Need to vent or cry

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone,

You have all been so friendly and uplifting thru your post and I'm so glad that I joined this wonderful group. When I joined last week (read "New to group and need advice - 12-30) several wrote me with tips and ideas and encouragement that my spirits were really up when I went to see a new doctor yesterday. Because WC won't approve anything for my lumbar area (where I'm fused) he couldn't look at the mri's that cover that section. I had gone to him in hope he could at least fix my neck first, as it is effecting my breathing and swallowing. He is a micro-surgeon. He said I don't need any surgery and thinks maybe I have a soft tissue problem and that I need to go see a rheumatologist. He did show me where my back is curving into a C shape configuration from the top of my fusion to my neck and that my neck has reverse curvature. I left his office totally confused and wondering where I go now. I do have an appointment next week to get a bone density test to check for osteoporosis, but I doubt I have that because as often as I fall and I have fallen hard numerous times over the past 7 years, that I haven't broke or cracked any bones. I have a few questions maybe someone can answer. When I got my last mri's in Oct, they didn't take any with contrast. Doesn't the contrast help show the nerves? Also is it really necessary to have a mylogram to see if any nerves are being compressed? I'm scared to death of mylograms, as that is what caused my Arachnoiditis. Will any of the revision surgeons do a second opinion if I sent my records and films?

I posted a few pictures in the Photo section, in an album called "Pat's curved spine".

Thanks for all the support.

Pat E from Texas