MRI Results

Well, the good news is, my spine isn’t about to collapse like a Jenga game gone bad. That was my biggest fear, what with all the pain that’s been shooting from my neck, down my arms and into my fingers, combined with the pulsing hot poker of fun that’s been searing my lower back and radiating down my leg.

But I went to the doctor yesterday and, while there is some structural stuff going on, my skeleton seems to still be relatively intact for one that’s been compared to that of a 90 year-old woman.

The bad news is, I thought that meant the pain was all in my head. He quickly reassured me that that is NOT the case, however. His theory is that the damage (and attempted repairs such as my fusion surgery) that’s already occurred to my neck and spine has begun wreaking havoc with all the surrounding “soft tissues.”

In other words, my weakened spine is damaging many of the ligaments, tendons, etc. that hold everything together. THAT’S what’s been causing me so much pain lately.

Certainly not as dramatic as saying I’m missing part of my spine, but every bit as real and painful.

So what’s next? A series of steroid “test shots” in about 6 weeks at the main points of injury in my neck and back area to test his theory. If the pain dissipates, he’ll know for sure that’s what’s going on and he’ll move to more permanent treatments, such as prolotherapy and or radial frequency burning, (which is every bit as unpleasant as it sounds!)

If and when I reach that stage, I’ll go into more detail about those wonderful experiences. But for now, my heating pad is my best friend.  After yesterday, I came home and slept almost 12 hours out of sheer exhaustion.  Whew!