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What's wrong with me
I fell Dec 2022, had an MRI in Feb 2023 after a couple of failed Dr appts and one urgent care visit. My left leg became less and less responsive. I had drop foot and pain radiating from my lower back down. My foot however felt kind of numb but my toes had pins and needles. I was told it was first a torn hamstring and by March I was just tossed from my primary to an orthopedic dr. They said it was Spondylitis. I was sent to a pain Dr for a lumbar shot. It lasted about a month. I still could barely use my leg and now I couldn't feel my bladder. Physical therapy didnt work. Work was fighting me. Since I was told it just arthritis I tried to work and clean my house. The more I did the more episodes of loosing my bladder and not being able to walk. By June work said I needed to take short term disability and figure it out. My pain management Dr was about to give me my shot and I started bawling telling him everything so he sent me to be evaluated by a neurosurgeon. There they said it was Spondylolisthesis with my lumber not being stable. Surgery in Sept then after some PT my right leg started hurting. They said I have Disc Degeneration. It is now 2025 and they are throwing shots at it and I have changed neurologists. After xraying my hips in Jan 2023 and seeing nothing wrong they wanted to check again. Now my right hip has degenerated and I am bone on bone. The orthopedic dr said I still have a spinal issue and a pinched nerve somewhere according to EMG test in 2024 because of the range of motion test they did on my leg. I can't lift my leg or hold it up if they lift it and I guess that's spinal. I can't open my legs or turn them and that's orthopedic. My pain pill dr said that my joints are all going to degenerate one by one. I have arthritis on Crack after my fall? No answer. I can't walk, I'm gaining weight, I can't work and I can't even dress myself without crying. What is wrong with me. Hip shot and Cervical shot this month. Yes, now my neck hurts horrible and my arms and hands don't work. Weakness , pain and pins and needles.
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God bless you! Nothing worse then undiagnosed pain or medical problems! Been their did a lot of research mostly supplements- natural minerals your body looses as we age! I'm 85 still fighting the good fight! You do get a lot of wonderful comments- personal struggles from every condition- symptoms -struggles trip down treatment lane! And Mayo Clinic God love them let's the free speech be printed- until on occasion a wokie will slip by and wipe it out!!
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3 ReactionsOHHHHH!
SORRY I REPEATED STRUGGLES TWICE! MY BAD!
Dear littleone2009.
You need a very big HUG, I understand how you feel. Please know kind thoughts
and prayers are with you. It's not easy getting older and everyday facing so many
struggles. Please sit down and quietly take a breath ... knowing prayers are with you
... from someone who you don't know - me - and from someone who does ... God.
Good luck, littleone. Be brave. Keep strong. Try your very best to muddle through
this difficult time. You can do it! - from someone who is 'there' and is 'trying' ...
so - let's 'try' together. OK? OK.
@littleone2009
You sound like me. You need a neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine specialist to review your MRIs of both cervical and lumbar spine to determine if you have spinal cord compression injury and/or nerve root compression and at what levels. It sounds like surgery is needed ASAP if your bladder is involved and you are having difficulty with pain/weakness/numbness of arms/hands/legs/feet. Cervical spine may be a higher priority over lumbar due to possible impact and injury to your spinal cord.
I have congenital spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, degenerative cervical myelopathy spinal cord injury, lumbar neurogenic claudication, hip pain due to gluteal and hamstring bilateral tears/tendinopathy, and neuropathy. I had surgery on both cervical and lumbar spine to decompress and fuse (have hardware in neck and back). I have some residual symptoms and a new herniated disc in my cervical spine compressing my spinal cord again so most likely need to get another surgery. My bladder is being affected again and my legs are weak which makes movements and using stairs difficult.
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5 Reactionslittleone2009, I would want autoimmune testing. It sounds like you are experiencing degradation of cartilage in various areas. Rheumatiod arthritis can cause the destruction of the joints, and there are medications that can help. I would ask for ANA antineuclear antibody testing and an RA panel.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ana-test/about/pac-20385204
https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/overview/616785
They are both done from blood draws.
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1 ReactionI believe they did those when I went to a different neurologist. The only thing they found was the B-12 deficiency. Then they sent me back to orthopedic and they found the hip. They are ruling everything out before they can say it is complex pain syndrom. I never should have had the fusion surgery. The nerves are shot and my joints are degrading. My Dr that manages my pain pills said my knees will be next.
Hi, littleone.
A rheumatologist would be more likely to order those labs. You might get copies of the labs; it is likely they haven't been drawn.
Dlydailyhope's suggestion is important because a pinched nerve is a warning about permanent nerve damage.
Is anyone talking about minimally invasive procedures to remove the extruded portion of the disc. Has the fusion surgery been reexamined with MRI.
when my a1c comes down i may choose stem cells. $10k for treatment.
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1 ReactionI am so sorry for your predicament. I wish there some wise words I could impart. I'm assuming you have no one close to you that can help you deal with all this. Even though yours are from severe medical conditions you need to see a talk therapist. Plus in our hospital we have a medical team. Meaning a group.of Drs. who share information about all our conditions. I've had surgery for a cysts on my uterus. I had breast cancer, had surgery & only 16 rounds radiation. Now my knees are in bad shape so I had a knee replacement & will.need one in the other knee soon. Was also just diagnosed with diabetes . Luckily my A1c is below 7 & my sugar level is low too
I'll be 75 in June . The care team starts with our primary Drs.
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