Remember I had the DEXA scan (osteoporosis scan) and the computer couldn't assess the spine?
I wanted the spinal part of the scan redone, but the GP refused, because she had called the radiologist and he said there was nothing the matter.
Then I had the Heart Stress MRI and the had an accidental finding of a hemagioma. (A cluster of vessels near the spine)
Which should have been called a cavernoma.
I checked the imagery, but couldn't find it.
Blamed myself...
After more than 6 months of shoulder pain I was fed up with it.
As we thought it was coming from the neck, which has a slight deformity, I was referred to the orthopedist for a neck X-ray and a look at the hemangioma.
I got an appointment with the professor. I was amazed, thought it was still according to the old rules.
We were in the waitingroom. A nurse approached us and I was send to radiology for an x-ray.
The woman told it was because of the hemangioma.
She needed 5 takes before she thought it was OK. (5!!)
I was kind of suspicious as she wanted an arm pose which is one to stretch the spine, which was not needed to get a good picture of the hemangioma.
But ..the hemangioma was near or in the spine so...
Took again quite a while in the waitingroom before I was called in by one of my former nurse students, now an exprienced nurse. (So nice to see her!)
The prof was still looking at the x-ray when we entered the room.
I know him from my student years.
"I can't find that hemangioma"...
"Nor could I."
"But I found something else".
I was always told I had scoliosis, but this was not a normal scoliosis.
At the bend it was mess...
No, wonder the computer couldn't deal with it.
We had a short discussion about people telling me to straighten my back, gymnastic teachers trying to get it straight, ballet to firm the muscles.....
The more we talked the more it sounded like congenital scoliosis, which often has such a spot where vertebrae are malformed and cause problems. It is very rare...
But several of my children have scoliosis too...
"I'm going to operate it. Can you have surgery on your belly?"
"Yes, my ankle surgery was on my belly."
"No."
"Oh yes, with a hole in the table and the stickers for the EKG on my back."
I was shocked by what I saw on the x-ray and by the way he immediately assumed I was agreeing with him.
"First an MRI of the complete spine.
If needed: a CT scan.
Then we'll see what we will do."
At home I started thinking:
I have spend 4 months on the couch. I killed the time by working on my 1:24 miniatures. Was a bit useful talking to the veterns.
Right now I can't walk the distances I need to be able to walk to lead a kind of normal life. Spend hours a day keeping my leg high, and still there is a lot of fluid bothering me.
The idea of spending another few months, but flat and doing nothing......
Going through the same,but worse.
Setting back recovery of my ankle and foot...
Can't be in the livingroom, not even in an extra bed...
Can't be in my own bed... as I need to use a few steps to get in.
So that would mean a revalidation center..
I can't afford that!!
And then I turned the whole situation....
A large percetage of that kind of spine surgery goes wrong and that would mean: a wheelchair.
I have been living all my life with that mess of a spine: so if this wasn't found I would have walked around with it for many more years... and then maybe landed in a wheelchair.
So let the prof assess the issue, then I'll make a decision. It's my choice.
It was also interesting he said the GP asked his opinion. Which I had to put in motion with quite some pressure..
but also one of the specialists asked his opinion... I assume the cardiologist, as the prof talked about the heart MRI.
Hmmmmm....
When I woke up this morning I was still flabbergasted.
I had been walking around with "that"... complaining about my back and none took it serious.
I always had problems lifting things... right. Couldn't use a backpack in a normal way. Which now can be fully explained.
And my shoulder pain? Overcompensation...
The secretary of the physiotherapist called... If I could fill up a gap 1,5 hours later. (We agreed yesterday she could call.)
So I had lunch and got ready.
At the physio I walked 3 minutes, got my foot taped, the muscles treated and had to try walking on the foam mat. That turned out to be more difficult than expected. The muscles in my foot can't do the balancing act yet.
Had a talk with the physio about yesterday..
She also thought the shoulder is overcompensation and she agreed with the way I was thinking about going on with my life until things crash...
I had been walking around with "that"... complaining about my back and none took it serious.
