Hi all. Several things I needed help on.

First of all I went for the "trial" Intrathecal Pain Pump a few weeks ago. It was a combination of Dilaudid and Bupivacaine. It worked wonders. The catheter was placed at T10 and was to help my mid back/lumbar. So we are onto the permanent implant on 1/11/13.

Now here is what I really need help on. My pain doctor also requested an MRI of the cervical and thoracic region. Here is the report.

It is a long post so please bear with me:

FINDINGS:
There are postoperative degenerative changes status post cervical fusion from C3-C5 as well as posterior cervicothoracic fusion with stabilizing rods and bilateral anchoring screws at C4, C5 & C6. Posterior elemembs have been resected from C3-C7. There is no acute compression fracture. Vertebral alignment is normal. There is an accentuated focal cervicothoracic kyphosis at the cervicothoracic juntion. There is sever disc space loss at C6-7. C2-3 and C7-T1 disc spaces are normal. Remaining levels are fused.
There are stable focal abnormal intreased T2 signal seen within the cervical cord at the C5 vertebral leve and also at the C6 and C7 vertebral level where there is corresponding focal cord atrophy. Findings likely reflect cord myelomalacia.
Findings at the individual disc levels limited due to susceptibility artifact from the fusion hardware.
C2-3: There is no significant disc abnormality neural foraminal narrowing or central canal stenosis identified.
C3-4 No disc abnormality post fusion. Bilateral uncovertebral joint spurring with mild foraminal narrowing on the right. No central cord stenosis.
C4-5 No disc abnormality post fusion. Bilateral uncovertebral joint spuring with mild foraminal narrowing. No central canal stenosis.
C5-6 No central canal or foraminal stenosis
C6-7 No central canal stenosis on the sagitall images. Evaluation nondiagnostic on the axial images due to susceptibility artifact
C7-T1 no central canal or foraminal stenosis. No disc abnormality

CONCLUSION: Stable exam with postoperative changes as detailed above. No central or foraminal stenosis. Stable cervical cord myelomalacia

THORACID MRI:

FINDINGS: bilateral stabilizing rods extend to the level of T5. The vertebral bodeis are normally aligned. The vertebral body heights are presevered. There is a T1/T2 bright hemangioma in the T11 vetrebral body. Focal dark signal is seen along the left anterior aspect superior endplat on T9 on T1 and T2 imaging with no corresponding signal alteration on the T2 fat saturation sequence. Similar appearing subtle sclerosis is seen in this region on prior CT from 11/4/2010. The visualized spinal cord is normal in signal.

Evaluation limited due to susceptibility artifact particularly at the T2-T3 and T4-5 levels.
There is a small right paracentral disc protrusion at T5-6 and a small central protrusion at T6-7 T7-8. MKinor disc bulging at T8-9 to T12-L1. No central canal or foraminal stenosis. No thoracic cord compression
The visualoized paravertebral soft tissue are unremarkable. There is a 1 cm cyst versus nodule in the right thyroid lobe.

IMPRESSION:
Postoperative changes in the upper thoracic spine. Small disc protrusions and disc bulging at multiple levels. No central or foraminal stenosis. No thoracic cord compression

Here are my symptoms. I have moderate to severe neck pain. Radiating pain bilateral to both shoulders, the left seems to be the worse. There is weakness in both upper extremeties. Tingling feeling at times in my fingers. Difficult at times carrying things due to weakness in my arms.
At times I feel like my spine is being crushed. It feels like my spine has been put into a vice and someone is turning the vice tighter and tighter.
I do have lumbar issues. I have peripheral neuropathy of both legs. Numbess in both legs, the left worse then the right. A burning sensation at times. Pins and needles feeling. At nighttime my legs really bother me especially at bed time.
An EMG did show severe nerve damage in the cervical and lumbar region, severe arthrititis an peripheral neuropathy probably both spinal and dieabetic in nature.

I am concerned about the loss of disc height/severe at C6-7.
My neurosurgeon who I have been seing for 7 years or so is afraid to cervical surgery on me because I am in kidney failure and diabetic. Plus he felt that in order to even get to the cervical area it would require going thru the sternum and he felt that would be a nightmare of a surgery.

So where do I turn? Any opinions on the mylomalcia; the focal cord atrophy, the loss of disc height and foraminal narrowing while it says it is minor I seem to have major issues on dealing with the pain etc.
Any opinons would be appreciated. Thank you