May 2003 ref. to neurosurgeon for left neck pain & MRI done. NS on exam found carpal tunnel, worse on left, confirmed by EMGs w/ successful release 7/11/03. Seemingly symptom free until 3/1/04 then progressively worsened symptoms of left neck pain. Again ref. to NS who ordered 2nd MRI. I posted last week after 2nd MRI about the agony of laying on table for study. Well returned for F/U and 2nd MRI results 5/13/04 show:
1. Circumferential disc bulg. w/ uncostoverebral joint hypertrophy at C5-C6 level bilaterally causing bilateral neural foraminal narrowing.
2. Asymmetrical disc bulg. at C6-C7 to the right w/ acc. hypertrophy of the uncostovertebral jiont also causing right neuroforaminal narrowing.
3. Cervical spine remains unchanged since study of 5/31/03.
My family MD has been a blessing--forewarned me that NS "hate to be wrong" in his opinion before the 2nd ref. and offered that if I had problems w/ rapport that he preferred to refer to actually an orthopod/neck specialist. Indeed when representing with same problem a year later, NS was very dismissive, didn't want to hear about symptoms but really wanted 2nd MRI. Now upon getting those results, NS says that he is not seeing anything to be causing such
left sided symptoms but if I really wanted he would "remove the disk." He himself wanted to try one more thing and rx'd nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant (Soma-first) and Darvocet for extreme pain--first time ever treated with meds other than Advil. I have a return appt. on 6/10/04 and I am to make the call as to whether I am improved or want the disk removed. I am totally freaking out; I am not getting any plausible correlation between a diagnosis and my symptoms. I am not a doctor. I picked up a written copy of my MRI for my family MD and I think I am going to see if he can request a second opinion/consult from his preferred orthopod. I feel like because I am re-presenting to my NS that he is getting tired of me and "will remove the disk" to shut me up. I think I need to know what is realistically causing the pain/numbness and then a plan. I have great respect for my NS but no one wants to have surgery for the sake of surgery and the horrendous medical bills that come with it . Thanks, everyone. Your posts show that others have similar pictures with pain relief ; have anyone every seen the studies show one side but the pain is on the other?
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