Pages

30 November 2010

I Finally Have Answers

  After waiting three months to see my pain doctor, I couldn't believe today was really happening. My pain has worsened over the years so finally getting to see my doctor after being rescheduled three times was truly a happy thing for me.
  I finally found out what some of the problems are concerning my spine! Well I know people out there that know me in RL are laughing because you are thinking "You have lots of things wrong with you!" Let's just say then that I know what is causing some of the stabbing pain in my left leg after years of guess work from me and the tons of physicians I have seen since my back surgery.
 I have titanium in the lower half of my spine that has been attached to my spine and screwed together since I had back surgery called a Laminectomy in 2002. Since my back surgery, I have had so many problems. The worst problem is the pain.. The MRI I just had showed the area right above where the neurologist put the titanium, is an area that the spinal canal is too narrow causing me to have spinal stenosis.
Spinal Stenosis is a narrowing of areas in the back or neck which causes pressure on the spinal cord or one or more of spinal nerves. It looks like it might have gotten that way before surgery but it was not taken care of and was worse two years after surgery;
 Then right below that point, one of the disc in my back actually has a small tear in it ( it shows up as a black mark on the MRI). He showed it all to me and explained everything so well. I am very interested in the details like this so it was a rare treat to hear a doctor tell you everything detail by detail.
  We talked about nerve blocks. He said I should have one. I knew that was a lot more intense than the last procedure, but with no hesitation  I said, "Let's go." I was ready to get it over with. So before the procedure I asked him about my neck and the pains I experience and how I was starting to feel hunched over and how I felt like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I am always overwhelmed with the hip and back pain I forget to take care of horrible pains and stiffness in my neck and upper back.
   Another reason I don't mention the neck is that years ago I went to a doctor for back pain and after I told him of my back pain I mentioned the neck pain.  He said, "You can't fix everything so just be glad something might get fixed!" That was his answer and I never went back there. So Dr.G is scheduling me a neck MRI and physical therapy.
  So now, I am off to the procedure or torture room, which ever you prefer. Ha! O.K. when I get these injections it's so spooky that I can see inside of me when they put their imaging machine over me. Today I got to see the way my back was really put together with the screws and wires and other stuff. It was so mind boggling, I still can't understand how all that stuff that is attached inside my back holds me up.
  To put  me at ease Dr. G said, "See that screw is loose in your back!" I said, "Oh no!"  He said, "Not really I just wanted to see if you were alert."  I actually laughed a lot. He was trying to make me feel at ease because I was very nervous for some reason.
  I did not want to watch the needle going in.  Nope, too much detail. So I had to put my head in a donut type of thing looking down at floor. After they sterilized my back, he said he was going to begin and it would feel like a little sting.  Wow, it was!!!  He injected me several quick times.  I said, "That wasn't too bad."  He said, "I haven't done it yet, those were the numbing injections." Ugh, I thought to myself, watch out here comes the pain! Then I felt it. Oh holy Batman, it felt like it went through me!  Owwwwww. Let it be over!!!  I started counting 1, 2, 3,4,5,6  and he says, "I'm so glad to know that you CAN count!!"  I started laughing and raised up my left hand behind me with two fingers raised. The pointing finger and the middle finger. He said, "Are you going to flip me off?" I said, "No, I raised two fingers, you take your pick."  We both were laughing. The nurse wasn't. Oh well, you can't win them all. LOL  I was laughing so much I forgot all about the pain. He had passed my test.  He helped me by making me laugh, which is one of the reasons I have this blog. Through my pain, I always try to find my sense of humor, because I truly believe smiles and laughter can truly make you feel better.
  Dr. G was the perfect doctor from beginning to end.  He might be grouchy next time, but I don't mind anymore. I am so happy with the outcome of my appointment. I had answers for the first time in so many years.
  I had the long awaited answers to why something was going terribly wrong with my body. I felt faint in the beginning after finding out the doctor actually had some answers for me. It's something I looked forward to.I finally had solutions to easing my pain that had never been offered before. It took years and many many doctors, but having the answers means everything. I have so much I want to do so getting better is my priority.
   Enough with the serious stuff. I want to go to a concert within the next few months. It's been too long. I need to go mingle among the young and exciting people for awhile. When you get in a rut you need to go out of your everyday boring zone and experience some live music. It revives your soul and gets your blood pumping again. I know, isn't it great an old chick like me still goes to rock concerts?