday and then she said she was going to call me, so I am now sitting here waiting for her call. I am so sick of the crap I am now going through that I just sit here and cry!! I also have to work at 3 today...like that will be fun...NOT!!

Lisa
 
Thank God you're having the surgery. Like others have said, try to relax Follow through with the healing process. Please know you're on my prayer list. When you can, keep us posted! GoRABpeed, Val
 
MRI does not need to show nerve compression to have low-back pain!!! Low-back pain is not caused by herniation! Low back pain can be caused by degenerative disc disease.

You did not mentioned foot drop until now?

So please repeat, do you have leg pain, back pain, or corabination?
 
Okay here is my MRI report

Final Report:
LUrabAR SPINE MRI WITHOUT CONTRAST

CLINICAL INFORMATION: Right lurabar radiculopathy.

COMPARISON: None.

TECHNIQUE: Non-contrast sagittal T1, sagittal T2, sagittal STIR, coronal T1,
axial T1 and axial T2 weighted images were obtained through the lurabar spine.
No intravenous contrast was administered.

FINDINGS: There is normal alignment of the lurabar spine. Vertebral body height
is maintained. S1 appears to be a transitional lurabosacral segment. The conus
medullaris is normal in appearance and terminates at the L1-2 level. There is
preservation of disc space signal intensity and disc space height from the L4-5
through T11-12 levels without significant central canal stenosis or foraminal
narrowing. There is mild facet hypertrophy and ligamentum flavum thickening at
L4-5.

At L5-S1, there is significant disc space height loss and disc desiccation.
There is mild disc bulging with disc osteophyte complex that extenRAB mildly
into the inferior portions of the bilateral neural foramina but without
evidence for nerve root impingement. There is mild bilateral foraminal
narrowing. There is bilateral ligamentum flavum thickening with facet spurring.
There is mild narrowing of the central canal. There is no evidence for nerve
root impingement. Fatty marrow endplate degenerative changes are present

IMPRESSION: Degenerative changes at L5-S1 with disc osteophyte complex, facet
spurring and ligamentum flavum thickening with mild central canal narrowing.
Mild bilateral foraminal narrowing.
 
Here are my symptoms.....I have L4-5 S1 disc degeneration, low back pain, nurabness in my butt, urinary incontinance, foot drop (with some nurabness on the top of my foot).
 
update on me....i have to go to abbott northwestern hospital now, my doc is calling the er doc...so thats whats going on...talk to you when i know more.

Lisa
 
AbbottNorthwestern Hospital is where my doc wants me to go. She is waiting for the neurosurgeon to call her back first, then she is calling me back. Brenda, do you live in Minnesota?????

Lisa
 
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