Sucks to be me NO HEALTH BENEFITS HELP

[hunnyback]

Hello All, Iam a 44 year old with no medical insurance. I had an injury at work. Denied workmans comp. They said my problems were due to DDD. They sent me away. So almost a year later I still have not seen a doctor other than a regular MD. They said I need to see a neuro. Yeah seriously with no benefits whos gonna treat me? Im not able to qualify for any assistance. I cant afford insurance. Besides to many pre existing illness. Under obama theyve got to accept me now but They can charge me out the WAZOO. SO if anyone:wave: can help me understand my mri please do so.

Disc c5-6 show fairly marked decreased disc height and mild disc desiccation. Fairly moderate anterior disc bulging is present. A large herniated nucleus pulposus is seen on the right at 5-6 with evidence of an annular tear and disc fragmentation extending into the right posterolateral aspect with effacement and distortion to the thecal sac and right nerve root with marked attenuation and truncation of the right nerve toot and c5-6. The left nerve root is intact.

The disc at c6-7 shows decreased disc height and mild desiccation. Mild to moderate anterior disc bulging is seen at c6-7. Left posterior disc protrusion is seen with impingment upon the spinal cord and left nerve root. with nerve root attenuation and truncation on the left. Loss of cervical lordosis is noted

Can anyone please tell me what all this means other than herniated disc. Im not able to see a doctor soon and would appriciate any feedback as to my back. I can see alot of people have read my post. Thus far I have no answer. Whats usually done for type of problem? Who should I see first?

 

[feelbad]

just wondering EXACTLY what the actual mechanism of injury was that you suffered at work? while some of what you have stated here IS some level of a more chronic type of situation going on(like loss of disc hieght/dessication), there are ALSO some findings like the 'truncatation'(which could actually be some level of real traumatic tearing/avulsing of nerve roots at more than one level? have to double check that tho since they are simply describing the opposite ones as 'being intact' that would actually make the most sense just given what the word 'truncation actually means itself?) and the "large herniated nucleous propulsis" (this just IS now impacting what appears to be your actual sp cord)and fragmentation findings that may suggest trauma to that area of the c spine was also done too? but that would of course pretty much on what actually happened at work?

if you could actually describe just exactly what happend and what you felt immediately upon it occuring,it would help tons. you still could have a possible shot at WC depending upon just what an actual neurosurgeon would say actually created these levels of injuries, either DDD(which i personally kind of doubt given some of them) or trauma. at the very least, the more major findings?

just what were ANY possible 'symptoms' of any type of real possible issue BEFORE the incident at work and what actually showed up right after and now? and i mean ANY possible symptoms from any pain to any losses of sensation or problems with your dexterity in any fingers here? both PRE injury and now post too. it would help alot in simply knowing what created the injuries themselves exactly. what just happened? the more solid info you can give me the better it would be for me to try and help you. marcia

 

[hunnyback]

Yeah, I got a response thanks. Well i picked up a baby out of a saucer-walker from a sitting position, I lifted him above my head to give him to a coworker. I felt a strong shaking and pain in my right arm. Prior to this I would wake up from time to time with a crook in my neck, severe pain then tingling and nurabness. This happend 3 times. Workmanscomp refused to send me to a neuro stating it was DDD. My pain has gotten better. I have difficulties writting and using a spoon. I can use a fork though. I have neck and shoulder pain but this has improved. I get shocking and tingling all over. Head aches and a stiff neck. I went to the doctor yesterday because Im now retaining urine. Constipation as well. The doctor at the local mom and pop clinic said no worries it was probably interstitual cystitis thats come back after remission. He only found a few white blood cells and said there doesnt seem to be an infection. He didnt seem concerned. I did suffer greatly from ic a chronic bladder disease in my early 20s. I hope this helps. I worked lifting infants for 12 years and I know ddd was caused by this as well as repetative lifting. I had a bad time dealing with workmanscomp and My lawyer said it would take years and lots of attacking of my credibility and I should consider if it was worth it. I decided after the headache of dealing with them a couple of months not to persue it. They closed my case. I am certainly hurt job related but I refuse to let workmanscomp judge my character and put me through heck. So now what? I have an appointment with a place called texas rehabilitation in two weeks. Im hoping they can help. They are a division of SSI. Its for people who want to stay in the workforce. Any feed back is so appriciated.

