Should I be as concerned as I fear?
 

Hi everyone. It's great to be here. :)

A bit of history for me is that I had a cervical fusion at c 6-7 due to herniated disc pressing on left nerve (severe foraminal compression), causing not only extreme pain but severe weakness in the triceps. The surgery was a success for the pain...for not quite a year.

I never regained full strength in my triceps but did get alot of the strength back. Less than a year after surgery my left arm began to spasm and twitch periodically. Then one day my arm clawed completely up and was disfigured due to massive spasm. It continues that to this day though I've learned what can bring that about and avoid it at all cost. Along with the arm claw I continued with pain, weakness (though not to the higher degree), twitching, etc. in my left arm, left chest area, wrapping around to left shoulder blade area. There are many other minor things that I'm just not remembering right now, but it's not been a walk in the park.

I had MRI of cervical and lumbar spine 2 years ago due to symptoms and there was alot of them. However, in the cervical spine it stated that I had two minimal indentations on the spinal cord from disc herniations. My doctor referred my back to the neurosurgeon but I didn't go. I know that's horrible but my daughter has been very ill and I had been caring for her and my little grandson. I consciously decided to "not look at it" at the time.

Fast forward to this spring where I still have all the same symptoms mentioned above. I began to develop a limp. I noted that was odd but continued on. The limp has turned into a full blown waddle favoring my left side. The waddle is such that I come down on my heel so hard that my heel hurts so badly almost all the time now. Again, that's been in the last several months.

What really stopped me in my tracks, though, is that I have had four episodes of fecal incontinence in two months. This is the type of incontinence that I had no urge to go, had no idea I'd gone and, further, I had no idea I was "wearing" it until I later went to the restroom to urinate. I would add that it was not a result of diarrhea. That's shocking and very scary. I told my doctor and was immediately issued orders for lumbar and cervical MRI's. He was pretty confident it was my neck he said.

Here is my report:

C2-3: Disc shows no posterior herniation.

C3-4: Shallow posterior mixed spondylotic disc displacement is eccentric right gently deforming right ventral cord near to right C4 nerve root.

C4-5: Righ paracentral disc herniation partially covered by osteophyte gently flattens right ventral cord at level of right C5 nerve root.

C5-6: Shallow posteror eccentric left disc herniation partially ocvered by osteophyte; abuts left ventral cord.

C6-7: Anterior fusion has been performed; with anterior fusion plate and intervertebran body screws in place. Slight posterior spondylotic change encroaches upon left ventral dural sac.

C7-T1: Trace anterolisthesis; listhesed disc eccentric left near to left C8 nerve root.

No intrinsic cervical lesion occurs.

No focal bone lesion to suggest fracture, infectious focus or neoplasm.
Sphenoid sinus is characterized in part per sagittal dataset; mild mucosal thickening is present within.

CONCLUSION:

1. C6-7 anterior fusion with fusion hardware placed.
2. C5-6 posterior left disc herniation partially covered by osteophyte abutting left ventral cord.
3. C4-5 posterior right disc herniation partially covered by osteophyte gently deforming right ventral cord at level of right C5 nerve root.
4. C3-4 posterior right mixed spondylotic disc displacement gently flattening right cord margin.
5. C7-T1 trace anterolisthesis.
6. Sphenoid sinus inflammation characterized in part.

Please just share any information or thoughts you have as I know very little of all of this. From what I've read, I'm looking at surgery again and that my symptoms are worrisome. In what anyone has learned, am I on the right track with that thinking?

Thank you!

forevernana4

PS...lumbar MRI consisted of a bunch of bulges at almost every level but no neural compressions whatsoever. There was alot of facet athropathy and scant fluid indication inflammation as well. That's it, though, for the lumbar.

Thanks again!

I wanted to add that every time I read about newer symptoms it mentions myelopathy. If that's what I have going on I guess I'm at risk for permanent damage and that's why it was suggested to me that I wear a collar to avoid hurting myself irreversibly. I just wish I was seeing my doctor sooner but I'll see him in ten days. I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill, though.

Thanks for taking time to read all if this.

Myelopathy was my first guess, too. It is a very serious condition -please take very good care of yourself until you see the doctor!

I spoke with a neuro online (paid service) and he'd stated myelopathy, that the MRI would explain my symptoms and that I should wear a hard collar until I see doctor.

I knew this stuff but managed to not look at it often. Now, I need to deal I reckon.

Thanks for response and talk soon I hope.

Can anyone else share their thoughts on MRI or their experience?

Thank you much!

I'm usually pretty good at going over the MRI's, but this one is right on the line. Since the spinal cord is involved in a couple of areas, I'm just not sure what a surgeon would do. It doesn't seem to be "impinged" but it's being flattened and/or abutted. Either way it's not good.

Therapy MIGHT help -- I just don't know. But knowing how surgeons work, they would UNDOUBTEDLY recommend surgery just because that's their way. They ALWAYS recommend surgery. :rolleyes: It's up to the patient to decide if surgery should be done or not, and that's not the way it should be. Very rarely to you find a surgeon who will tell you to "go to therapy" and see how that works. Most of the time they will "offer" surgery if it's not an emergency, and let the patient make the decision -- or if it's an emergency, they'll TELL you you HAVE to have it.

I really don't know how to advise you on this one. It's borderline as far as I'm concerned. I hope others chime in with their opinions.

if I were you, I would Private message Dubious and see what he has to say. He's excellent in these areas. Best of luck and God bless. Hugs, Lee ;)

Thank you so much for response and advice on pm.

The one thing that everyone seems to jump on is the incontinence, saying I won't have options on surgery. It's going to be a long week until Dr visit, and even then, he's just going to send me back to neurosurgeon, so I will be lucky to even know much then...lol.

At least I'll know if I should be protecting my neck, take it easier than I am, etc.

Thank you again.

PS...there are more symptoms that I've had for years that I didn't list but figured the post was plenty long enough. Lol

hi=forevernana4

I had c4-c7 fusion in 7-2010 --since i had problems with weakness right arm tremors daily mainly at rest in worse,eye lids shake new symptoms , my major problem is right shoulder pain and sometimes between shoulder blades. New mri this past year indicated a indentement on c5 which was pressing the nerve not closing the neural foreman where the nerve passes thru --my surgeon thinks a revison surgery on a multi level fusion is to great of a risk and may cause bigger problems. I guess surgery wise the fix would be take out the old hardware and dig the hole bigger but not suggested at ths point. Sometime I feel left in the dark as symptoms get stranger and nobody seems to have a fix. Im at a point as if I think I might have another condition yet to be discovered ---so im sorry your suffering like this and I only wish I had a easy answer for you. Best of luck !!!

p.s if u read my post latley I just had left chest pain 2 last week its better but not 100% gone

I understand and I'm sorry you're going through that.

My left arm is just shot...bad twitching, weakness, entire arm spasms that claw it up, pain, the whole nine yards. Then it's shoulder, neck pain, upper back spasms, now left leg and bladder/bowels. I also feel like I've swallowed a cell phone set on vibrate sometimes because my abdomen will vibrate! tingling and be stings anywhere and everywhere. I'm a mess...lol.

I don't regret first surgery though. A body can't survive the pain I was in prior. I couldn't have anyhow. Thank God I don't have pain close to the degree anymore.

(((((((((hugs to you both)))))))))