RE:Stacey MRI

[Guest guest]

Stacey in PA:

I have been reading your posts about your MRI and problems with great

interest, I will tell you why and try not to bore you. Two years ago

they did a MRI of my spine ...all three sections..they found L3-4

severe neuroforaminal stenosis, L4-5 severe disc bulge causes

bilateral stenosis....cervical was as follows C3-4 disc bulge,C4-5

disc space narrowing, C5-6 severe stenosis,C6-7 disc desiccation,

thoraic as follows T3-4 disc protrusion, T4-5 severe disc bulge.

At the time my family practice doctor felt I had a connective tissue

disease but at the time it was undetermined. They sent me to a

neurosurgeon

that had the plan to do surgery on the lower back then go in and do

the cervical six months later, but he said he felt a rheumotologist

needed to be consulted before he proceeded. So I saw a rheumy who

diagnosed scleroderma/lupus.

Then they sent me back to the neuro his whole tone changed about the

surgery, he told me people with autoimmune diseases are really bad

candidates for disc surgery because they just dont have bones of

normal people, he really discouraged me from the surgery saying he

couldnt guarantee the surgery would provide any relief. He said to

consider physical therapy which I did and it didnt help. I also have

the jerking, drop things (dont buy glass dishes anymore),have electric

shocks that run up my arms and legs. I have never taken prednisone

because when all this started I refused steroids because of everything

I had read. This year I was glad the neuro said what he did as a

friend of mine has RA, she chose to have the surgery on her cervical

spine and her cervical spine collapsed, I am not trying to scare you,I

am wishing that you would ask a lot of questions to the neuro you see.

I understand that there are no guarentees when it comes to surgery but

it seems that they should at least bring some relief to the pain and

not start a whole new set of problems. I wish you luck with this and

will continue to read your posts about what the neuro has to say with

great interest.....wishing you good luck...Kathi in OK