 

[feelbad]

sooo, are you actually ON ssi right now? or disability at least from the govt? knowing that would seriously help since you would then qualify for medicare if that were the case. i do know my aunt is on disability from what you also have, the IC? she has debilitating pain and chronic spasms in her bladder along with that pretty high level ongoing pain since everything is just pretty much 'raw" inside her bladder too.

unfortuently your injuries DO sound like they were more over time and not a sudden impact type of injury, so that does not help too much for your situation. the thing here tho is that you just DO seriously have some pretty in depth types of spinal issues that may need some level of actual surgical intervention? but the one huge thing you really do need to do here at the very LEAST is set an appt with a really good neurosurgeon, not neurologist since this is way above their level of knowledge and experience, just to obtain that one very crucial consult and eval from him or her that would give you their overall 'impressions' of your situation. you just really DO, and i cannot stress this enough, have to have someone like a neurosurgeon directing your ongoing care if surgery for you is not an option. you just unfortuently have some rather impactful types of issues there that if even the wrong therepy is started on you by someone who simply does NOT truely understand the actual level of your injuries/situation in that c spine, just could really make certain findings much much worse, not better? but more importantly you also have what appears to be actual cord contact from a very large type of pretty severe herniation too. and that IS something that you need to find out what your true risks are from that NS too.

at the very least here, just really DO obtain that one badly needed eval and the consultation from that NS tho. thats really a must just given the true nature of the extent of c spine involvement and of course that spinal cord affectation too? thats the one finding you have that kind of scares me the most for you right now esp since what is causing this is just sooo large and can/is impacting other things too and will usually over time tend to go towarRAB that cord area even more. its just what this level of crap simply does over time and with what we simply 'do' with our bodies every single day? that one eval will simply be better able to really tell just what is already showing itself neurologivcally(and things you may not even be aware of that only will show upon very specific types of hanRAB on eval/testing that a NS just does during that in office eval) with the usual symptoms of what you already have in there and what your true risks just are, and what the best possible things would be for you to do since you would not be able to go the surgical route, at least not right now anyways. this IS something any good NS can also help you with just to try and minimize and best protect the areas you have that are definitely damaged and being impacted up there right now.

i sure wish i had better news for you hon, really i do. unfortuently you are in a bad situation that many many others are also in right now and it just does suck. if it would be at all possible right now, if not done already, i would definitely check into starting that disability process here if you really feel it is needed? this just can take awhile along with when you even do get awarded benefits, you still do unfortunetly have to wait for the needed medical health ins help thru medicare to kick in at the two year mark. i don't know just why they do that but they just do make a person wait for two freaking years for health bennies. the IC possibly corabined with what you have up there that just neeRAB surgical intervention before you are ever going to have even solid stability up there and no compromise to that cord even being an issue anymore,and of course your pain and ongoing symptoms too. this just seriously neeRAB to be fixed in order to even start taking away what will eventually just keep on getting worse for you hon. its just the nature of what you just have going on up there that kind of sets the stage for prognosis for any spinal patient.

maybe this place you are checking out can be of some real solid help to you, but please, for your sake and future, just make at least ONE appt with the neurosurgeon just to really truely even "know' what all of this actually means for you and what your real possible options are or can be here with what you just have there. he will also do his OWN actual read of all your MRI pics too so you will also get HIS overall read and not just a mere radiologists "opinion'? and trust me, that does matter.

i do wish you alot of luck with this whole situation hon and hope something will change that will allow you to simply obtain the appropriate types of medical care for what you simply need right now too. please let me know how things are going hunny? marcia

 

[hunnyback]

thank you so much for your speedy response. I will surely let you know what happens at my appointment Meanwhile im trying to sell a spare vehicle to get me to the dr. thanks once again. I will keep you informed.