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Old 01-31-2016, 11:15 PM
Mommyto2 Mommyto2 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 15
Post Overwelmed with c3-4 herniation into central cord

Main issue as my MRwithoutC indicates: c ¾ herniation with myelopathic changes noted in cord, consistent with edema or myelomalacia. Some spondylosis noted on left side. Current “pain” is eczema and bladder issudes along with and right arm neuropathy and weakness. Possible right leg weakness.
I am facing a really hard choice in my life, like many of you have faced, or soon will be.

My back story:
Multiple car accidents starting with a front end collision 1990, read end collision from a cement pumping truck in 2000 , and another right front corner collision in 2014 thanks to a semi. All accidents ended with x rays taken and minor whip lash as the diagnosis. Muscle relaxants, pain meds and Chiro were prescribed.Headaches and migraines would wax and wane. Neck pain and “crunching” heard.Some arm tingling if stomach sleeping. Chiropractic adjustments, inversion tables, stim, heat/ice and the occasional Excedrin and Coke-a-Cola to ease them.

By 2010, headaches were no longer normal, but still occasional.No neck pain to speak of.Kyphosis noted.Side note – eczema on both hands with bilateral symmetry, which appear to be a gluten sensitivity, at the very least.
Bladder issues blamed on “pregnancies”, but have been decades of dread, much before my children were conceived.

My neck and shoulders have felt really good up until June 2015 when I received an illegal back block (current hobby for the past 3 years has been Womens Flat Track Roller Derby), whiplashing my neck backwards from where the force came (exactly WHY this is an illegal move!! – but I know the dangers of playing a collision sport for fun. )Additionally that week, a shoulder hit that hyperextended my neck to the left, pulling my right shoulder down at the same time, caused a good deal of pain. My neck and upper back took nearly 4 weeks for my Chiro and massage to relieve the torsed vertebrae, but within that week of both these two incidents, my right arm has lost external tactic stimulation, especially with static along the inside palm of my hand. Right arm feels heavy, my brain is not quite aware of location and some loss of fine motor skills.
I continued NSAIDS, Chiro adjustments, ice/heat and even a carpal tunnel brace hoping the right arm loss would be temporary, but…

Sept 2015 Neurologist did a nerve conduction study and insisted I had carpel tunnel , but ordered an MRI at my persistence.I didn’t bother to go back to hear what he had to say about my images.

Oct 2015 Moved practices to see a recommended, but overbooked, Ortho Surgeon, so met his PA who consulted with him on my MRI and “they” want me off skates, that I’m 3’xs more likely to be a paraplegic – if I sneeze wrong or trip and hit my head the wrong way. Then she shared a little league dad being tackled by the team whose now a paraplegic story , completely scaring me, recommended fusion as “no big deal” with “this can be fixed and I can go off and play again.” She then recommends me to Neurosurgeon at downtown hospital as “THE Neurosurgeon”.

Nov/Dec 2015 My spine “scares” the DO who did my two cortisone injections along with an urging to get off skates. No relief from my right hand neuropathy, but at least it clears my eczema beautifully!
My neck feels good.

Dec 2015 – Appt with “THE Neurosurgeon” who is connected with our downtown ER and takes all the “bad nuero cases.”OhMY I can’t even believe that surgeons CAN be THAT egotistical but besides the fact that he rolled his eyes at the words “Chiropractic”, Scoffed at “The Other Neurosurgeon” in towns name, and told us that “LSI was a hoax and didn’t we read about Hulk Hogan??, he was… cold and uncaring. My husband picked his jaw up to ask about why he couldn’t walk in to LSI, but walked out of their recovery room a few years ago.He recommended surgery with the likely hood of loss of motor skills down below (eventually over time) and that fusion or ADR is needed now or in the near future.He seemed to think I was a good candidate for the Mobi C. We asked what the difference was between a Neuro and an Ortho surgeon and why we would choose one and he got offended, handed us a card, sent us to his MA to “answer any further questions we may have.” They haven’t returned any of the three phone calls I’ve made after the first which I got from his MA
“Dr. Ego wants you to get two more consults before he will schedule surgery?”

