43 yr old female needing help understanding MRI's
 

I have been suffering from chronic back pain in thoracic and lumbar spine for years. My most severe pain is in lumbar. I cannot walk, drive , ANYTHING. If I attempt to do anything, I have excruciating pain in both buttocks and down legs to my feet. More severe on right side. I experience a feeling of burning, followed by the feeling as if pins and needles are sticking in me everywhere (legs, feet), and eventually numbness. I have been walking and when I go to take step with right leg, it's as if I do not have one and down I go. There are times I have began to urinate with no idea it's happening until I feel it running down my legs. I do not have insurance so have had no means of MRI. I have been in pain management for 5 years due to a MRI I was able to get in 2006, and this was before my pain progressed to this point. I just was able ( thanks to my mom), to have MRI's of lumbar and thoracic spine. I had a team of back/spine neurosurgeons review my MRI's and they diagnosed:
* bulging/herniated discs
* spinal stenosis
* facet disease
I requested a copy of my MRI report and received it today.
In brief, it noted disc protrusion at L2-3 with no central or foraminal narrowing noted. In a couple of remarks about other discs/vertebrae, the notes indicate no canal stenosis seen.
I am confused on how to interpret this. Obviously, in paragraphs identifying the lumbar/disc with no bulging, herniation or stenosis, I get that I do not have stenosis in that particular region. My question is, in paragraphs that do NOT say "no canal stenosis seen", is it suppose to indicate that it's understood that stenosis IS there? Since it states in other descriptions/paragraphs that its NOT seen or noted, is this medical assumption or indication that due to it not stating anything in regards to stenosis, that the spine surgeon would know that it was present or seen? I'm trying to make sense!!
Ok, there are 5 paragraphs with each discussing the 5 lumbar. In those stating there IS NO stenosis, I know that means 'no stenosis', but in those that do NOT say anything about stenosis, does this mean there IS stenosis since they didn't point out 'no stenosis' like they did in other paragraphs?
I'm trying to figure out how the back/spine surgeons diagnosed spinal stenosis!!
And if there is no central or foraminal narrowing, does that mean no stenosis?i have researched and studied MRI images that are normal and those that are not. I have watched videos from spine institutions on how to look at MRI's. I look at my images and they are not normal but this report makes me feel crazy! If its looking normal, why am I in so much pain for sooo long?
SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME CLARIFY! I need to sleep!

Hi Pam ~ I know it's confusing. If it doesn't state that you have it, you DON'T HAVE IT. They just didn't bother to say so. They assume you know that if they don't put down that you DON'T have it, you know that you don't.

Sometimes they'll note that you don't when there IS something wrong with the disc -- and THEN they'll stay there is no RELATED foraminal narrowing or stenosis.

So if you DON'T see something noted, then you DON'T have it. Does that help?

If you have more questions, let me know okay? Big hugs, Lee :)