Re: I need some information and help

May 6, 2004

Hi Jacquie,

I also have had DDD for almost 20 years. Nobody never told me anything about

it. Perhaps they didn't know back then. I also came from a small town in the

western mountains of Maine and good drs. were scarce. DDD is an autoimmune

disease as is RA. I have read so much in the last month since being diagnosed

with RA. Also in this group is fibromyalgia, lupus, MS. and many more. Look

up autoimmune diseases and you will be surprised how interactive they are.

Hope you find the answers you are looking for.

Judith Ann

emeraldforest09 <emeraldforest01@...> wrote:

Dear a and GIna and all memeber of the group,

I have been diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease and RA since I

was 32, It has been quite difficult because I used to be a school

teacher , have three degrees and two masters and ws injured at work )

l4-l5, L5-S1. No workers Comp. was filed and to make a very long

story short i had to continue working for six months despite being in

horrific pain and suffering from paralysis of the kneas down and

incredible sciatic pain. Enventially I could not take it,I had two

surgeries and had to wait 6 months to apply for my Private Disability

insurance which I had bee n paying for while applying for SSD at the

same time. I did not get a lawyer , even though I was young and was

overly educated. I was also dx with RA and after almost 2 years I

finally won my SSD. I was also dx with degenerative disc disease.

It has been a down hill spiral ( to top it off I met the love of my

life who has Severe Degenrative Disc Disease and scherederma. ( Plus

i am also developing sumptoms of thinkening of the skin, dry mouth

and eyes etc) I have not had continous treatment by a rheumy b/c in

the Keys where I live to find any doctor is a small miracle let alone

a good one. We have a gorgeous 3 year old son.

I go to a pain Management Doctor in Miami as does my husband and for

about 3 months i have developed severe neck pain radiating down my

shoulders all the way to my trigger fingers. My lower back has beeen

on firs, I have experienced weekness and paralysis in my arms and

hands, weaknes in my legs where they buckle and the same sleepy pin

prickly feeling. My Pain Management doctor just ordered some MRi's

and I could not believe how many degenret\ive changes had occurred

since my last MRI. I have a total of 6 bulging disc between , my neck

and lowar lumbar and five HNP between the tow areas but what is most

worrisome is that the tests showed significant suspician of discitis

I an infection of the disc space) I have been in unrelenting pain,

continue having nero;ogical symptoms etc. My questions are: 1) is

there anything in the literature that connects RA with degenerative

disc disease and scherederma ( aftr all degenerative disc disease is

a connective tissue disease) 2) what is discitis and what should I

do . to giver you an idea of how bad the doctors are here the MRI

reports were never sent to my PCP or the Pain Management doctor and

they had both asked for it. My PM Dr. is noew suffering from sever

back pain and is only seeing 3 patients a days and is way behind on

his cases ( for the first time since he usually works 12 hour days)

Any more information out there on discitis and reasons why i may have

it. The pain in unrelenting especially at night and in the morning?!

I also have 3 fractures in my neck.

Sorry to ramble it is quite oainfuk to type.

Hugs,

Jacquie

May 6, 2004

--- The next time you are in the city make an appointment

with a GOOD rheumatologist. I have RA, DDD, FMS, OA and ACS.

I have an excellent Rheumy that handles these for me and has

given me my life back after 3 Rheumys did nothing but ruin it.

NY - Terry

May 6, 2004

Jacquie,

I am sorry for the suffering and difficulties you are dealing with.

Discitis is an infection of the disc space that occurs in adults but more

commonly in children.

Its cause has been the subject of debate, although most authors believe it

to be infectious.

Did your doctor say what he saw that made him suspect discitis rather than

arthritis?

I¹m not sure how he can tell if the inflammation in your discs is arthritic

or infectious.

Degenerative disc disease associated with RA could be Ankylosing spondylitis

(AS).

AS is a form of chronic inflammation of the spine and the sacroiliac joints.

Here is a page with the symptoms:

http://www.spondylitis.org/about/as/symptoms.aspx

How did you get 3 fractures in your neck? Have you had a bone density test

done?

Here is a Medscape article on discitis. You have to be a member to read it

, but membership is free.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/424997_7

a

> Dear a and GIna and all memeber of the group,

> I have been diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease and RA since I

> was 32, It has been quite difficult because I used to be a school

> teacher , have three degrees and two masters and ws injured at work )

> l4-l5, L5-S1. No workers Comp. was filed and to make a very long

> story short i had to continue working for six months despite being in

> horrific pain and suffering from paralysis of the kneas down and

> incredible sciatic pain. Enventially I could not take it,I had two

> surgeries and had to wait 6 months to apply for my Private Disability

> insurance which I had bee n paying for while applying for SSD at the

> same time. I did not get a lawyer , even though I was young and was

> overly educated. I was also dx with RA and after almost 2 years I

> finally won my SSD. I was also dx with degenerative disc disease.

> It has been a down hill spiral ( to top it off I met the love of my

> life who has Severe Degenrative Disc Disease and scherederma. ( Plus

> i am also developing sumptoms of thinkening of the skin, dry mouth

> and eyes etc) I have not had continous treatment by a rheumy b/c in

> the Keys where I live to find any doctor is a small miracle let alone

> a good one. We have a gorgeous 3 year old son.

