[mkilpatrick]

Hi!

My name is Michelle, and I'm new here. Just came across this site and it's nice to see there are others out there with whom I can relate. After so long of family and friends thinking your just being "lazy" it helps to find others who know what you are feeling.

I'm not sure if anyone here can help me, but I'm really curious what types of surgeries are the norm for my type of problem. ..Tues is my follow up appointment with Neuro. Saw him last week and also in the ER yesterday morning. He says there is a lot going on in there and he wants to take my films and consult with his collegue to get his opinion. When I go in Tues morning he'll be able to tell me how we move forward. He's meeting with the other Nero Surgeon who helped on my last surgery (2) years ago, T11-T12 Laminectomy/Discectomy. I know my Dr. and right now, he knows that surgery has to be done but he's not telling me what kind or how extensive. If you look at my report, the problem children are sort of spread apart. C6-C7, T7-T8, T11-T12, and L3-L4. The ones that "flatten and deform" the cord are in the cervical area and thoracic area. So, I'm like dang, how do you fix that? You don't want to fuse ones that don't need it unless he thinks the degeneration is causing instability and chooses to head it off. That could be possible. He did say there is chronic degeneration happening which is rare for someone my age but it does happen.

If there is ANYONE out there with similar problems, if you could chime in to let me know the type of surgery you had and how you feel now, I'd really appreciate it. If you are knowledgeable of others who have these issues, I'd love to hear from you.

Right now, the pain is excruitiating but I'm on a round of steroids to bring down the inflammation which I'm sure will help. My main concern however is the extereme weakness, twitching, spastic activity in my legs. I am very clumsy and my right leg just doesn't cooperate. I trip all the time. When I sit for long periods, I have to be very careful getting up b/c my legs want to collapse. My shoulders/neck burn like crazy and my right hand has become so weak that I can't write, I must type. I tend to drop items alot. I'm guessing all this is coming from the compression to the Cord as well as the stenosis in the canal which is significant in two locations.

With that being said...here is the latest MRI...The most important parts, it's 7 pages long.

I was wandering if someone could tell me if, under most circumstances, is the following situation handled all at once or would mutiple surgeries be needed? I have accepted the fact that surgery is a must even though I'm still in shock right now. I'm meeting my neurosurgeon in the morning at the ER for him to see what's going on as my legs are getting weaker and weaker to the point that they just feel like jello... They go numb, they ache like there are cramps or something all the time. Tingling and overall feeling of "jerky, spastic" feeling when I walk on top of the other pain I had seen him for last week.

THe MRI says

C6-C7 confirms a rather large central disc osteophyte complex which flattens and deforms the ventral surface of the cord and causes severe spinal canal stenosis with sagittal diameter of the canal reduced to 5.5mm.

T5-T6 - moderate sized right paracentral disc protrusion. No deformity or displacement of cord at this level.

T7-T8 = right paracentral disc osteophyte complex flattens right aspect of the thoracic cord and cause mild to moderate spinal canal encroachment . Sagittal diameter of the canal is reduced to 6mm.

T8-T9 posterior disc osteophyte complex asymmetric to the right causes mild spinal canal stenosis.

T9-T10 - There is a right paracentral disc protrusion which indents ventral surface of the thecal sac and mildly flattens ventral surface of the cord.

T11-T12 - Post surgical changes of right sided laminectomy are seen. However, there are findings still suspicious for a moderate sized right paracentral disc extrusion. Mild mass effect and flattening of the right aspect of the cord is seen.

L3-L4 - Mild concentric bulging of disc annulus and mild to moderate facet hypertrophy are seen without significant spinal canal stenosis. There is a superimposed left formainal disc extrusion which may effect the exiting left L3 nerve root within the foramen.

L4-L5 - Broad based left paracentral disc herniation which may impinge the tracersing left L5 nerve root in the lateral recess.

[mistiis]

Gosh, so sorry you have so much to deal with there. I have a one-level cervical fusion so I am not much help here. I hope it will go well for you. I had a sil who had rods in here back to straighten sever scolioses, and she has done well with it all her life. She can only bend at the waist, but, otherwise lives a normal life. Take care....

[made it up]

Hi Michelle,
I can relate to the weakness and spasticity in your legs.
I posted my first question to this particular group last night asking about outcomes... thanks mistiieyes for replying.
I had discectomy to c5 c6 7 weeks ago.
The pain in my neck has lessened considerably and the weakness in my knees, one more than the other had me feeling like I'd run a marathon after a few steps but has fortunately been getting much better of late.
It's still there noticeably more obvious when I bend down so now I tend to kneel down if need be as I feel my knees might go from under me still.
The awkward gait and spasticity are a bit less than pre op and I've been told to be patient (easier said than done!)
Another thing Michelle, if your walking and balance aren't good I hope I don't sound patronising but be careful!
My Dr explained to me last week it's particularly important not to take risks as I no longer have what he referred to as a virgin neck!
Regards,
Lee

[mandyfoster]

Hi,
My name is Amanda, I am 42 that got injured and I have been diagnosed with a left paracentral extrusion it hurts so bad I can not sit or stand without being in terrible pain, my life has been turned upside down, does it ever get better?
Mandy

Originally Posted by mkilpatrick

Hi!

