feelbad

hi moldova, just had a couple of questions for ya. what exact areas have you had fused? did you have any hardware placement done at all? this really does sound like radiculopathy to some degree meaning it IS stemming from your c spine area in some way. the EMG results really don;t have a whole lot of impact if your pain and symptoms are not actually stemming from direct impingemnt or some other issue that is actually impeding nerve flow. there are just ALOT of possible issues that you could have going on up there that would give you the types of symptoms you are having and show a perfectly normal EMG.

just what were your 'complications' all about and where were they? are these more intermittant symptoms or a more constant? do you have any types of symptoms that actually go down to your fingers in any way? if so,which ones are affected? do you know if your fusion is actually taking up there yet? have they done a flexion and extention x ray on you at this point just to check fusion status?

this particular type of x ray really IS the very best possible way to actually check whether or not you have fused,in both surgeries actually. i had a huge non fusion issue but the MRI said 'inconclusive' recommended a CT,and the CT stated i was defintiely fused when i knew without a doubt,and so did my primary,that i was not,not with the ongoing symptoms i was having along with horrid pain. it took that simple type of x ray to finally proove to my surgeon what i had been telling him and his so called 'nurse' for over nine months,i was NOT fused at both endplates,only one. this was despite that stupid CT saying otherwise.

there just has to be some real reason for what you are experiencing,unfortunetly it is a matter of testing and ruling out to find the culprit. tracking it back from where your issues start to the direct nerve root and dermatome really is the best way to get to that source.

do you actually 'hear" anything when you move your neck? any noises like grinding or popping? just how recent was that MRI? why are you only seeing a neurologist when the surgeon should be handling this and finding out why HIS surgery 'did' or is doing something to you? your surgeon just has a certain level of responsibility here in making certain HIS surgery did not actually cause you problems or even further damage during your surgery. he just should be the one trying to find this all out for you,thats all. he has an obligation to you after you get any surgery from any suregon to make certain you are okay and not worse post op ya know?

sorry for all the questions tho.believe me,if they were not important,i wouldn't have slammed you with so may. but they DO matter just knowing the answers to the questions in helping to find whats causing your symptoms.

just wondering if YOU actually read your own MRI report or have actual copies of all reports from all testing that has been done on you? if not,you really DO need to obtain all of this and also the hospital medical records with the "op notes" from both your surgeries. getting all of your medical records from your surgeon will help too. but YOU personally really need to see that MRI and read thru it for yourself if you have not yet done that. you would be shocked at just how much,mostly specialists,will leave out or not tell you about. its really sick,but it happens everyday. and it happened to me with very crucial Dx info and other important things i just had a right to know was going on inside my own body.

hang in there moldova,i know this has not been an easy time for you recently. but hopefully we can help get to the culprit here soon. marcia

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3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.