Hi all,

Okay I got the flexion/extension x-rays done yesterday for my cervical area. Whats great is that they gave me a copy on cd. Then I went and picked up the films of my back.

I compared the flex/ext xrays of the cervical to my regular xrays of my back (had these done in oct). On the cervical ones, it looks kinda cloudy between the fusion area, kinda looks white, just not a bright white. The disc's below, look like the space between them are closing.

The Back x-rays from Oct., look black, no white at all, no cloudyness, nothing. It even looks like one of the screws in bent downwards :confused:

Anyway, I will have the reports in a few days and see what they say. Don't have dr. appt until next week.

Hope everyone has a good night,

Bernie

I was just talking to a friend tonight about getting all my xrays on a cd just to have. That is a good thing to have. Don't give yourself a headache looking at those too long! Hopefully in a few days you will get a good reading at your doctors. Until then take care of yourself!:)!

Rose

Bernie: I am praying long and hard for fusion for you.

hey Bernie.so just what do those bones at the very back look like?are they all completely 'fanned out" like if you just spread out your fingers in your hand?or are there two that kind of look very close together?this would be over the fusion site?if you did NOT have any hardware and are looking at just a regular fusion,if you are indeed fused or partially,you SHOULD have two of those bones that stay much closer together,ther would NOT be an even spacing in between these two bones when compared to what the others look like as far as space.know what i mean?

if you do not see what i just explained,then a fusion most likely hasn't taken place yet.on my films,despite that even one end had fused,i still had the very wide even spacing between those bones,so i knew right then i was not actually fused.just take a good look at your x rays and you should be able to tell yourself whether or not this occured yet.please let me know what you actually see there Bernie.hope the news is good,Marcia

Bernie,
Good Luck!!! I'm praying hard too.

God Bless

Carol

Thanks so much for the prayers, I truly appreciate them.

I went and picked up the report on the cervical part and the report says:

Impression: Mature C6-7 anterior inner body fusion without evidence of vertebral instability, neuroforaminal narrowing or significant interval change. So, after looking at the x-rays and then reading this report....... I would assume that I'm fused. YEAH............ it also says that the plate and screws remain intact. Thank you GOD!! Still don't make sense then as to why all the problems in the neck right now!?! Oh well who cares, I'm fused there.


Marcia, the view on the lower back is hard to tell because right where I should be able to see those bones, theres the arch in my back and I can't see them clearly. If I had to guess, with the arch and all, it looks a little closer then the other areas. Plus the screws are in the way on this film :rolleyes:

There is definately a difference in the cervical and lumbar x-rays though, meaning that in the cervical I can see some white and cloudy, but in the lumbar, theres nothing, it looks like a black space.

As far as the report from Oct. on the lumbar it reads:
L4-5 level shows evidence of previous posterior fusion with intrapedicular screws and vertical stabilization rods. Disc spaces are seen in place. (?).. Moderate degenerative changes seen at the posterior elements at L5-S1 with mild disc space loss at the L5-S1 level. Then it just talks about the scoliosis, cholecystectomy, oh yeah and that my adominal gas pattern is normal..haha

So, thats all I know until I talk to the Doc next week... To me, it seems like the cervical is fused but the lumbar isn't.

Thanks again everyone for the prayers, :angel:

Bernie

Oh yeah I forgot to add this............. My fusion was at C5-6 and in this report, they talk about fusion at C6-7.... So, I did call and inform them that, this report is incorrect!!

Hi ,
Them bones you speak of are they the Lamina ? or pedicals whatever there called ,the ones that look like Godzillas back ?:dizzy:

I thought the fusions were supposed to be in between the vertebra's ? Now I'm confused , please explain more .
Thank you.hey Bernie.so just what do those bones at the very back look like?are they all completely 'fanned out" like if you just spread out your fingers in your hand?or are there two that kind of look very close together?this would be over the fusion site?if you did NOT have any hardware and are looking at just a regular fusion,if you are indeed fused or partially,you SHOULD have two of those bones that stay much closer together,ther would NOT be an even spacing in between these two bones when compared to what the others look like as far as space.know what i mean?

if you do not see what i just explained,then a fusion most likely hasn't taken place yet.on my films,despite that even one end had fused,i still had the very wide even spacing between those bones,so i knew right then i was not actually fused.just take a good look at your x rays and you should be able to tell yourself whether or not this occured yet.please let me know what you actually see there Bernie.hope the news is good,Marcia

Oh geez,its always something.so,you DO have hardware there too?the hardware just makes it a bit more difficult to actually know if there is indeed fusion by just looking at the bones and how they fan out only because the hardware is actually already holding them together,you know what i mean?but with the hardware,chances are really good that the fusion if not already,will eventually take place.mine finally did.the hardware just keeps those bone ends in constant contact with each other,thats why you usually will be sent home withthat neck brace to wear if you don't have hardware,the brace acts as that splint,but unfortunetly,not really well.it just allows for too much movement in that critical area.i know i didn't fuse til the heardware was placed.and the only reason i know without adubt that i did fuse was it was noted by my NS when he had to go into my spinal cord for a cavernoma removal surgery and saw it with his own eyes.he wrote it in the op notes.but if he hadn't who the heck really knows.but having that hardware there really IS the best way to keep things in the right spots and ensures your overall best possible fusion chances.

Shawley,yep those are the boney promeninces i am talking about.sorry i confused you,i usually only do that to myself,lol.the fusion IS within the disc area and not the bones themselves.you can just usually TELL by looking at the bones as they will be slightly closer together(if no hardware is used)when you flex because they are fused,if they spread apart(and like i said before,it is much harder to tell further down than in the c spine just because the bones are not as prominent there)or have an even looking spacing,then chances are a fusion has not taken place.

the thing is shawley,you may never really know unless it is actually visualized by a surgeon who is in there looking at it.this is just the way it goes.i would just give it some time.there really isn't much more that you can realistically do at this point BUT wait.sorry.i know you WANT to know for sure,and maybe at some point something more positive will show up on a particular test.the thing is,with me,i was just having so many non fusion symptoms that i just knew i wasn't,for sure.my neck was making these hidious grinding(bone against bone )and popping snapping noises along with pain that would come and go upon movement and intermittant full numbness and tingling upon movement.i mean really,for my NSs nurse to keep telling me i was fused with all these ongoing symptoms,geez she was such a witch.the thing was,i did not have hardware so it was really easy to spot on my flex x ray,you would have practically have to have been blind not to see it.

I think you are just going to drive yourself crazy here with this constantly on your mind.time is the only thing that will eventually cause a fusion to occur at some point.if you have hardware at this point,(or even without it the lower spine tends to kind of splint itself because of gravity as long as you don't lift heavy objects and no sudden twisting or bending,everything nice and slow)the chances are good that this WILL take place,believe me,if mine did and i was a smoker( i know,a big no no)yours will eventually do it too.sorry i cannot be more helpful to you.but i do think at this point,the less you try and think about it the better,really.you just don't need extra stress,that too can actually impede healing.i know,easier said than done,but you just really need to try and concentrate on other things and take this out of the forefront of your mind for awhile,thats all.unfortunetly,this all just takes time.just keep hangin in there and eventually nature will take its course.K?good luck,marcia

feelbad , read my post about what to look for in a fusion. I'm driving myself crazzy for a reason :dizzy:

Thanks for your help :)