> I go to a pain Management Doctor in Miami as does my husband and for

> about 3 months i have developed severe neck pain radiating down my

> shoulders all the way to my trigger fingers. My lower back has beeen

> on firs, I have experienced weekness and paralysis in my arms and

> hands, weaknes in my legs where they buckle and the same sleepy pin

> prickly feeling. My Pain Management doctor just ordered some MRi's

> and I could not believe how many degenret\ive changes had occurred

> since my last MRI. I have a total of 6 bulging disc between , my neck

> and lowar lumbar and five HNP between the tow areas but what is most

> worrisome is that the tests showed significant suspician of discitis

> I an infection of the disc space) I have been in unrelenting pain,

> continue having nero;ogical symptoms etc. My questions are: 1) is

> there anything in the literature that connects RA with degenerative

> disc disease and scherederma ( aftr all degenerative disc disease is

> a connective tissue disease) 2) what is discitis and what should I

> do . to giver you an idea of how bad the doctors are here the MRI

> reports were never sent to my PCP or the Pain Management doctor and

> they had both asked for it. My PM Dr. is noew suffering from sever

> back pain and is only seeing 3 patients a days and is way behind on

> his cases ( for the first time since he usually works 12 hour days)

> Any more information out there on discitis and reasons why i may have

> it. The pain in unrelenting especially at night and in the morning?!

> I also have 3 fractures in my neck.

> Sorry to ramble it is quite oainfuk to type.

> Hugs,

> Jacquie

>

May 7, 2004

Dear a:

My Pain management doctor saw the fractures in my neck while

performing a procedure (shots for pain) HE is the one that ordered an MRI of

cervical

and lumber area with and without contrast. Unfortunately they only dud the

lower lumbar with contrast and they indicate strong suspicions for discitis,

this

along with an extraordinary increase of unrelenting pain in both neck and

lower back is all they have, I contacted my PCP and he is going to have a more

definitive test done. Unfortunately they also found various bulging discs and

HNPs. Thank you always for your guidance!

Jacquie

May 7, 2004

Hi Jacquie,

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnose, and all the problems you

have been having. I have a nine year old, and it's hard, I can't

imagine chasing after a three year old.

I am also having some terrible pain in my neck, and weakness,

numbness in my arms, and legs. I am waiting to go to my rheumy visit

next month. Take care, and keep us posted, hugs Tawny

> Dear a and GIna and all memeber of the group,

> I have been diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease and RA since I

> was 32, It has been quite difficult because I used to be a school

> teacher , have three degrees and two masters and ws injured at

work )

> l4-l5, L5-S1. No workers Comp. was filed and to make a very long

> story short i had to continue working for six months despite being

in

> horrific pain and suffering from paralysis of the kneas down and

> incredible sciatic pain. Enventially I could not take it,I had two

> surgeries and had to wait 6 months to apply for my Private

Disability

> insurance which I had bee n paying for while applying for SSD at

the

> same time. I did not get a lawyer , even though I was young and was

> overly educated. I was also dx with RA and after almost 2 years I

> finally won my SSD. I was also dx with degenerative disc disease.

> It has been a down hill spiral ( to top it off I met the love of my

> life who has Severe Degenrative Disc Disease and scherederma. (

Plus

> i am also developing sumptoms of thinkening of the skin, dry mouth

> and eyes etc) I have not had continous treatment by a rheumy b/c in

> the Keys where I live to find any doctor is a small miracle let

alone

> a good one. We have a gorgeous 3 year old son.

> I go to a pain Management Doctor in Miami as does my husband and

for

> about 3 months i have developed severe neck pain radiating down my

> shoulders all the way to my trigger fingers. My lower back has

beeen

> on firs, I have experienced weekness and paralysis in my arms and

> hands, weaknes in my legs where they buckle and the same sleepy pin

> prickly feeling. My Pain Management doctor just ordered some MRi's

> and I could not believe how many degenret\ive changes had occurred

> since my last MRI. I have a total of 6 bulging disc between , my

neck

> and lowar lumbar and five HNP between the tow areas but what is

most

> worrisome is that the tests showed significant suspician of

discitis

> I an infection of the disc space) I have been in unrelenting pain,

> continue having nero;ogical symptoms etc. My questions are: 1) is

> there anything in the literature that connects RA with degenerative

> disc disease and scherederma ( aftr all degenerative disc disease

is

> a connective tissue disease) 2) what is discitis and what should I

> do . to giver you an idea of how bad the doctors are here the MRI

> reports were never sent to my PCP or the Pain Management doctor and

> they had both asked for it. My PM Dr. is noew suffering from sever

> back pain and is only seeing 3 patients a days and is way behind on

> his cases ( for the first time since he usually works 12 hour days)

> Any more information out there on discitis and reasons why i may

have

> it. The pain in unrelenting especially at night and in the morning?!

> I also have 3 fractures in my neck.

> Sorry to ramble it is quite oainfuk to type.

> Hugs,

> Jacquie

May 9, 2004

Jacquie, I would recommend traveling for a consultation to get your

diagnoses sorted out. I'm not sure if that's possible for you, but you

have so many serious issues that I think the most important step is to

make sure you have the correct diagnoses. From there, the right

decisions about treatment can be made.

What were the two surgeries that you had previously?

I'm so sorry that you are suffering so.

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] I need some information and help