The secretary/nurse? at the physiatrist just called me back.

She said they got the report back from my MRI this morning, but she cant tell me what's in it because the doctor had already left!! (darn HIPAA rules!)

ARRRGGGHHH!!!

She could have just waited till tomorrow and had him call me back then, instead of calling me tonight and basically saying, "we have your results, sit there and be anxious till, Oh....9am tomorrow and we'll call you back...." At least I wont have to wait over Xmas like I did back in 2006.

I hope it's not something scary. (scarier than MS or a slipped disc at least) Kind of hoping he was right that it was a slipped disc. That's at least something they might be able to fix.

I'm more anxious now than I was waiting to go do the MRI this morning!

Hope this wont be ruining Xmas. I'm all nervous now!

All they saw on the MRI was "arthritic changes".

So, the physiatrist says that he thinks it's the MS causing the problems, but after I told him about the MRI reports from 5yrs ago that actually mention specific places on my spine for bulging discs and things like that, he wants me to bring him the printouts on those MRI's (I'm taking the cd's with me too)

So, I go see him next week to get a few xrays also (because he wants to see how my back bends and moves) and then I can do PT. I get to do traditional PT, and he's going to try the aquatic PT also to see if I can handle it. (the pool is 93 degrees, have to see if I can stand the temperature)

When I see him next week, I'll find out if I get any fancy stylish footwear or a knee brace or two.

So, I guess I just have to wait (impatiently) for the stupid flare to clear up. Probably a good thing it's the MS, because if it were slipped discs, they'd want to get all stabby with me and cut things to fix it, and that sounds like it'd hurt...and probably takes just as long to recover from as an MS flare.

At least the MRI didnt see anything new and creepy other than the "arthritic changes". Arthritic changes sounds a lot better than "there's a bright glowy spot on your spine that we havent seen before".

You need to see if you can get the MRIs downloaded on your Ipad! Wouldn't that be fun

well, I emailed the scans of the paper reports that I was given that has all the impressions, conclusions and stuff on them to my iPad. (made it easier to show to my dad the other night) I have all my medical reports from that year saved on one of my computers, which reminds me, I better put everything on a pin drive as a backup.

I wish I could figure out how to get the MRI scans onto the iPad, but I bet I need a special app for that. That would be cool to put them on the iPad!

You might as well start dealing with the arthritic changes now, even if they are not the main event. Take calcium citrate between meals, with D3, take Magnesium at meals, etc.
It might put off a fracture later on. I work hard at this, because I have arthritic changes which were thought to possibly by lytic lesions, but are deemed "arthritic changes" in the hips. I also do PT and do the exercises all the time at home, especially the stretching exercises for the calves and quads. The stretching exercises have eliminated my nighttime spasms too.

Glad it's not a big new problem, Erin. Old ones are sufficient.

The physiatrist said that he's got stuff he can help me with that should help with the MSish things and the "arthritic changes". I really like that physiatrist, he at least doesnt talk down to me like I've had a few doctors do...and he's going to let me try to do swimming therapy in the 93 degree pool.

If I could get in that pool right now, I would. Wish that it wasnt Xmas weekend, I'd have set up a PT appointment tomorrow if I could have.

PT can work wonders....hope you get some relief! I just ordered a dvd of exercises put out by Jane Fonda for people who are older or have medical issues. Haven't put it in the machine yet.... But I'm hoping it will help my stiffness! So happy you like the doc.

Erin, I have access to an exercise pool that is kept at 91F. It is wonderful! I don’t care how bad I feel before I get in, I enjoy at least some relief immediately. I think it is the lack of gravity, along with the temperature that gives me a “back to the womb” effect. Some days I soak and stretch for hours! I think you are really going to enjoy that.

I saw the physiatrist yesterday. I'm going to get aquatic PT twice a week (said I can ask for more if I want it) and he'll write me a Rx for regular PT if I want to do that too.

Also got a Rx for an right foot AFO (Ankle Foot Orthotic) that I have to go on tuesday to get measured for...and sacrifice my sneakers to. (oh well, I was going to buy new sneakers in a few months) They're going to have to drill holes in my right sneaker and from what the guy at the orthotic place said, its going to be made out of metal, not plastic. He said that he usually makes them out of plastic because they're lighter, but he said the physiatrist that I'm going to usually wants them out of metal.

I was hoping I could get an appointment today for the AFO but the stupid MS had the bad timing to do this at the end of the year and I'm stuck behind the crowd of everyone trying to get their stuff done before the end of the year.

I got the feeling the physiatrist still thinks that some of my problem is a physical problem from my back (a disc problem) and not an MS problem in the spine. He said no matter what's causing it, he would have Rx the steroids that the neuro gave me, and the PT that he's sending me to. Said that if the PT doesnt help, or if it doesnt clear up on it's own in a few weeks, he's going to do a couple of xrays of my back with me bending in certain directions since nothing but arthritic changes showed on the MRI (said the MRI only shows you in a resting position on your back, so xrays would show things with me standing and my back bent certain ways)

I hijacked my mom's rollator to go to a restaurant the other day, and also used it to go to the physiatrist yesterday. He was really happy to see me using my mom's rollator. Said I'd probably be safer with the rollator and the added benefit that there's a seat for me to sit on with it. I've been to two restaurants now with it, and both places they know me there. I kept getting questions from everyone. ("What happened to you??") After about the 10th person commented, I wanted to smack them with the rollator and wrap the thing around their heads.

Hope my new AFO will help. They said it takes about 3 days to make, so maybe I'll have it by next friday once I get measured on tuesday. Good thing I'm not attached to those sneakers.

This all sounds like good news, Erin. You got the aquatic PT and further investigation of the spine as well as the AFO. I'm glad it went well.

ANN