MRI C and T Now they want an L

[bethann]

Thanks,

I do have Valium to take after the first MRI I have not gone back in there with out it!! My last MRI was of my c and t and it took a little over an hour. This one should be shorter I bet !!!! Only the L! UGH, I just hate them!! I find it hard to believe they have not done this area before! I did have my brain MRI done right after my surgery because when they found it to be a hemangioblastoma that could be in different areas and the brain is more common. But they said they did not have a L MRI to compare this one I am getting Friday with. Oh well another Part of my body MRI ed..... I just think they should do the whole body then there would be no question ever again ..... at least for the next two years!

Thanks again you guys are great!

[bethann]

MRI over!!! and was it ever a short one!!! No contrast! This means it was fine I am sure!! I talked to the tech when she was letting me leave and I said with having no dye this means you saw nothing wrong, right? She said someone checked it out before they would let me go and did not have any need for the dye! So I take that as a woooohoooo! No more MRI's for a couple of years now!! I Will get the official report in a week or so from my NS assistant.

Now on to the pain clinic April 2nd. I will be interested to hear what they say.

Beth

[tc]

Congrats on the clean MRI with no contrast needed. That's great. Please, let's compare notes about the pain clinic when you start going. I can tell you what I've had done and what I'm in the middle of. I have a cervical tumor at C-6/7 & constant neck and shoulder pain. So far, I've had PT and deep tissue massage for 3 months in 2006 and 2007. Recently, I had 6 facet injections with cortisone in C3-C6. After that, I had 3 visits where I had many trigger point injections in the muscles. I was given Flexeril (muscle relaxant) & I take it at night only. (Makes me very sleepy.) Now they want to do "radio frequency lesioning". I asked my neurosurgeon if that would be okay to try. He said okay. Now, I'm just waiting for my insurance co to authorize the procedure. (Internet articles says that you usually have diagnostics facet injections done 3 times before they do the radio frequency lesioning. I've only had it once.) My cervical MRI sounds just like yours as far as the problems at C-5/6 you mentioned in item 2 of your 1st post. Let me know what they recommend for you!

[bethann]

TC,

So maybe you posted this somewhere before but why do they think you should wait for your surgery?

I think with all the pain your having what are they waiting for? Honestly my pain is not better after my surgery but if I would have waited it could have been worse. They had no idea what kind of tumor I had before my surgery it was only known after the biopsy.... (they should have taken it all out when they went in then) Then they had to go in and get it out because they were concerned it would burst and caused further problems. Mine was a hemangioblastoma (blood fed).

Since the surgery I have been getting physical therapy every other week (it was more often at first) I have a deep tissue massage. I almost always feel much better right after then I tighten up in that two weeks time. I honestly think if I stopped having it now I would miss the visits with the friend I made more than the relief I get from the Massage!? So now I think I need to move on and try more things. I hope to not get more medication to take.....I am on nurontin but a very low dose...I have taken flexoral (did not help) and Scalixan (SP?)(i had an allergy to started to itch). I have had injections from the psyiatrist. They helped but for a short time. So we will see what they do! I am kind of excited! I will let you know what happens

So what is you story? If you do not want to repeat it on here because you have and I missed it please direct me to the post so I can read it, or you can email me at [e-mail]
or skype me!
Beth

[Ali-Brad]

It's got to be better to get an mri now on the Lumbar region and get a positive result, rather than leave it and not know for sure. When I was first trying to get help for my pain and suffering and nobody seemed to be listening, they eventually put me on a rountine mri list via an orthapedic consultant. I waited seven months for the mri and seven weeks for the devastating results. Things happen quicker in America. Take what is on offer.

I've just had my mri last week and it takes on average 10 weeks to get the reults. It's so frustrating.

Alison

[chickiet]

Beth - Congrats on the clean MRI - that is really wonderful!!

TC - as we've discussed, it is a fine line to decide when to have surgery. I guess you have to decide how bad the pain and other issues are pre-surgery vs. how comfortable you are with the potential deficits. You've seen where a lot of us are - and it's all over the board. But it sounds like you have a lot of pain issues that you are struggling with currentlly, and I don't know how many people have found total relief post-surgery from the issues that brought them in initially.

Chris

[bethann]

Well I went today and picked up my MRI report from the hospital. They want a copy of all MRI's at the pain clinic.

This is what it said
Findings: Multisequential multiplanar imaging of the lumbar spine was performed without contrast and correlated with prior MRI of the thoracic spine dated 2/29/08. Five lumbar type vertebral bodies are assumed No bone marrow edema is seen. Scattered areas of T1 and T2 signal hyperintensity in the bone marrow are compatible with fat deposition.
What ever that all meant??? I have Fat in my spine!

The conus medullaries distends to the level of L1 and demonstrates no focal signal abnormality. No tethered cord No thickening of the film.
I know all of this is good!!!

No focal disc herniation, central canal stenosis or neural foraminal stenosis is seen. At L3 -L4 and L4-L5, mild discogenic degenerative changes of the lumbar spine are seen with minimal circumferential disc bulge and faucet joint hypertrophy and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. There is mild triangulation of the shape of the thecal sac at L4- L5, with minimal lateral recess narrowing bilaterally. No nerve root effacement is appreciated. No focal disc herniation. Mild disc bulge is seen at L5- S1 as well

Conclusion:
1. No evidence of tethered cord....
2. Mild discogenic degenerative changes of the lower lumbar spine.

So now I know for sure no tethered cord!! Everything else is no doubt due to the fact that I am 47!!

[chickiet]

That looks like a good report! You must be relieved.

Keep us posted - let us know what the pain doc says...

Chris