Jan 2016 – Meet with “the Other Neurosurgeon in town” that now a few more people have recommended. He seems to be un-alarmed about my spine, but I’m not sure a Tsunami would alarm him.Brought up numbers and odds of a paraplegic, but he came to even if I was 10 times more likely, I’d be at one in 750. He didn’t think skating was a big deal, and that it wouldn’t cause permanent damage, worst case having emergency surgery to relieve the pressure. He also doesn’t see the endless ER injuries, I remind myself. He did note some loss of strength in my right arm, as all the other exams have noted, and agrees that, over time when is unknown, that I will begin to lose motor coordination in the arm and down below, including bladder/bowel function, and its unknown what will come back if surgery is done then. He thinks fusion is a good option for me, that I also may be a good candidate for ADR and thought the Prestige LP would be better with my high level of activity, the screws decreasing any chance of dislodge. He is concerned about my disc height being ~50% loss.

I’ve had some issues with bladder/bowel that I never associated with any spinal issues, that I think may be a long term issue, in addition to my eczema. The eczema no longer flares on my left hand, ever since my right shoulder injury, making me wonder if something shifted in my neck relieving the left side, so I can’t help but factor both these “issues” into my decision, since the eczema and bladder issues can be debilitating at times.
I do believe my right leg is slightly weaker than my left, but I’m left dominate to begin with and I make awful lot of left hand turns, so I don’t know if this is a result of me, my neck, or my Nascar like hobby.

So here I am at my computer. Head spinning, hands somewhat typing well (this is a good day), no spine pain to speak of.I think c6/7 feels tight, and I can’t bend my neck ALL the way back to the right but I know all in all, I am in great shape, especially for my age, at 42. I fear not doing surgery, and then losing functions that I may never regain. On the other hand I fear choosing a surgery that I will regret forever. I fear being paralyzed with fear of being paralyzed, and not playing a sport that I love, and I fear doing a surgery just so I can go play hard, and still not being able to go play at all. I don’t know who to trust and what the right thing is to do.


Husband thinks ADR is what he would choose, and I then I read so many stories, complications and things to consider when making this kind of choice. My c4/5 is slightly bulging (I think all of them have a slight bulge but no significant impairment).I have two youngish kids that I can pick up today, I have no restrictions to date (other than the fear of skating and taking a hit or sneezing and becoming a paraplegic ) And then I feel guilty typing all of this out to so many of you that would give much to be without pain, or possibly to choose never to operate.


We have Aetna (not HMO) and I can travel anywhere in the US, though we live in North Florida, though my husband fears downsizing and losing our great insurance. Unfortunately, after reading a bit around here and discussing further with the family, going overseas is simply not an option, so the M6 is out. I also am very concerned about metal allergies, with my already painful hand eczema. The idea of adding insult to injury to my hands makes me want to go screaming like my hair is on fire. I wish we could just clean up the area around the cord and be done with it, but as I understand, it being herniated and leaking into the cord, that is not an option. If you’ve stuck with me all this way, thank you for hearing my story.


To operate or not, what method of surgery, and if ADR, with whom, and which device? So far I’ve been offered the Mobi C and the Prestige LP, but I have serious metal allergy concerns that it looks like I need to look into. I also want to know what type of upkeep or long term care is there for these devices? Any advice, insight, humor and surgeon suggestions readily accepted and welcomed.
__________________
90' 00' & 14'- auto crashes w/ minor whiplash
91'-10' headaches w/ relief from Chiro, massage, ice, meds & stretching
6/2015 - shoulder/neck sports injury w/ neuropathy in Rt arm. Kyphosis confirmed, Chiro, NSAIDS
11/2015 - Cerv MRI w/out contrast. Loss of space signal & budging discs c2-7
Facet joints unremarkable
c3-4 central herniation mild/moderate compression indents cord w/ myelopathic changes
Spondylosis on left side
12/15 - 2 spinal cortisone inj
6/16 - mobi C c3/4 Dr Patel

Last edited by Mommyto2; 01-31-2016 at 11:21 PM. Reason: Something ate my spaces between sentences
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