Post by stableandwaiting on Dec 18, 2014 10:08:18 GMT -6
Hi all,
My dilemma started early November 2014. I went to the pain doctor after 19 excruciating months of Chronic lower back pain. (fyi..its not herniated discs for I had surgery on my back 4 years ago to correct that problem) they did epidural injections which did not help at help at all. At my followup visit with the doctor i mentioned that my pain had begun to ascend up the thoracic and cervical sections of my back. I have a occasional here and there neurological symptoms but nothing to really write home about. (occasional tingling and numbness of skin on my back, some leg arm and weakness, and right side of face numbing a couple of times). The pain doctor ordered a Thoracic MRI just to make sure there was nothing else going on, based on my symptoms. (Remember, i only went to him because of my Chronic lower back pain). Anyway, as soon as i went for the T Spine MRI, I got a call back a few hours later to head back to the hospital for a cervical spine MRI because the radiologist had "seen something." That something was a lesion within the cord with Mild Cord Expansion at the c4- c5 level to the c7 level with enhancement on the posterior side of c6 after contrast was administered. Radiologist mention that it may be demyelinating disease (MS) but that cord neoplasm or metastases cannot be exclude. To make a long story short, I have been to a neurologist to rule out MS and although its been ruled out for now (due to a clean Brain MRi, and Clean Spinal tap and passing Neuro exams) when i asked him if he can rule out a tumor at this point he said he couldn't. So at this point, I've been told by other doctors that it would be smart to get a further eval to rule out a cord neoplasm (or metastatic disease, which i don't think i have because i don't have cancer or at least i don't think i do). I have an appt at Hopkins at the beginning of the new year all the while im still suffering from my debilitating lower back pain. My question is: does my story sound familiar to any of you? Can a spinal tumor be the cause of my chronic back pain that i've had for almost 2 years or am i spinning my wheels? oh and one more thing, I have tenderness at the site of c6 which is tender to the touch and looks and feels a bit inflamed.
My dilemma started early November 2014. I went to the pain doctor after 19 excruciating months of Chronic lower back pain. (fyi..its not herniated discs for I had surgery on my back 4 years ago to correct that problem) they did epidural injections which did not help at help at all. At my followup visit with the doctor i mentioned that my pain had begun to ascend up the thoracic and cervical sections of my back. I have a occasional here and there neurological symptoms but nothing to really write home about. (occasional tingling and numbness of skin on my back, some leg arm and weakness, and right side of face numbing a couple of times). The pain doctor ordered a Thoracic MRI just to make sure there was nothing else going on, based on my symptoms. (Remember, i only went to him because of my Chronic lower back pain). Anyway, as soon as i went for the T Spine MRI, I got a call back a few hours later to head back to the hospital for a cervical spine MRI because the radiologist had "seen something." That something was a lesion within the cord with Mild Cord Expansion at the c4- c5 level to the c7 level with enhancement on the posterior side of c6 after contrast was administered. Radiologist mention that it may be demyelinating disease (MS) but that cord neoplasm or metastases cannot be exclude. To make a long story short, I have been to a neurologist to rule out MS and although its been ruled out for now (due to a clean Brain MRi, and Clean Spinal tap and passing Neuro exams) when i asked him if he can rule out a tumor at this point he said he couldn't. So at this point, I've been told by other doctors that it would be smart to get a further eval to rule out a cord neoplasm (or metastatic disease, which i don't think i have because i don't have cancer or at least i don't think i do). I have an appt at Hopkins at the beginning of the new year all the while im still suffering from my debilitating lower back pain. My question is: does my story sound familiar to any of you? Can a spinal tumor be the cause of my chronic back pain that i've had for almost 2 years or am i spinning my wheels? oh and one more thing, I have tenderness at the site of c6 which is tender to the touch and looks and feels a bit inflamed.