I always had problems lifting things... right. Couldn't use a backpack in a normal way. Which now can be fully explained.
And my shoulder pain? Overcompensation...
The secretary of the physiotherapist called... If I could fill up a gap 1,5 hours later. (We agreed yesterday she could call.)
So I had lunch and got ready.
At the physio I walked 3 minutes, got my foot taped, the muscles treated and had to try walking on the foam mat. That turned out to be more difficult than expected. The muscles in my foot can't do the balancing act yet.
Had a talk with the physio about yesterday..
She also thought the shoulder is overcompensation and she agreed with the way I was thinking about going on with my life until things crash...
My daughter saw one of the men who have to put the new windows in.
Turned out they won't replace the front windows. I expected that as they are window systems and not a simple windowsil with window.
And they need to come inside the house to measure up things.
This cause a lot of stress.
The room is a complete mess as I had to put many things aside to clean the window and free up some space. We went over the bed...
But the walking path isn't free. We piled up things there as I wasn't sleeping there at the moment and we needed the space to free up other parts of the house, to be ableto work there: painting and such.
To free up that space all on my own... I just can't do it.
His boss reassured me last week that they didn't need to be inside...
Before my daughter came home with this I had confirmed an appointment for next tuesday.
So I withdrew it.
Turned out they won't replace the front windows. I expected that as they are window systems and not a simple windowsil with window.
And they need to come inside the house to measure up things.
This cause a lot of stress.
The room is a complete mess as I had to put many things aside to clean the window and free up some space. We went over the bed...
But the walking path isn't free. We piled up things there as I wasn't sleeping there at the moment and we needed the space to free up other parts of the house, to be ableto work there: painting and such.
To free up that space all on my own... I just can't do it.
His boss reassured me last week that they didn't need to be inside...
Before my daughter came home with this I had confirmed an appointment for next tuesday.
So I withdrew it.
And this all on top of my daughter getting a new artificial feeding tube.
She has one through the nose now.
But as they haven't found a reason why her body doesn't take up nurishment in the normal way, they are going to make an entrance for the tube through the abdominal wall right into the stomach.
She has one through the nose now.
But as they haven't found a reason why her body doesn't take up nurishment in the normal way, they are going to make an entrance for the tube through the abdominal wall right into the stomach.
A sunday.
Someone wants to speed things up!!
In the afternoon the water pressure gave way.
Turned out this was due to a sinkhole nearby !!
There has never been a sinkhole in this area!
A car drove into it and hit the waterpipe.
The whole street was flooded!!
I was just in time to get the last clean water out of the tap.
2 bottles and my daughter filled a cookingpot. Afterwards I was happy I had that idea.
So we weren't bothered all too much by it.
Turned out this was due to a sinkhole nearby !!
There has never been a sinkhole in this area!
A car drove into it and hit the waterpipe.
The whole street was flooded!!
I was just in time to get the last clean water out of the tap.
2 bottles and my daughter filled a cookingpot. Afterwards I was happy I had that idea.
So we weren't bothered all too much by it.
One way or another this all feels like a badly written third class TV series that no one watches.
To me it feels like a full bookcase with crap lands on me almost every day...
To me it feels like a full bookcase with crap lands on me almost every day...
OH Syl, I am so sorry for all of this that is happening to you at once it seems. I just can't imagine it all. But I am glad they finally diagnosed your back problem and now it is up to you whether or not to have surgery. Is this in any way affecting the sciatic nerve or other nerves to your lower body/legs? Just wondering. I have had a spinal fusion of the L5/S1 vertebra due to a genetic condition known as isthmic spondylolisthesis (not sure if I spelled it right). It was affecting the nerves to my legs and I lost all feeling in my legs, so surgery was a necessity. Thank God, it took care of the problem and I can walk just fine. I have also had surgery to fuse cervical discs in my neck, and they were causing spasms/weakness, etc. in my upper back and arm. Thankfully that surgery fixed that. I guess you have to look at the bigger picture of the what if's and decide if it is something you will need to do later if you put it off now. But I totally understand why you don't want to be laid up again for any length of time. I am praying for you as you make these decisions.
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