Oh My Neck and My Back MRI Results!

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Findings: At C6-7, there is anterior and posterior bulging of the disc with left foraminal protrusion with impression upon the anterior thecal sac and sever left neural foraminal stenosis.

Does this explain my excruciating pain in my neck, upper middle of back, lower center of back. I have difficulty lifting my left arm, I feel the pain from my left elbow upward throw my shoulders. I am also have pain in my lower middle back which shoots down my right leg. I also have bone spurs on my right ankle and foot.

I basically need a laymens explanation of my MRI results please!

I have an appointment with an orthopedic in a few days and want to have some idea as to what to expect him to say.

Thanks,

Michael:confused:
 
Michael I just wanted to let you know that I had surgery on my C4/C5 and C/5/C6 and I kept putting it off and ended up with permanent nerve damage. Then 3 years later I went back in for C3/C4 surgery. I hope everything will turn out good for you and I am sure it will. I am now having surgery on my L5/S1 disc and have had some complications following the first part of the surgery but I know things will get better. Just don't wait too long and get as many opinions you need.

My prayers are with you and also well wishes.

Linda
 
Dear Michael,
I appreciate you sending in this question. Often times physicians speak in terms that are very difficult for laymen to understand. Basically, your MRI appears to show a herniated disk. This is at C6-7, one of the lower disks in the neck. The herniation is causing pressure on the spinal cord (the "anterior thecal sac") and is causing significant pressure on the nerve going to your left arm (severe left foraminal stenosis). I very much encourage you to seek specialist care with either an orthopaedic spine surgeon or a neurosurgeon.

Well I had my appointment today, and surgeon told me that I needed surgery. He informed me that he doubts the epidural injection would last because it doesnt fix the problem it only hides it or disguise it, if it worked at all its a 50/50 shot.

I have tried the PT, and the Chiro with little to no results and am at my wits end. The pain is so excrutating at times it drops me to my knees without warning.

Also have lurabar pain as well and scheduled for an MRI on wednesday....hoping to get those results so I can make a better decision.

I am really hoping some of you that have gone through this can give me some insight on this, because I am at a loss. I need to know having the surgery or not affected your lives.

Please, I need some support on this one if any!
This has really hampered my life and career for the last 4 years, it seems as though I am always waiting for a flare up and then it happens when i least expect it and can't do anything about it.:(:confused:
 
:confused:Thank you all so much for your comments, they mean a great deal to me. I will use your comments to my post and other post to help with a decision and time frame.

I had my Lurabar MRI done today...I have the pictures but the report is not readily available to me. They will fax it to my Surgeon. My appointment with him is not until 02/28/08. just cant seem to wait that long..Wish there was a way to read the pictures myself. I have them on cd.....

Thanks Again,

Michael
 
just thought id let you know....its very possible that your MRI report is ready. just call the place that done your MRI and they will be able to give you a copy of the report. i had mine done on a wed just before lunch time...they told me to give them a couple of days for the report...(as i asked when it would be ready for me to pick it up, so that i could have a copy for myself).....well...i decided to call around lunch time the very next day...they told me that the report was ready, and that they had already faxed the dr the copy of it the day before...around 2:30ish.........so odRAB are...you DONT have to wait til the 28th to find out what the report says. just call the place and ask. if not ready tomorrow...call again on friday...and so forth. just thought that i would let you know that there is hope that you dont have to wait that long!! let us know!!!
 
The word "severe" makes me want to you tell you to run, (if you can, without pain!) not walk to the nearest specialist. It sounRAB like you are experiencing cord compression, which, if left untreated, will leave you with some level of permanent damage.

I'm no expert -just speaking from personal experience. I had a very similar problem at the same level. When I saw the NS for the first time, he would have done surgery for me immediately if he could have scheduled it, but, Christmas was in the way. I had my surgery 10 days after that first visit.

I hope that whatever decision you make, that it will leave you with less pain than you are having now.
 
Thank you so much for you input, as I need as much as possible to make this decision. This is very unfamiliar territory for me and my family. I have to make this decision not just for me but my entire family. And I am glad I have found this board. I read the stories jump for joy at the successful surgeries and nearly cried from the failures. So I am at a lost....I will seek out a few other opinions from surgeons all of course within the next couple weeks, and if they agree somewhat then its a no brainer.

Again thanks for your input, very important to me

Michael
 
Hi Michael,
I am sorry you are suffering with this pain.
My opinion is that cord and nerve compression is NEVER a good thing. I would get other opinions quickly and get your surgery scheduled as soon as you can. Permananet nerve damage is always a risk with nerve compression. You are in so much pain and it affects your quality of life and your relationships. I'm sure your family is so worried about you and will be so happy to support you in your decision. It will be a long road, you won't be pain free immediately and you may never be completely pain free but it will likely be very manageable. Then again some people have surgery, are pain free and move on to a normal life. Please keep us posted. We care about you! This is the best place to be with spinal/back problems. The people here are sensitive, compassionate and knowledgeable. We are sorry you are in pain but glad you found us.

Deb
 
Thanx for the response. You are not gonna believe what happened. Okay, I received the images like i said on cd....so i decided to look at the images myself and noticed that the information on the images were not of mine. So i contancted the facility about the discrepancy, this is what they said; First, let me tell you that the cd contains images from my Cervical done on 020608 that contained my name, DOB, date of MRI and Time of the image. On the other hand, images that were done on 022008, of my lurabar contained information that was not mine. The name was Dail, QA the date was 092607, DOB was 010150, and a time of 6:30am. These are images that my surgeon are suppose to rely on for my lurabar region. So i called with my concern of the information that is on the actual images, they informed me that there was a problem with the software the created the cd, and therefore they were unable to edit the information. But, the images contained on the cd are of my Lurabar.

My problem is this, I am already looking at surgery for my cervical, based on MRI that contain my accurate information. Now the information for my lurabar that doesn't contain my information, I am suppose to have my surgeon rely on to make a decision in respect to my lurabar. I have a definite issue with that, because I am suppose to have a justifiable reliance in my surgeon to make an accurate diagnosis based on image supplied by an imaging facility who can't say to me with a 100% degree of certainty that the images without my information are in fact mine.

Do you follow what I am saying, and if so, what would you as a patient do in a situation such as this?


This is not good and it is very frustrating because I live 50 miles from the MRI facility, because i have to use an open MRI because of my size. I have already returned to the facility twice to pick up cRAB, which contained incorrect information on the images of my Lurabar region.

They informed me that they will mail the film from my MRI session to my surgeon instead of relying on cRAB. My next question is would you rely on these film for accuracy? Would you allow you surgeon to use the findings of this MRI to diagnose you?

Please help me, this is tough enough as it is without having to run the risk of a misdiagnosis!


Thanks,

Michael:confused::mad:
 
oh my my my....i think i would INSIST on a re-take..at no charge!!!!! im sorry....but i wouldnt accept any other answer. its your back....and id make darn sure that it definitely has your info....have you called your surgeons office to see what they say???
 
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