[blutopaz]

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving!!! There are so many threads, but of course, I can't find one that addresses my symptoms, specifically. Please forgive me if this turns out to be redundant of other posts/threads. Sorry. I can tell you it's going to be very long. I have to explain a lot.

I'm just grabbing for straws at this point. 60 y/o female presenting here with all kinds of problems and new ones occurring from time to time. I'm under the care of a neurosurgeon. Have been for about 5-6 years now. Maybe even a little longer. It all started when I went to a hand specialist because my hands were hurting a lot (I do a lot keyboarding at work) and my wrists were bothering me. The hand specialist did a brief exam and then sent me to a neurosurgeon for evaluation. The NS did xrays and there was also some nerve testing done. It was determined that I have degenerative disk disease, spinal cord compression in the cervical spine, my head sits too far forward. According to what I've read and what my doctor says, the ears should line up directly above the shoulders. Mine don't. And, the final issue we're aware of is that my neck doesn't "bend", but it's like it's in 2 separate sections and the top section slides across the lower section when I bend or turn my head. (Make a fist with each of your hands. Stack them, thumbs on top, pinkies on bottom. Now tilt your top hand over to one side. This is how a normal, healthy neck works. Now, re-stack your fists and slide the top fist laterally away from the bottom fist. This is how an abnormal, unhealthy neck works. This is my neck. Hope you understand what I've just tried to explain. This is how the doctor explained it to me in his office, but we were in the same room together and I could see what he was showing me with the example of his fists.)

So, this diagnosis was given around 2007. Fast forward to 2011 at which point I developed severe pain in the bend of my right arm and severe fatigue in my muscles, especially in my arms and shoulders. Went back to the NS and he finally determined the pain in my arm to be tendinitis for which I got relief by going for PT for several weeks, then for massage therapy continuing the exercises I had learned in PT, and icing the area as much as possible. My arm is almost normal now. I only have flare ups of my tendinitis occasionally now.

I do still, however, have the severe fatigue in my arms, neck and shoulders. I am so thankful that, for the most part, I am not in pain. However, this fatigue and exhaustion is making it hard for me to do things -- anything. By the time I'm half way through getting ready to go to work, I'm ready to fall back in the bed. When I wake up in the mornings, I'm just as tired as when I went to bed and I'm actually sleeping much longer at night than I ever have because I am just so tired.

In August of this year the surgeon just began talking surgery. I had new symptoms developing which include not being able to button shirts, write for very long, chop foods, stir foods, anything where my hands need to be in front of me and working, I'm beginning to be clumsy when I walk, legs are feeling somewhat weak. I can tell that the symptoms are getting worse and I have some more problems on top of the original ones, now. I've had 2 or 3 really bad headaches in the past 2-3 months and I just ordinarily don't have headaches. I've also noticed I can't remember things as well as I once could and sometimes I'm very foggy. Sometimes that fogginess makes me feel like I'm in a bubble, in other words, nothing that's going on around me is effecting me, nor do I even realize what's going on around me.

I think it's the overall total exhaustion that is really bothering me the most, though. And, of course, the surgery is scaring me to death! But, it's like I really have no choice. A hard fall, or maybe not so hard, and auto accident, I could easily be paralyzed. It's to the point I don't feel like going grocery shopping. I don't feel like going to buy clothes and man I really need to go do that! I just don't feel like getting out of the house for anything, and especially not work. I seldom, if ever, feel like cleaning, cooking, doing laundry or anything. It's even a challenge just to sit here and think about this enough to type it up.

Any ideas? Suggestions as to what else this might be. I just have the hardest time believing all of this is coming from the spinal cord compression. The doctor isn't sure surgery is going to correct this fatigue issue even though he thinks the spinal cord compression is probably causing most of it.

** I'm not really sure how much severe stress could be contributing to this, but from July - Sept, 2012, my oldest son was hospitalized with a non-curable disease. And, starting less than a month after he was released from the hospital we had 4 deaths in our family from Oct 25 - Dec 7, which included my uncle, my only sibling/brother, my husband's father, and finally my mother. My dad passed away less than 5 years ago. And, just one last note that probably has some bearing on the muscle tiredness; I took Crestor from about May 2011 - November 2011. I finally stopped that when I read all the horror stories other's shared about the drug.

