starrfish

Hi. I am having alot of pain and am kind of freaked out. About 2 weeks ago, I awoke and was fine. Around noon, I began feeling some numbness in my right arm, almost like a squeezing. This prompted me after several hours to call my doc. They had me come in and said I just slept on it wrong. Well, the feeling progressed to pain in my right shoulder and arm, with some numbness. The pain got so severe over the next day or so, it prompted me to go to the ER early in the morning. I was told I had a pinched nerve (no xrays taken) and sent home with flexeril, prednisone, and vicodin. The pain continued, but seemed to ease up a bit. 4 days after my ER visit, I was hit while driving my car. The other lady was cited, but is fighting liability...but that is a whole other story. Anyways, I went to the ER that night to have me and my daughter checked out, seeing as I was already having arm probs. I was sent home with valium and told I had a shoulder sprain. Again, no xrays were taken. The pain persisted, so I decided to see a new doc. I saw the Nurse practicioner and was told to take viox and he ordered an xray. Well, I kept calling about the increasing pain and ended up going to the ER b/c I could not get a response. They took blood, xrays and found nothing. Snet me home with percocet and was told to follow up with my doc. I had ran out of pain meds and called again to my doc and was told to go to the ER b/c they could not write a script w/o seeing me...so, I ended up in Urgent care (the ER visits are getting expensive!). They told me I had radiculopathy and told me to follow up with my doc. Finally an MRI was ordered which I had this monday, and saw the doc finally two days later! He told me he was wondering why I had been calling so much wanting pain meds, but after seeing my MRI, he understood. Here is what the report read (I will shorten to the main points):

c3-4 shallow disc bulge mildly encroaches into the right foraminal entrance

c4-5 shallow disc bulge mildly encroaches into the anterior subarachnoid space, not neurocompressive

c5-6 broad-based right sided HNP, right paracentral and preforaminal, with mild extension into the right foraminal entrance. This moderately compresses the cervical cord on the right. On the left a shallow left foraminal disc osteophyte complex mildly encroaches into the left neural foramen.

c6-7 broad based shallow disc bulge mildly encroaches into the anterior subarachnoid space

Cervical cor has normal signal

So...he set me up with a neurosurgeon and I was told I most likely will have to have surgery, but the surgeon would know more. I am also to have a nerve conduction study. He sent me home with loratabs.

I am freaking out here! What does this mean? I am only 31 and this was the last thing I expected. I am not sure what has caused this? The accident? I have no idea, but I am scared. The thought of operating on my spine...ugh. My pain is still severe and I am now having neck pain and pain at the base of my skull on the right. The Nurse today said I should be ok until I see the neurosurgeon, just go to the ER is I lose bowel/bladder control....nice...

How serious is this? I don't see the surgeon for another week. Anyone have any thoughts. Does this look like I will need surgery? Sorry for the long post....thanks.