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Thursday, February 25, 2010

MRI results

The results are in from 2 of my 3 MRI - head and lumbar. 

HEAD - According to the radiologist the herniation of my cerebellar tonsils has minimally improved ?? How it has improved I have no idea!  Apparently it is 7.6mm and was 8mm. It all depends on who is reading the images. There is no hydrocephalus - yeah!! And they presume my arachnoid cyst is stable. Huh? You didn't look at it?  

LUMBAR - No visible abnormalities of the cord or conus. Good news!! There is minor disc space desiccation with an annular tear noted at L5/S1.  Basically my back is aging normally according to what I've read.

My family dr. did not explain any of the results to me because he only ordered the MRIs because I requested them as recommended by Dr. Heffez.  I'm sending both the reports and images to Dr. Gentili. Once I get the C-spine results I will also forward that report. Thank heavens for Wikipedia I was able to look up all of the vocabulary to understand what I was given.

So that is good news.  I don't have anything going on than was already known.  Just need the C-spine results to know for sure.

My dr. also prescribed me some Toradol.  Thank heavens.  Trying to manage headaches without any pain management has gotten old very quickly.  I had another headache Tuesday night through this morning.  I did have some Tramacet left from the sample the dr. gave me a while back.  I took it so I could get through last night and to the dr. today.  But it only helped for about 2 hours, made my legs and arms numb and I felt like crap.  And I had to take gravol (dramamine for my US friends) 4 times!  I left work early yesterday but I made it through today.  I started to feel better around 11.  Everyone cross you fingers that this half-decent feeling lasts through the weekend for a change.

1 comment:

  1. I certainly do hope you have a good week-end.

    I have read that the herniation varies depending on the radiologist who reads it, so it's anybody's guess what your hernation actually is. Lovely, right? So, it probably hasn't changed in any way. Just my guess. I have a 6, which my neuro (she's no expert, by any means) says does not warrant surgery and "no surgeon will touch me unless it's greater than 10." Yeah, right.

    Anyhow, it's worth saying again that I hope you have a pain-free week-end. =)

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