Saturday, October 6, 2012

Spinal Crackers in Space

So, the x-rays finally made it to my gp's office (though my usual gp is out on maternity leave and my original choice for gp is handling her cases).  Still no promised call, though.  Instead, I received a single page interpretation from Fairfax Radiology, with a scrawled note from the gp once again recommending the in-house physical therapy we can't afford right now.

The radiologist's findings?

Spine, Thoracic Three Views

History: back pain

Comparison:  none

AP, Lateral, and Swimmers views of the thoracic spine:

The vertabrae are intact and aligned.  Vertabral body heights are normal.  Disc heights are mildly narrowed throughout the thoracic spine with small anterior osteophytosis.  No focal lesion or fracture.

Impression: mild degenerative disc disease throughout the thoracic spine.

Not as bad as it could have been, but man, the pain really is getting pretty danged irritating.  We already know I have multiple blown discs in the lumbar/sacral regions. Bet the cervical spine's a mess, too.  I know that the way I sit at the computer and the way I hunch over the iPad to play Monopoly with our boy likely makes it worse, but everyone agrees this originates with my 1993 car accident. 

Marvy.

I'll do some digging, see what I can find for exercises and the like to make this better.  Supposedly, it responds well to non-surgical approaches. 

It's the first Saturday Hapkido class for our boy.  He is so loving this!  Wish it didn't cost so much--it's basically the cost of the physical therapy I'm not getting.  No, my PT isn't more important.  I've got mild spinal degeneration, holding off for a year or so isn't likely to do me much harm, considering I've had this back ache for most of a year.  He is so happy about this, and he is doing so well--no way I'm messing that up.  He needs this, and I need for him to have it.

Did some digging and found my old OB/GYN's assistant on Facebook.  No, that's not as creepy as it sounds--she's the one who found the mystery mass, and she asked that I let her know how that resolved.  But then she left my old doc's office, and I didn't know where to find her.  Found her on Facebook this morning (she, too, had moved out of state), and just dropped her a note letting her know what the mass was and how things turned out.  She was a wonderfully nice woman, very smart, very up on her research, and really was a joy.  In as much as you can miss the person manning the speculum, I miss her.

Only three hours of sleep last night, hence the weirdo title for today's blog.  It makes no sense to me, either.  Going to hit the hay again as soon as Hapkido is over.  Have a wonderful Saturday!

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