When "Radiology Reports" come in and say you had a "prior" laminectomy BUT you NEVER had LUMBAR Surgery~ - Really???

I have a VERY ODD Question for everyone.... Have you ever heard of someone having a test done on their lumbar spine, for instance as I did last Friday, AN when the Radiologist read and typed his his report, he says several times there appears to be "such and such" from a "PREVIOUS" laminectomy????? I have NEVER HAD LUMBAR spine surgery... NONE! So, was he SEEING something that could be "further damage" I have, that for some reason made him think I have had a laminectomy before? I've tried to think of a way to "google" the question, and just can't get it worded where I can find out why this might be. So, if anyone has ever heard of this. or knows anything about it, feel free to post. I GOT my reports from the discogram done on Friday. My Orthopedic surgeon has NOT gotten back to me, but the reports were already up on my personal "patient portal" this morning. So, I could sign in, see and print them. So, I already know what the tests say, but this business about him saying something several times about a "prior" laminectomy has thrown me for a loop....   ( can also be spelled laminotomy)  and can mean "partially removed" or "fully removed" depending on which was done... YET NEVER HAD I HAD THIS DONE???


More later.... but if anyone has an answer... or how to look this up so I can get an answer... feel free to post, post on my Facebook page, or send me an email... I am so curious as to "why" it "appears" I've had an operation on my "lumbar spine" when I never have....

I went ALL WEEK LONG, well since Monday KNOWING that my Orthopedic surgeon HAD the "discogram" results. I had "pulled" them myself on Monday afternoon, from my "patient portal" and printed both the discogram and the CT afterwards so I could read more about them.

FINALLY yesterday   REALLY??? I get a call from his office! (About time Huh)? So, of course he wants to "go over" the results with me... I can fairly well guess what that will entail. If what I am reading is how I interpret it, I am sure I will be going through at least a "1 LEVEL" "fix" between my L-5 and S-1 discs... so that maybe actually "2" not sure how they were looking at it.

Well, so happens Mom has an her appointment with Him next week also! So, I asked if there was anyway, they could fit me in either before or after her.... well some times things actually DO work out! Unless something changes he can see me right after seeing my Mom, on that same afternoon..... YES!!!!!!!! What a thrill... not of course getting to the results, for either of us, but at least NOT MAKING 2 TRIPS to thSAME DOCTOR in DALLAS in the same week!

I am still quite in a quandry about this "prior" lamenectomy thing. My suspicions are either since I had the CT back in early May, I believe, due to the osteoporosis, "something broke off" thus creating it to appear I had a "prior" removal of that part in my lumbar spine.... either than or the guy is a total nut!! Which also could be true!!! I'll keep you posted here and on FB... I appreciate as always the kindness I receive from so many of you.....

Fingers crossed that IF I DO have to have SURGERY, it will be more of a "micro" thing, without a huge ordeal of very invasive operating.... but time will tell......

More Great News from the AF and FDA - truly making headway!

 

Awesome News Once again from The Arthritis Foundation along with the FDA!

 

 

http://blog.arthritis.org/news/fda-osteoarthritis/

Ankylosing Spondylitis, Spondyloarthritis, Axial Spondylitis, AI, Hip,Lumbar/Sacral Spine Pain, Surgery, and Tests, Discogram

This comes at an EXTREMELY important time in my life as of now. I saw on my orders last week for the "discogram" that "Spondy" was also what my Orthopedic Surgeon felt was a part of my issue. I already have severe osteoporosis, which shows in my lumbar spine, my hips (both), and then in my "femoral" portion of my leg. 

Honestly, I didn't know a great deal about Spondylitis, Spondyloarthritis, or even Ankylosing Spondylitis, until lately. Of course I knew it is an autoimmune disease, and knew some things about it, yet, not until I began to have the very severe problems with both hips, especially the horrid pain, I can't sit for long, or walk for long... many things do really make the pain much worse. 

Then I began to look a bit into it, and mentioned it to my Orthopedic Surgeon. 



This in red represents my own DEXA scan (a 2nd one) and the results of what is shown to be severe osteoporosis.

