The results are in and it’s not all in my head!

Posted on May 20, 2010 by sonjabarrie

Well, not exactly anyway.  I'm sure there's a lot rattling around in there that a lot of people have questioned over the years but this at least is real, and I can prove it ;o)

The results from the MRI are in and although it's not the best of news it's not that bad either, yet. It appears I have narrowing of the apertures that the nerves come out of in 2 disks, L3/L4 and L4/L5 plus I have a bulging disk at L4/L5 which is pressing on the spinal column. These are the disks that have already been operated on because pieces of them broke off and decided on their own to wreck havoc on the rest of my back!

here's a picture (not mine) of what a bulging disk looks like:

Bulging Disk L4 area

This is where my spinal canal narrows noticeably due to the disk protruding into the spinal canal and compressing the spinal cord, this along with the narrowing of the holes the nerves come out of is what is causing all my problems.

So now I am on another medication to try to take down the swelling, he kinda wanted to do injections into the spine to bring the swelling down again but those injections hurt so bad I wanted to try something less invasive first so I am on another set of anti-inflammatory meds.  The last lot (Naproxen) did nothing but I will try anything not to have the injections, if they don't work I will have to have the injections because the next step after that is more surgery which would mean a cage which holds the disks apart while bone grafts meld the two vertebrae together.

That is the ultimate last resort, did I ever tell you GETTING OLD SUCKS!!!

4 Responses to “The results are in and it’s not all in my head!”

  1. Amy

    - 6th Aug, 12 12:08pm

    im 2yrs past this post so I hope you still check this. I have the same buldge in L4/L5 since 2009. I think the drs make you loose your mind because of what they put you though. Can you tell me how you are now? I would love to compare notes.

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  2. Gilly

    - 25th May, 10 11:05am

    Hi Sonja, yet another hurdle for you to cross. Guess you really do need to stop lifting boulders and packing boxes once and for all. Hope you are still able to sit and sew without too much discomfort. Sending you lots of love and best wishes from Terry and I. xx

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  3. sonjabarrie (author comment)

    - 25th May, 10 12:05am

    Thank you Ute and Gerd, I appreciate that, I always feel humor will get you through anything, laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone. (from the poem Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox)

    As you know I hate my own company so I need lots of friends around me, preferably laughing with me not at me ;o) and it really is friends like you guys that keep me going.

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  4. Ute & Gerd

    - 21st May, 10 05:05pm

    Amazing Sonja,
    we salute you for sticking to you humor while going through all this. It's such a shame that you have to suffer that much. We wish so much and keep our fingers crossed that you will not have to go to that last resort, but that medication will help.
    All our love and best wishes, Ute & Gerd

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