Hi mary ann, I am sorry you are having trouble in your back. I have had two cervical fussions. When I was presented with my MRI I looked up each word that I did not understand on the MRI. For an example I know that disk osteophyte is a bony overgrowth, that is on the bone, and can intrude to narrow your spinal cord. Some are not so bad. The word Demyelinating disease is not something I am familiar with, but that would be something I would look up. Sometimes you can kinda get the idea of whats happening doing the research so that when you go to the doctor to hear what he says, you will be armed with information. There won't be anything that your doctor says to you that you will not have some knowledge on that way. I always deal better with a medical issue, when I understand what is happening. If you need help looking for medical sites, I can help with that. There are also people on this site who are far more knowledgeable than I am and they will also try to help you. I wish you the very best, and I hope the outcome means less pain for you. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need help. ginnie