Re: Interpretation Please? ( B)

[Guest guest]

Babbitt wrote:

Hi Pat,

The osteophytes are also known as bone spurs and these

for in arthritic areas as the bones rub on each other

and are subject to chronic inflammation.

***

FIRST of all, I could NEVER thank you enough for such a lengthy and

informative reply, !!!

OMG - am sure none of my Doctors would be as thorough as you.

And it's obvious you've worked for Bone Doctors, eh?

LOL.

Interesting on the inflammation as I've been on Prednisone since

last July for(GCA)giant cell arteritis. Guess steroids don't help

the joints, huh?****

Babbitt wrote:

" Mild degenerative facet disease L3-4, L4-5 and

L5-S1. " ... This is where you " joint hinges " (like a

knee or elbow) have started to undergo the aging

process we know as degeneration.

****I am a 55 year old white female whos had cervical disc

degeneration for years and its gone untreated. I also have

cervical spinal stenosis, cervical radiculopathy, cervical disc

displacement, polymyalgia rheumatica, peripheral neuropathy, and

chronic costochondritis.

And just this week my first bone density test showed mild

osteoporosis with a moderate risk of breaking my left hip.

And please excuse me if I've repeated some of these illnesses as I

am copying from my various DR's notes now as well as what I keep on

my computer.

And it's VERY vital that you (or anyone reading my words),

understand that I am not at all complaining nor seeking sympathy.

I do have several more health issues I haven't jotted as enough is

enough, right?

Ahahaha!

I merely thought it might help if you knew about the other boo boos

which also might relate to this latest xray result.****

Babbitt wrote:

One way to tell if your pain is coming from yourfacets is to bend

backward a little then rotate your upper torso to one side. Does

this bring on the same pain you feel?

****There is discomfort yet no " sharp " pains.

My main discomfort is in my very lower back when I bend over

frontwards. Even simply sitting here at my PC I keep having to lean

to my left or right to ease the pain. Damn, it feels like something

is literally pulling apart inside me! And this just presented maybe

2 weeks ago and noooo, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary to

provoke it.

Plus often I feel as if I'm losing feeling in that area and I'm

talking only say 60 seconds of being bent over.

Then the other significant area is my left butt cheek at the very

bottom...oops, double butt joke - haha.

Seriously - my left butt cheek constantly hurts as well as my lower

back.

And no, no pain down my leg....although once in a while my left leg

feels hot and tender on the outside (anterior?) and this

warm 'sensation' radiates from my butt to my big toe.

I will add a few days ago the center of my back began to throb, and

kinda towards my right shoulder blade.

I swear - whatever is happening inside is certainly traveling

swiftly.****

Babbitt wrote:

As far as vascular calcification goes, this is probably in your

aorta right at or just above your iliac atereries.

****HOW do you come up with aortic when I had an xray of my lumbar

spine??? I am baffled - LOL!****

Babbitt wrote:

Calcifications are a sign of atherosclerosis " clogged arteries " .

****What you're saying is really sending up red flags for me, man.

I just had a year's follow up bilateral carotid duplex. Last year I

was 31% occluded in left carotid....and this year it states I am <40

for BOTH left and right carotids!

Yep, I'm aware no one (but me!) freaks till I'm 70% blocked....but

WHY is it clogging so quickly, and WHY the right side now???

My triglycerides have been through the roof so I've been taking

Omega 3 fish oil 2x daily and my PCP has tripled my Pravastatin.****

Babbitt wrote:

It would be beneficial for you to pursue further investigation and

an MRI and/or CT scan.

Those with diabetes, menopause and osteoporosis may be at increased

risk.

****I have no insurance and have applied for social security

disability. They're supposed to be sending me a letter with a local

DR's appointment for their exam. And IF I get disability, Medicare

won't be available to me for 2 years....so I plug along financially

doing what I can to pay for all this.

Yet allow me to ask, - say an MRI or whatever shows xyz...what

then? Treatment? Surgery? A crapload of meds??? THE LOONEY BIN?????

And yes ma'am, I am a Type 11 insulin dependant diabetic.

I never used to be.

In fact, I was diet and exercise controlled, maybe a little

Metformin here and there.....yet......my

Endocriminologist put me on insulin several months ago when my

Rheumatoligist kept jacking up my Prednisonme dose for my giant cell

arteritis.****