feelbad

the first thing i would do if this were me is speak to your primary about obtaining another follow up MRI. given what was found with that c 6-7 area with cord contact in the 07 MRI,alot can change in even a matter of months let alone a whole year almost,you know what i mean? that finding was stated as a "significant protusion" of the inner part of your disc affecting your cord,tho mildly,even mild contact that has had about a year to progress can really be affecting much more now than it was a year ago. you simply need to know what is going on up there NOW,today not just one year ago.

were you ever actually referred to a neurosurgeon back a year ago even for a consult and eval of your overall situation? if not,getting that new MRI and then seeing one for his impression of your current status and the risks of not doing anything to stop what will be a continued progression further onto your cord really is a must right now. i saw where they noted a possible involvement of your c 8 nerve? are you having any symptoms at all in the last two fingers of the involved side hand? your c 8 nerve is also whats called the ulnar nerve. i have extensive damage to mine in my left hand,so i do know that particular nerve very well unfortunetly. i am also kind of curious as to what you were actually told about this finding at the time it was found? what did your doc say about it?

i just think this has really gone on way too long already and something needs to be surgically fixed in there to keep that disc from continuing to exert more and more compression upon your cord. it will occur if it has not already,its just the nature of most spinal issues to progress,not get better at least not with what you actually have going on up there. i just shuddered here when i read that you actually were having chiro adjustments with this actually just being there? that was kind of risky.

while some situations can be made alot better with certain chiro adjustments,they should never ever be done on the c spine without the benefit of at least getting that MRI first. there are just sooo many different type of spinal problems that can occur up there that could be made much worse or even cause devistating results if they were not aware of what was actually going on BEFORE those adjustments were made. they are basically 'blind' adjustments when you simply have not gotten a good look at what is actually causing a persons real symptoms.

just what are your exact symptoms right now? have you actually felt anything new pop in since that last MRI was done? i really do think your best course of action right now would be to just obtain that new MRI,with contrast and then get your primary to actually refer you to a good neurosurgeon for that eval consult and see what he says. you just have kind of a precarious situation going on up there that REALLY needs some attention sooner vs later,ya know? you also need to find out just how much further that compression has become since a year ago,that really IS my main concern for you right now. how much real cord contact do you have and if a condition called myelomalacia has set in yet. just make an appt with your primary to speak to him about that new MRI. the rest will kind of dictate itself to you depending upon the findings of that MRI. but this really needs evaluating by a neurosurgeon at any rate.

please keep me posted as to what you find out,K? good luck sandra,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.