I realize this could be more than one issue. Thanks so much for your patience and any ideas you may be able to share with me. ~ Blutopaz.....

I wish I knew what the post a poll option below is. Have no clue what that is for! LOL

[Hopeless]

Originally Posted by blutopaz

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving!!! There are so many threads, but of course, I can't find one that addresses my symptoms, specifically. Please forgive me if this turns out to be redundant of other posts/threads. Sorry. I can tell you it's going to be very long. I have to explain a lot.

I'm just grabbing for straws at this point. 60 y/o female presenting here with all kinds of problems and new ones occurring from time to time. I'm under the care of a neurosurgeon. Have been for about 5-6 years now. Maybe even a little longer. It all started when I went to a hand specialist because my hands were hurting a lot (I do a lot keyboarding at work) and my wrists were bothering me. The hand specialist did a brief exam and then sent me to a neurosurgeon for evaluation. The NS did xrays and there was also some nerve testing done. It was determined that I have degenerative disk disease, spinal cord compression in the cervical spine, my head sits too far forward. According to what I've read and what my doctor says, the ears should line up directly above the shoulders. Mine don't. And, the final issue we're aware of is that my neck doesn't "bend", but it's like it's in 2 separate sections and the top section slides across the lower section when I bend or turn my head. (Make a fist with each of your hands. Stack them, thumbs on top, pinkies on bottom. Now tilt your top hand over to one side. This is how a normal, healthy neck works. Now, re-stack your fists and slide the top fist laterally away from the bottom fist. This is how an abnormal, unhealthy neck works. This is my neck. Hope you understand what I've just tried to explain. This is how the doctor explained it to me in his office, but we were in the same room together and I could see what he was showing me with the example of his fists.)

So, this diagnosis was given around 2007. Fast forward to 2011 at which point I developed severe pain in the bend of my right arm and severe fatigue in my muscles, especially in my arms and shoulders. Went back to the NS and he finally determined the pain in my arm to be tendinitis for which I got relief by going for PT for several weeks, then for massage therapy continuing the exercises I had learned in PT, and icing the area as much as possible. My arm is almost normal now. I only have flare ups of my tendinitis occasionally now.

I do still, however, have the severe fatigue in my arms, neck and shoulders. I am so thankful that, for the most part, I am not in pain. However, this fatigue and exhaustion is making it hard for me to do things -- anything. By the time I'm half way through getting ready to go to work, I'm ready to fall back in the bed. When I wake up in the mornings, I'm just as tired as when I went to bed and I'm actually sleeping much longer at night than I ever have because I am just so tired.

In August of this year the surgeon just began talking surgery. I had new symptoms developing which include not being able to button shirts, write for very long, chop foods, stir foods, anything where my hands need to be in front of me and working, I'm beginning to be clumsy when I walk, legs are feeling somewhat weak. I can tell that the symptoms are getting worse and I have some more problems on top of the original ones, now. I've had 2 or 3 really bad headaches in the past 2-3 months and I just ordinarily don't have headaches. I've also noticed I can't remember things as well as I once could and sometimes I'm very foggy. Sometimes that fogginess makes me feel like I'm in a bubble, in other words, nothing that's going on around me is effecting me, nor do I even realize what's going on around me.

I think it's the overall total exhaustion that is really bothering me the most, though. And, of course, the surgery is scaring me to death! But, it's like I really have no choice. A hard fall, or maybe not so hard, and auto accident, I could easily be paralyzed. It's to the point I don't feel like going grocery shopping. I don't feel like going to buy clothes and man I really need to go do that! I just don't feel like getting out of the house for anything, and especially not work. I seldom, if ever, feel like cleaning, cooking, doing laundry or anything. It's even a challenge just to sit here and think about this enough to type it up.

Any ideas? Suggestions as to what else this might be. I just have the hardest time believing all of this is coming from the spinal cord compression. The doctor isn't sure surgery is going to correct this fatigue issue even though he thinks the spinal cord compression is probably causing most of it.

** I'm not really sure how much severe stress could be contributing to this, but from July - Sept, 2012, my oldest son was hospitalized with a non-curable disease. And, starting less than a month after he was released from the hospital we had 4 deaths in our family from Oct 25 - Dec 7, which included my uncle, my only sibling/brother, my husband's father, and finally my mother. My dad passed away less than 5 years ago. And, just one last note that probably has some bearing on the muscle tiredness; I took Crestor from about May 2011 - November 2011. I finally stopped that when I read all the horror stories other's shared about the drug.

