Uh-Oh Call about bone density

[treefrog]

Yes, well one of the things I am hoping is that I will be able to get my records (or at least an answer as to when I should expect them) when I go in for this appointment to talk about my bone density.

I am a little calmer now. And I'm hoping that my numbers are just slightly into the osteopenic range. I have been taking calcium (chelated) with magnesium and also Vitamin D.

Part of why I am anxious to have some progress, is my job. I work for a large University, and I want to switch careers. I work in a research lab, but for close to a year now I haven't been able to do bench work. I've been doing administrative work. Even if I am better after having surgery, I think it is time for me to move to a different field. I want to do grants and contracts work, which several people have told me that my lab experience will give me insight that will be helpful to doing the job.

But I can't approach the HR person, until I have some concrete plans for surgery. Because what I'd like to try and do, is make this switch in career, when I come back from recovering. And my current boss also needs to make plans for replacing me, but he can't do that either, until I know when I will be going out.

Okay, while I was typing this up, I decided to call again to find out where my records are. I have been given a tracking number and the phone number for the company that copies and releases the records. Of course once again I have had to leave a message - they had better call. According to the doctors office, they were mailed on 2/27.

[treefrog]

The soonest appointment for the bone density results is 2 weeks. I wish it was Friday, I just want to go home now, and not be around anyone.

[mmglobal]

I would go to the imaging center that did the test and insist on getting the report. It's your medical record. I've really had to fight for some, but have always gotten my records when I insisted. Good luck.

Mark

[Kathy]

I am sorry that this is going slow. I did the same wait on medical records, paid over $60 for them, and then got the wrong ones! I had to sign a new release, wait some more, pay more money and still did not end up with the complete record. It is such a pain in the rear dealing with all the medical crap that us spineys deal with on a regular basis. Makes you just want to throw your hands up and quit, scream, cry, choke someone..... Not like we have tons of energy to start with, then we have to waste what little we have on bullsh*t. Just know, that the day will come when you will have surgery and be on the road to recovery (I know it's hard to envision that when everything seems to be going wrong; but it will work out).

[treefrog]

I finally got hold of someone at the place that copies the medical records, they will send them out again. But still, where did they end up (if they were sent at all)? That is confidential information, and it upsets me to think some stranger could see it.

The place that did the bone density test, is within the same practice as my PM doc and one of the surgeons that I saw. I will call my PM doc, and ask if she can look it up for me. She is usually very helpful.

And I need to make another phone call. I don't remember if I mentioned it here, but when I went to have the bone density test done, I was talking to the woman doing it. I ended up telling her I was getting it done, because I was considering surgery. She asked who I was going to, if it was one of the surgeons with their practice. I told her I had seen one of their surgeons, but that I was considering going to Germany. She said that a guy that works there, had gone to Germany for 2 level disc replacement (I'm pretty sure she said lumbar) in December and that he was set to come back to work part time soon. I asked if she would mind passing on a message, that I'd like to talk with him, if he didn't mind. She gave me her email address and said she would pass it on, when she saw him next.

Yesterday I got an email from him, Bryan, and he gave me his phone number and said to call or write. I feel a little strange calling someone out of the blue, but I am hoping that weird feeling will go away pretty quickly when we start to talk. I find it extremely interesting that someone who works at an orthopaedic office, with surgeons who do ADR, would choose to go to Germany to have surgery....it says a lot.

[treefrog]

So, my PM doc's nurse faxed me the records that were scanned into their system (designated as bone density). But I am having a difficult time figuring out what it means, though I am not seeing numbers that I am concerned about (and am actually wondering why they want to see me). I'll try to describe the pages.

First Page
There is an image of my spine (though on the fax it isn't clear at all) with lines through it; next to it is a graph, with BMD (g/cm^2) on the left y-axis, Age on the x-axis, and Young Adult T-score on the right y-axis. Below the graph is a table:

Region_________BMD______Young Adult T-score____Age Matched Z-score
L1_____________0.836__________ -2.5____________ -2.2
L2_____________0.991__________ -1.7____________ -1.5
L3_____________1.003__________ -1.6____________ -1.4
L4_____________1.155__________ -0.4____________ -0.1
L1-L2__________0.912__________ -2.1____________ -1.8
L1-L3__________0.943__________ -1.9____________ -1.6
L1-L4__________1.005__________ -1.5____________ -1.2
L2-L3__________0.998__________ -1.7____________ -1.4
L2-L4__________1.058__________ -1.2____________ -0.9
L3-L4__________1.087__________ -0.9____________ -0.7

The next page is the same table above, but with more columns - it looks like it is a measurement of the bones, and there are %'s next to the T-score and Z-score numbers.

The third page says DualFemur Bone Density; again it has an image of my bones with lines through them; a graph with the same axis labels; and a table with the same column headers. But the regions are listed as Neck; Neck Left, Neck Right, Neck Mean, Neck Diff; Total, Total Left, Total Right, Total Mean, Total Diff.

I won't try to duplicate this table, the numbers are all between -1.3 and 0.6.

Anyone care to explain? I think what it means is that I fall into mild osteopenia, particularly compared to other women my age. But it doesn't appear that my bone density is anywhere near what would be of concern for having ADR surgery. Please let me know if I am wrong in my interpretation.

Oh, and unfortunately it doesn't go down to L5 or S1. And it appears that higher up my spine is actually worse than lower.

[phylly]

Cathy,
Don't feel funny about calling for information especially if he gave out his phone number. I think that is great that you can talk to somebody who has gone recently and ask why he went yo Germany, and also find out more about the surgeons in your practice. Sorry I can't help about the table, I always have trouble with those. I am glad you finally got your records, better late than never.
Phylly