i called his office prior because my 3T MRI was the most current and then i woudl not need a new one. His office, surprisingly, said no to the 3T MRI. I think whoever I talked to was confused. I had a current MRI using the 3T but there were added frequences for the MRN (neurography) portion. Anyway, I got an updated MRI before I left. The appointment went OK. I felt he was a little "flip" about some things. I would imagine because he deals with this stuff daily. He said I was a candidate for surgery and they would get the paperwork going for that. I was confused on some portions of the questions he asked. He asked if I had upper back aches, neck aches, sore throat, cough, etc. I said no only to call back when I got home and tell him yes, I had all those i guess I was just a little nervous and this was my new normal. His nurse told me that these would not be symptoms from the cysts??? i was shocked and didn't say anything but then why would he ask me if i had those symptoms. I of course, went to the foundation and found that neck pain is a symptom. I am somewhat confused and stressed
the neck pain and pain between my shoulders & into my upper arms is horrible today which is scary because this has escalated quite quickly. Did you have upper body issues?

Glad to hear you are a good candidate. Not everyone is and it can be upsetting to hear that.

Oh, you got an MRN? That's a good diagnostic I hear. Didn't know about them until recently.

What things did you think he was flip on? Ask away...

It is possible he might have asked those questions because some people get spinal cysts in multiple locations along the spine including near the neck. They are also pretty through in their exam, more so then a lot of neurosurgeon's I've seen. If you think it's significant, it might not hurt to fax him a letter with any questions and concerns you have.

To answer your question, I have upper body issues, presumably because I've had some c-spine compression previously observed and RA. I hope I don't end up with cysts in my neck, but will know to keep an eye out. On Reta's (TC Foundation) suggestion, I am planning to go for a genetic screening for connective tissue disease as many people with Tarlov cysts have diseases like Marfan's which predispose them to cyst formation. My hope is that my cysts were caused by the massive pelvic hematoma I had almost four years ago.

How r u doing? I am very thankful to be a candidate for surgery. I talked with my insurance and was surprised when they told me dr. F is in network for me, what a blessing. I talked to his office on Tuesday and relayed this to them knowing that they will not schedule without insurance written preauthorization which I understand. Like everyone, just hoping to get approved and scheduled sooner rather than later. Our daughter fed married the end of October and honestly would like this done before then.
How r people's recovery times? I understand we r all different but just wondering how people felt after the surgery in general.
Maybe I felt he was flip because he deals with this stuff everyday and to me it was so stressful. I'm not usually a nervous person but I was nervous and maybe a little sensitive.
How are things going for you? Are people who've had the surgery glad they had the surgery?

Hi, hope you got the pm I sent you. Recovery times are long and people can vary widely and fluctuate in their recovery. Dr F says up to 1-2 years of recovery on average. It's also vital to be very cautious about increasing activity. Anything that even gives a twing, don't be tempted to do it. I think my first month went uncommonly well because I was crazy careful. I kept my back straight and the weight off the area as much as I could with a mountain of pillows literally like a bridge between my knees and my mid back.

Then some things happened that set me back in recovery. I am only saying the following as a warning. Make sure Dr. Feigenbaum's office follows your pain care. My post op meds got cut off prematurely by a pain doc who had no clue about the surgery, and when some things happened forcing me to move more than I should have, I got worse. That included being tricked into going too far by well meaning but misguided people who thought I needed exercise, despite being clear to them about Dr. Feigenbaum's instructions for no PT and activity increase only as tolerated. Without adequate pain control I cycled into uncontrollable spasms and then my RA decided to act up.

Right now it's gotten a bit rough like it was before surgery with an unrelenting RA flare on top. Have a much better pain doc who is following Dr. Feigenbaum's guidelines, but my RA flare and spasms just won't quit.

I'm still very glad I got the surgery. Before surgery, I was having all sorts of spasms and quickly losing use of my legs. I figure without surgery, the cysts would have led to full leg paralysis before long. As it is, I'm not sure how much I will regain. For over three years, I was told to "wait and see" while things kept getting worse, because part of it was assumed to be from the massive hematoma I had. At least now I know it shouldn't progress more than it was before surgery.

In retrospect, I wish I could have had everything done sooner. C'est last vie.