You'll make a good doctor xxx and ooo's!! When I google medical terms, I just get more medical words, that I don't understand, explaining the medical term I didn't understand - like who's on first
.
Is there a medical site for dummy's where they explain things like you do??
Thanks Sandy for your encouraging words! I'm a "dummy" myself, so I have to dumb things down so that I can understand them.
I think I'm putting together some decent questions for Dr. McLain at Cleveland Clinic (he looked at my 2007 MRI and
didn't say much when I said NO FUSION. Said he couldn't take me in their Mobi-C trials, wouldn't discuss Dr. B, said talk to Delamarter). I don't want him to think I wasn't satisfied with Dr. B, but since I didn't ask Dr. B these questions, I want McLain to give me some answers. (I've already said McLain wouldn't see me post-op until Dr. B called him).
It's understandable that surgeons don't want to follow another surgeon's case. They are very hesitant to follow the "difficult" cases as well. Unfortunately, part of this is a direct result of our sue happy society.
WHY WASN'T THE SMALL SPINAL CANAL MENTIONED BY EITHER DOCTOR? It's pretty evident on the film. And Justin, the film does show the discs causing indentations on the spinal cord.
Some people are born with a small spinal canal (congenital spinal stenosis). This is not problematic in 100% cases, but some patients do have issues later in life. It also sounds like you needed surgical intervention one way or another.
I would like to have a CT or a good MRI to see if there is anything, like facets, bone spurs, small canal that could still be causing the pain? Did Dr. B remove or clean up any of these things during the surgery, or did he just do a discectomy and place the prostheses? I don't want to say what my mind is thinking about if this is causing the pain. Cross that bridge when I get there.
Sandy, with your ADRs you're going to need a myeolgram to visualize your spinal canal. The ADRs will distort the MRI images with artifact that will be hard to read.
I also have pain around the thoracic area that I didn't have before, but that might just be the bottom cervical vertebrae still healing. QUESTION?? I KEEP READING ABOUT AN 8TH CERVICAL VERTEBRAE????
Are you thinking about 7 cervical vertebrae and 8 cervical nerves?
I also have numbness in my right palm, little finger and ring finger that I didn't have PRE-OP. I've read that this might come from disc at T1-C7??? or maybe my elbow (chiro found weakness in finger strength, manipulated elbow, strength better, not numbness, weakness returns)
Post-op have tried chiro several times (high velocity) but stopped because pain was too intense AFTER the adjustment not during, lasted too long, caused my throat to swell and caused hoarseness. Tried massage therapy, but same thing - felt good at the time, set me back several days. No short term improvement from either.
Personally, I would avoid HVLA (I know we actually talked about this previously, so I know we are on the same page). With your age and surgical history, you should avoid adjustments to your neck from a chiro.
Am hoping that my pain is all musculature (traps-scapulae) and maybe trigger point injections, time, patience, water therapy, stretching etc., etc. will help.
Yeah, it could be muscular in nature. After such an invasive operation like ADR, it takes time for things to settle down, as your cervical spine has been adjusted to a new position (more disc height) nerves are stretched out, etc...
AND MARK NO DISRESPECT TAKEN FROM "OLD AND MULTIPLE LEVELS."
HOWEVER, I refuse to accept this. I AM STUBBORN, MAY GET DEPRESSED FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT I WILL BE LUCKY.
THERE ARE A FEW MORE LIVES IN THE "OLD CAT" THAT HAVEN'T BEEN USED!
Thanks everyone for your help, it's all appreciated and encouraged! Will let you know what I hear on the 22nd. Sandy Wade
Sandy, I'm stubborn too. My wife with agree with me on this one. Funny thing is we are both stubborn. Anyway, I know it sucks, but you've got to be patient. The previous trauma your spine endured and the way it adjusted to compensate from the trauma took years to establish. ADR is a quick surgery, but the human body takes time to recover to "new anatomy" and "elective trauma" (ADR surgery). Your body doesn't know that you had elective surgery: it sees trauma as trauma and it takes time to heal and get to a new baseline.
Good luck and keep us posted about your appt on the 22nd.