So I
 

Just got home from a visit with my GP. He has changed my pain meds to 30 mg of Morphine, slow release capsules 2 or 3 a day. He was very sorry that my initial consult with the neuro surgeon went badly so as soon as he gets my MRI results (tomorrow or wed) he will see what it says and on Thursday when I meet with him again he will put in another referral to see a different surgeon to get a second opinion. He is CONVINCED that it's my disc's that are the problem...but that's just his gut feeling.

I was reading about TOS, I do def have some of the symptoms, but I'm not convinced that this is what I have as the x-rays show degenerative changes, also my mom was recently diagnosed with TOS and she feels much different than I. But you never know...I'll definitely look into it, especially if the MRI shows nothing.

Cheers to all:grouphug: have an amazing, pain free night, Cali

Hi cali4nia
 

Your MRI isn't as bad as some, thats for sure. However, there are a number of the verterbre giving some problems. Maybe it can account for the pain you are having in your arms. Unless it says "severe" nerve or cord compression, they usually don't recommend surgery. I agree to look into TOS. Has the doctor brought that issue up at all as a possibility? Don't do any chiropractic things, as you don't want to make it worse OK? Lets see what leesa says too. She is one of the best about the MRI readings. ginnie:hug:

My Dr actually has never mentioned TOS to me b4. And those were my CT results that I posted not my MRI, I will get my MRI results in three days and I for sure will post them. Yea, NO MORE CHIRO for this kid! Doesn't help anyways! Funny how not one of the Dr's has told me to stop!!

I'm kinda' thinking that because my CT results aren't that bad that I am going to have to learn to just live with the pain...which feels impossible and I'm not sure if I am able to do that :( the actual thought of it scares me to death

Strange symptom
 

So last night I woke up at 12:00am and my shoulder blade area was friggin' KILLING ME and my whole left arm was asleep (like when you sit on your foot too long and you get the pins/needles). I laid there for about 15 min and was so bloody uncomfortable that I got up and walked around for a good 30 min, arm still completely asleep! I took some pain meds, which helped with my shoulder pain, but of coarse it did nothing for my sleeping arm. It took about 2 hours for my arm to come back, but this morning it still feels kinda' weird.

What the heck is this all about, I figured if it was just cause I was sleeping on it weird that the pins and needles would have gone away after a few minutes...do you think this is related to what's going on in my neck...why did it do this? This is new .... :confused:

Most drs are not fully knowledgeable on TOS a sit can be very tricky to dx especially of there is c spine issues also.

What type of TOS does your mother have?
usually called ATOS, VTOS NTOS- arterial, venous, or nerve etc?
Does she have an extra cervical rib?
Can also be called disputed TOS usually when sx are less extreme and not a clear effect. Like with a chronic RSI or non image able scenarios.

It can run in families if body type is similar.

Hi cali4nia
 

The CT scan isn't the end all of finding out what is wrong. It is only one diagnostic tool. Your MRI will tell a whole lot more I think. Jo*Mar is right about at least asking your doctor if these symptoms you are having could be anything like TOS. In my case I had many of the same symptoms you are having, and it was definately in my cervial neck area. Very painful....
Are you seeing a neurologist? or a neurosurgeon for the evaluations??
Keep in touch I do care. It is hard to go through all this testing. Hopefully the doctors will be able to find out what is really wrong and give you some kind of hope for relief. Nobody wants to live in that kind of pain if it can be helped. Yeh the chiropracter isn't such a hot idea when the spine has trouble like that. Not unless a neurosurgron clears you to do so. Most general doctors don't say much at all about it. My own doctor (no longer my doctor) suggested Chiro practor before he even did an xray...BAD idea. I wish you all the best. Leesa is great at reading MRI's. I am OK at it, but she is the best. ginnie:hug::grouphug:

Im not sure
 

which my mom was diagnosed with but I will call her and ask tonight!

two more days till MRI results...so excited I could pee...:o

answer: YES... MRI reports are almost always wrong or they left something of.. Here is the deal, you have to go talk to the MRI Dr. that read your MRI in person, he can't/won't write something he "suspects" he can not write what his 20 years of experience tell him.. he has to report facts.. so if you want his 20 years of experience as to why you have a problem... YOU BETTER GO ASK HIM...

and Cali4Nia I have bilateral shoulder pain at night only.. and OMG.. its hurts.. I was told that was facet joint pain by the MRI Dr (again not the Dr. that ordered the MRI.. but the Dr. that reads the MRI that works for the radiology company)

Hi cali4nia
 

:In my case the doctor who did and read the MRI, the radiologist would not give me any verbal communication. Unfortunately my neuro surgeon didn't tell me all of it either.
I would try those routes of course, your doctors arn't the ones I had. However get a copy of the actual MRI, and the NOTES your neurologist will write about the MRI. Notes of that appointment to dicuss it also should be obtained.
I wish I had done this when I had my own experiences with MRI's. If I had I might have saved myself further surgery.
I sure wish you all the best. I just leaned to cover my bases when dealing with physicians. ginnie :hug:

Agreed. I picked up a copy of my mri cd and report the morning I went to see the first neurosurgeon (2 days after the mri). He did not go over what the report said. He just told me that I presented much better than what the mri showed and put me in physical therapy. When I left the appointment, they gave me the cd. A few days later I was looking at the cd and the very last icon was the report itself. It stated that I had cord changes at c5-6 due to severe compression that was suggestive of myelomalacia. Yikes! Scared the daylights out of me. They blew me off when I called the office about it. I think it is very important to know what your mri says.