Another Doctor Visit
@nanette64 (20363)
Fairfield, Texas
February 12, 2016 10:08am CST
With my bad spinal injuries, I've gotten used to the #15 on the pain scale but Monday afternoon I felt a sharp pressure just off to the right of the spine in the Lumbar region and was concerned that one of the vertebrae had slid further to the right and was pressing on my kidney.
The feeling was still there all day on Tuesday, so I called the doc and got an appointment yesterday. When he went to thump my knees and ankles with his little hammer, he said, "Diminished capacity."
He did an x-ray and said there was a huge calcium build-up on the 'inside' of the vertebrae and said, "I have NEVER seen this before." I'm scheduled for an MRI on the 18th. I hate MRI's because it feels like someone is pressing a pillow over your face, but it's been 3 years since I had the last one and knowing how bad the spine was then, I can only imagine how it looks now.
After my last Bone Density test and the doctor telling me that the only thing holding me up were the muscles that run down both sides of the spine, I don't want to think about what's happening now.
7 people like this
8 responses
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
12 Feb 16
I've got some hydrocodone pills @LadyDuck but it's rare when I take one. I usually curl up in a tight fetal position to help relieve the pain. Plus, there's the occasional baby aspirin. Considering my pain, it would be very easy to get 'hooked' on the pain pills. #1, that's not good and #2, for my condition, if I were to alleviate a lot of the pain, then I would feel a whole lot better and then I would make bad, physical decisions: ie; lift something I shouldn't, reach for something I wouldn't normally reach for, walk faster, etc, which would wind up hurting me worse physically than I already am.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502466)
• Italy
13 Feb 16
@nanette64 I fully agree about not abusing of pills and I know what you mean saying that if you feel better you do something bad. I take a pain killer because my knee hurt and then I walked too long and too fast all the day, the remedy was worse than the pain.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
13 Feb 16
@LadyDuck Exactly, that's why I have to be very careful.
1 person likes this
@Blondie2222 (28610)
• United States
15 Feb 16
I'm so sorry to hear about this. Back pain is always the worse thing to have. I suffer back pain alot because of my Scoliosis but nothing compared to what you have. I hope they can do something to make you comfortable atleast and they figure out how to make you heal quickly. Good luck i had an MRI in December and it wasn't too bad.
1 person likes this
@Blondie2222 (28610)
• United States
16 Feb 16
@nanette64 oh wow so sorry to hear that. Atleast your still moving around and able to deal with things even being in such pain.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
16 Feb 16
@Blondie2222 I have what my dad used to call "intestinal fortitude". Guts!!
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
15 Feb 16
Scoliosis is a tough road too @Blondie2222 . Let's see; I've got Spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, osteoporosis and other fun things. We don't realize just how important our spine is in our activities.
@allknowing (153530)
• India
13 Feb 16
Was it an accident that hurt your spine? That calcium build up is a disturbing factor too. We take calcium thinking it is good for the bones but it does not get absorbed unless we take in vitamin D which is available by exposing ourselves to the sun and there are supplements too.
Do stay positive and that will help you tide over. .
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
13 Feb 16
It was 17 1/2 years of physical abuse by my husband that caused the problem @allknowing . You'd think I'd get my Vitamin D from all the outside work I do. I try to stay positive because I don't want to be in a wheelchair.
@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
12 Feb 16
@nanette64 My challenges seem minor compared to all that. I truly hope you are soon on the road to recovery.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
12 Feb 16
In 2007 when I got out of bed and collapsed on the floor, I went to the ER. They sent me to a Laser Surgery Specialist. He said, "We'll have to cut you from the belly button to your pelvis; reach in and push your Lumbar backwards. Then we'll cut you in the Thoracic region and push that forwards. For your Cervical, we'll have to attach a cage to your skull. You will have to wear a steel body vest and the cage for 1 YEAR." I said, "What happened to Laser Surgery?" He said, "You're too far gone for that." So you can imagine in the 9 years since then, how bad it is.
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
13 Feb 16
Thank you Sugar Bear. Me too @jaboUK .
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238306)
• Walnut Creek, California
12 Feb 16
Sounds like you need to keep those muscles strong, if they're what's keeping you up. But how can the reduce a calcium deposit inside the spine without "going in"? Are there untrasound or other technologies available? I'll be thinking of you.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
13 Feb 16
The Bone Density guy said keeping those muscles strong was top priority, otherwise, they would get tired and collapse from supporting the entire upper body weight. As it is, I'm stooping forward. I still lift 70 lb bales of hay & 50 lb bags of feed. I don't know what they can do about the calcium deposit. I know there's a technique for blasting kidney stones into oblivion without 'going in', so I'll have to ask. Thank you @TheHorse .
@hostessman (11871)
• Tucson, Arizona
12 Feb 16
sorry to hear about your problems.. You take care of yourself. Let us know what happens
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
12 Feb 16
The saddest part @hostessman was being with the guy that caused the injuries to begin with. When he tore both my rotator cuffs at the same time and had his knee in the center of my spine, I asked him, "Are you trying to put me in a wheelchair?" He said, "Don't be stupid." My future and that 4-wheeler may make that question come to pass; sooner or later. I'm a fighter, so we'll see. It won't be until the 19th when I report the findings.
@Marilynda1225 (91086)
• United States
12 Feb 16
Certainly hoping all goes well for you
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
12 Feb 16
Thank you @marilynda1225 , I do too. Otherwise the outcome could be very bad.