My name is Michelle, and I'm new here. Just came across this site and it's nice to see there are others out there with whom I can relate. After so long of family and friends thinking your just being "lazy" it helps to find others who know what you are feeling.

I'm not sure if anyone here can help me, but I'm really curious what types of surgeries are the norm for my type of problem. ..Tues is my follow up appointment with Neuro. Saw him last week and also in the ER yesterday morning. He says there is a lot going on in there and he wants to take my films and consult with his collegue to get his opinion. When I go in Tues morning he'll be able to tell me how we move forward. He's meeting with the other Nero Surgeon who helped on my last surgery (2) years ago, T11-T12 Laminectomy/Discectomy. I know my Dr. and right now, he knows that surgery has to be done but he's not telling me what kind or how extensive. If you look at my report, the problem children are sort of spread apart. C6-C7, T7-T8, T11-T12, and L3-L4. The ones that "flatten and deform" the cord are in the cervical area and thoracic area. So, I'm like dang, how do you fix that? You don't want to fuse ones that don't need it unless he thinks the degeneration is causing instability and chooses to head it off. That could be possible. He did say there is chronic degeneration happening which is rare for someone my age but it does happen.

If there is ANYONE out there with similar problems, if you could chime in to let me know the type of surgery you had and how you feel now, I'd really appreciate it. If you are knowledgeable of others who have these issues, I'd love to hear from you.

Right now, the pain is excruitiating but I'm on a round of steroids to bring down the inflammation which I'm sure will help. My main concern however is the extereme weakness, twitching, spastic activity in my legs. I am very clumsy and my right leg just doesn't cooperate. I trip all the time. When I sit for long periods, I have to be very careful getting up b/c my legs want to collapse. My shoulders/neck burn like crazy and my right hand has become so weak that I can't write, I must type. I tend to drop items alot. I'm guessing all this is coming from the compression to the Cord as well as the stenosis in the canal which is significant in two locations.

With that being said...here is the latest MRI...The most important parts, it's 7 pages long.

I was wandering if someone could tell me if, under most circumstances, is the following situation handled all at once or would mutiple surgeries be needed? I have accepted the fact that surgery is a must even though I'm still in shock right now. I'm meeting my neurosurgeon in the morning at the ER for him to see what's going on as my legs are getting weaker and weaker to the point that they just feel like jello... They go numb, they ache like there are cramps or something all the time. Tingling and overall feeling of "jerky, spastic" feeling when I walk on top of the other pain I had seen him for last week.

THe MRI says

C6-C7 confirms a rather large central disc osteophyte complex which flattens and deforms the ventral surface of the cord and causes severe spinal canal stenosis with sagittal diameter of the canal reduced to 5.5mm.

T5-T6 - moderate sized right paracentral disc protrusion. No deformity or displacement of cord at this level.

T7-T8 = right paracentral disc osteophyte complex flattens right aspect of the thoracic cord and cause mild to moderate spinal canal encroachment . Sagittal diameter of the canal is reduced to 6mm.

T8-T9 posterior disc osteophyte complex asymmetric to the right causes mild spinal canal stenosis.

T9-T10 - There is a right paracentral disc protrusion which indents ventral surface of the thecal sac and mildly flattens ventral surface of the cord.

T11-T12 - Post surgical changes of right sided laminectomy are seen. However, there are findings still suspicious for a moderate sized right paracentral disc extrusion. Mild mass effect and flattening of the right aspect of the cord is seen.

L3-L4 - Mild concentric bulging of disc annulus and mild to moderate facet hypertrophy are seen without significant spinal canal stenosis. There is a superimposed left formainal disc extrusion which may effect the exiting left L3 nerve root within the foramen.

L4-L5 - Broad based left paracentral disc herniation which may impinge the tracersing left L5 nerve root in the lateral recess.

[kjandrews]

Hi , I to have issues with my thoracic spine. I have a sever disc herniacton with spinal cord compression. My symptoms are serve weakness in my legs (both) with muscle spasms (twitches) 24/7 and they hurt like hell. I also have numbness in my legs along with chest pains and shortness of breath (like a heart attack)

I'm lucking, Lucking going to the swedish Brain and spine on June 23, and hoping that they will fix me up.

I know this is sort of a bad thing to say but since I have been coming to these boards you can always find someone wse off then you are and then life doesn't seem as bad.

[Sheri_TOS]

Michelle-

I can't offer any suggestions on how they'll tackle this. Like another poster else here, I have several aunts and cousins who had rods placed into their backs for scolosis or had 7 thoracic vertebrae fused and they're doing much better than before surgery. I have problems in similar areas to yours but mine haven't advanced as far yet. I know fusion is in my future due to central canal stenosis at C5/6 and T12-L3 but I also have a problem around T6-8 which gives me the worst symptoms right now. Surgery does appear in your future in the short term which is a bummer but hopefully, better in the long run after rehab.

T-spine: they try to avoid surgery on the t-spine as long as possible. My aunt who had the three T-spine surgeries was told she was two weeks from becoming a parapelgic when she finally went for surgery.

Good luck with the NS and ER. Let us know what they say.