I realize this could be more than one issue. Thanks so much for your patience and any ideas you may be able to share with me. ~ Blutopaz.....

I wish I knew what the post a poll option below is. Have no clue what that is for! LOL

Dear Blutopaz,

I can relate to your extreme fatigue as I suffer from it too. I have no answer for myself and unfortunately can offer no help on that matter. My doctors have told me that several of my medical conditions can cause fatigue, my medications may be contributing, they just do not give me any definitive answers. Everything is an extreme effort, even the simplest of things. Sleep does not provide any increase in energy levels. I can not make it through a day without several naps. I am totally exhausted just taking a shower and washing my hair.

I have spinal issues in my thoracic region but no one has ever suggested that having any relationship to my extreme fatigue. Surgery was suggested by one physician fearing that paralysis could happen but another doctor did not feel that surgery was imminately warranted.

I wish I had some suggestions or answers for you but I am in a similar boat. Maybe someone will have some insight for you. Wishing you the best.
Keep us posted on how things progress. We are here for you. I can only offer an ear but sometimes just having someone listen and understand will provide a tiny bit of comfort.

[Jomar]

Do you have your written MRI report?
That will describe better for us in medical terms what was found and if mild, moderate/severe etc.

Some of what you describe related to your job and arm/hand /neck pain could be related to Thoracic outlet syndrome -TOS for short..
The extreme fatigue could be fibromyalgia? If other symptoms fit.

But if you can post the MRI report findings, that will give us a better idea of things.

What kind of surgery was the doctor talking about?

[blutopaz]

Originally Posted by Jo*mar

Do you have your written MRI report?
That will describe better for us in medical terms what was found and if mild, moderate/severe etc.

Some of what you describe related to your job and arm/hand /neck pain could be related to Thoracic outlet syndrome -TOS for short..
The extreme fatigue could be fibromyalgia? If other symptoms fit.

But if you can post the MRI report findings, that will give us a better idea of things.

What kind of surgery was the doctor talking about?

Geez! I can't even think well enough to figure out how to reply to you. Hopefully this will work, though. I don't believe I have my MRI report, but I'm going to the NS again on Tuesday and I'll ask for a copy of it and I had a CScan a couple weeks ago. I need to get that report also. The surgery he's suggesting is fusion of C3 (I believe it was 3) through C6. It may be C4-C6. That should stabilize things and help protect my spinal cord from injury. Thank you for following up on my post with me, Jo*mar. Of course, I guess you know, that was my first post and this is my first reply. Oh, by the way, what is the "poll" option when posting a new thread?

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by blutopaz

Oh, by the way, what is the "poll" option when posting a new thread?

Creating and Participating in Polls

It might be helpful to begin by checking out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

Doc

[Jomar]

A site wide search on "fusion" might bring up many helpful posts for you- search link in my signature area (bottom section of posts).


Second opinions before any major procedure is always a good idea..

[heatherg23]

HI,
What about chronic fatigue syndrome. I had the fatigue you talk about. I couldn't brush my hair cause I would have to lift my arms up. Even turning the steering wheel was hard. I could collapse on my bed and not want to move. I almost felt like I weighed an extra 100 pds. All of a sudden one day it went away. It was one of the worst and strangest feelings. I'm pretty sure that surgery doesn't have any effect on tired muscles. It's more for pinched nerves. My neck is completely arthritic and has been since 2003 when I was 27. I was told I had the neck of a 65 year old. I had an anterior fusion.

Different pains can come from different nerves. If there is a specific pinched nerve (that u have) look that one up on the net and see what part of your body it effects. That can tell you which symptoms belong to that "problem". See if surgery is worth it. I would investigate that before surgery though. That way you can move on to other symptoms and try to help them. I have so any pain conditions I'm used to organizing symptoms.

almost forgot....You could have carpel tunnel. I've had severe carpal tunnel a while ago...but if I'm at home typing my hand,wrist and arm hurt. If it hurts ONLY when your typing and using your hand then I would go towards Carpal Tunnel. If you have pain WITHOUT doing any of that then I would think it's nerve compression.

Good luck to you!
Hope u feel better soon!
Heather