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!