recent changes

[Big George]

Hello to All,

  I have had pain and spasm in my lower thoracic and lumbar spine. Had an MRI last year which showed an area of concern around T10-T11. My NS was conservative and wouldn't operate until I couldn't take it any longer. I am seeing a new NS in the same group- excellent credentials and has written many papers on stenosis. I have to wait 6 weeks to see him because he is in demand. I received the radiologist's reading of my recent MRI- it shows a focal area of facet arthropathy and calcification of the ligamentum flavum on the right side at T10-T11 with mild rightward neuroforaminal stenosis. This explains why I have right sided pain and muscle spasm in the right side of my abdomen and lower ribs. In my lumbar spine, I have multifactorial spondylosis at L4-L5 mild central stenosis reducing the thecal sac to 7.5 mm and mild to moderate left L4-L5 foraminal stenosis due to multifactorial spondylosis. This could explain the pain in my left hip and knee and my muscle weakness in my legs. I have been using a cane to help steady me when I'm up later in the day. I have also switched to a new pain control group. I have been on a new med Nucynta. It has done wonders with pain control and doesn't make me feel drugged. I had  NSAID injections in to my vertebral facets and might have radio frequency ablation to control pain. I don't know where this is leading, but I suspect more surgery. My new NS is Dr. Charles Kuntz with the Mayfield Clinic here in Cincinnati. I hope everyone is holding their own and tolerating any pain that might arise. I keep all of you in my daily prayers.

Sincerely,

Big George

[Pamela Brockus]

Hi Big George, Just wondering how your Dr visit went with your new NS? Also how are you doing? I am maintaining, just feeling the same, not really much worse, just the cold causes more ache's and pains. 
Pam from Kansas
 

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Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:29:51 -0700
From: emer...@fuse.net
To: opll_di...@googlegroups.com
Subject: recent changes

[Big George]

Hi Pam,

  My visit was a big waste of time. Over 2 visits, I saw the neurosurgeon all of about 5 minutes, and after sending me for lab tests and additional x-rays, told me I needed to get down to 185 lbs. I weighed that when I was a sophomore in high school, after losing 30 lbs. to wrestle at that weight class- I was extremely lean and lost some of my strength. I have a large skeleton- when I had the anterior corpectomy and fusion in 2004, the neurosurgeon had to get a larger titanium cage from University Hospital to fit my size. He used a thoracic size cage in my cervical spine. This neurosurgeon wanted to put rods in my back- all I wanted is a smaller procedure to alleviate nerve compression and end my numbness, weakness, and pain. I'm going to have a radio frequency ablation done in my facet joints of my thoracic spine by my pain specialist. He's a anesthesiologist with specialty in pain control. I'm looking into another neurosurgeon who might be interested in helping me with a less drastic solution. I'm trying to keep moving.

All my best,

Big George

[Pamela Brockus]

Hi Big George, Sorry to hear that the NS was a waste of time. I have had my fair share of seeing Dr's that were also a waste of time. Gets old! I hope the radio frequency ablation helps your pain in your middle back. Hope you find a useful NS soon too! I have been maintaining. Doing about the same. Bad days and good days but still able to walk, as long as I don't walk to long because of ossified hips also. I saw a Genetist/Endocronlogist in St Louis Mo last month. He does research on bone diseases mainly. He is Dr Michael Whyte. He only sees patients one day a month for 1/2 the day. I had to have a Dr referral to even see him. I saw him mid October. I took all my medical records including cd's with my mri's and xrays of my entire spine and some of my joints, including my hips, shoulders, head, which I explained to him what all my records were of and what the results said. While I was there he went and spoke to the head of the Rheumy Dept who he  said told him I was very "special". Dr Whyte asked if I wanted to be in a research study, and I said YES! They took some of my blood while I was there. Dr Whyte said it would be a couple months before I heard from him. I am happy to be a part of a research study. I hope my misery helps further the cause to figuring out what the pathology/genetics is causing this. By the way, they arent charging any tests they run on me, including the blood work, to my insurance company or me,  since I am a part of a research study. You can find abstracts of published papers on PUB MED by Dr Whyte. He is with Washington University, which is a teaching hospital in St Louis. I drove over 5 hours all by myself last month to see him. I almost didn't go, cause getting so tired of going to dr's about this problem, but since I went I am really glad I did. Will let you all know if anything interesting/informative comes of it.
Pam from Kansas
 

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Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 08:14:12 -0800
From: emer...@fuse.net
To: opll_di...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: recent changes