Thanks everyone for your comments...
With regard to the balance problems..Is it dizziness? No. I have to agree with the diagnosis of whiplash. It's not an inner ear problem and I had the balance problem before the stenosis, so it's not 100% from that either.
With regard to the facet arthritis issue, I'd like to hear more about that....This is partially what is on my MRI. I've left off some of the other levels that aren't as bad for reasons of brevity.
C4-5-
Disc desiccation, mild loss of disc height, moderate anterior endplate spondylosis, and posterior osteophyte disc complex measuring 3mm. There is uncovertebral arthrosis, no significant apophyseal joint arthrosis with mild to moderate medial right neural foraminal narrowing with questionable neural impingement and normal left neuroforamen. There is narrowing of the central canal to 9mm sagitally.
C5-6-
Disc dessication, mild loss of disc height, minimal anterior endplate spondylosis, and posterior broad-based osteophyte disc complex measuring 2mm. There is uncovertebral arthrosis greatest on the right, no significant apophyseal joint arthrosis with moderate right neural foraminal narrowing with possible impingement of the crossing/exiting C6 nerve root and normal left neuroforamen. There is borderline low normal size of central canal.
C6-7
Disc dessication, mild to moderate loss of disc height, mild anterior endplate spondylosis and posterior broad-based osteophyte disc complex measuring 2mm. There is uncovertebral arthrosis, no significant apophyseal joint arthrosis with minimal to mild noncompressive neural foraminal narrowing. There is borderline normal size of central canal.
I'm going to send my paperwork to Dr Bergnatoli in Germany and there is a doctor 45 minutes away who has done a one level implant and I'm going to him too. I'm not in a rush; I'm trying to go to school right now and would not be able to do surgery until this summer.
Do you really think that even Dr Bernatoli would steer me wrong (into surgery) just for money? It's so hard to know who to trust.
I saw a neurosurgeon last Spring and he told me to hold off as long as possible, but I think that was because he only does fusion and he knows that a 3-level fusion for me is basically the beginning of the end. It will put a big strain on other parts of my neck which aren't normal to begin with....and we all know that means more fusion and that means eventually I won't be able to move my neck...So NO FUSION FOR ME!
comments welcome,
Laurie
|