DEXA Scan Results for myself in 2013

Summary :
 
Osteoporosis in the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip. The
bone density at the spine was overestimated due to degenerative
changes, as suggested by the significant discordance in the
density of the individual vertebrae.
Area BMC BMD T T% Z Z%
L2-L4 43.92 33.73 0.768 -2.8 71 -1.8 79
Total Hip 34.44 21.84 0.634 -2.5 67 -1.9 73
Femoral Neck 5.34 3.06 0.573 -2.5 67 -1.5 77
Comments:
DXA of the lumbar spine (L2-L4) reveals a bone density of 0.768
g/cm2. This value is 2.8 standard deviations below the mean for
young adults, and represents 79% of the mean density for
patient's age. Femoral neck bone density is 0.573 g/cm2. This
value is 2.5 standard deviations below the mean for young adults.
Total hip density is 0.634 g/cm2, a value that represents 2.5
standard deviations below the mean for young adults. Hip density
represents 73% of the expected density for patient's age.
___________________________________________________________________________________

These numbers show my hips, lumbar spine as talked about and femoral neck bone all show severe osteoporosis. Thus this could be also associated with spondyloarthritis, axial, and so on... As horrible is it is to know I am "shrinking, now by almost 3 inches in the past about 5 or 6 years... and knowing a fall, or sometimes with severe forms of this, you can actually do nothing but walk across a room and a hip break, or the compression fractures are usually a huge concern, which is one reason they are considered about anyone "shrinking" We all do to a certain extent as we age, but this is different for sure. I was happy to see this article and wanted to share it with all of you. 

 http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/BackPain/52341?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-06-29&eun=g773630d0r

CURE CLICK - "Clinical Trials" can be "simpler" - Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Severe & Mild Asthma, Prostate Cancer - more to follow

 

 

 

Check out the complete catalog of clinical trials available on TrialReach

 

 

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NEVER HAVE A DISCOGRAM if you can AVOID IT!!!

Gosh, talk about the test from HELL!!!!!

I am home now though... and through... just HOPING they FIND the problem... I know I just cannot fathom NOT finding something... so I shall see... they did 4 levels...


and those needles DO NOT FEEL good and when they put pressure in them with the dye that is even worse.... anyway... awaiting the results and I hope that is early next week... I HATE having to wait for test results...

by the way NO SEDATION, NO PAIN MEDS nothing... I knew they needed you Lucid enough to be able to tell them about the pain no pain where and so on... but usually they at least give you a mild sedative to help you relax.... long story... I shall tell more later... I am off the to sofa the rest of today, and maybe a bit tomorrow...


oh by the way I noticed "ankylosing spondylitis" was actually "one" of the diagnosis was that my Orthopedic surgeon had down... even though he "blew me off" when I asked when I saw him, but he did have it in with my diagnosis!!!!



http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/discogram/basics/definition/prc-20013848

My Facebook Post about this Ordeal!!!!




Okay guys and gals... just a quick update!! FIRST OF ALL - NEVER have a DISCOGRAM if you can POSSIBLY AVOID IT!!! No "sedative" at all... no IV, no even pain meds when they were through... and he stuck needles in FOUR different places in my lumbar/sacral spine!!! It hurt like hell, and even hurt worse taking them out... needless to say, I PRAY we get some "positive" news... so I can move forward and get out of this horrid pain.... ALL that you read about these things and MORE are TRUE!!! BUT, of course that is the purpose... to inject that dye into the places the doctor deems causing the problems, THEN the dye pressure gives you either "pain" like you have, or MORE pain, or even a "different" pain... or sometimes no pain... thus it is strictly a diagnostic tool, so you have to be "lucid" enough to be able to tell them what it "feels" like, BUT some of the docs at least give you a bit some type a sedative, so you are at least relaxed a bit.... anyway, it is over and done with NOW... hopefully I will know something next week. In fact my Orthopedic doctors nurse actually called me while I had it done, and so I called her back to tell her yes, I just in fact finished it and was leaving the hospital... I was supposed to already have had it done several weeks back, but with illness, flares and so forth I had put it off. So, I HOPE they FOUND something!!!!! The last thing I want to hear is they FOUND NOTHING.. that would suck... I am off to go back to the sofa and rest for the day with the pups.... and will tell you more later when I am feeling a bit better...

Here is a link to just one site about this....