@jenniferhunter there is, in the coming months, going to be the first human spinal cord transplant in Israel. The animal studies were very promising. 54% of mice with total transaction of spinal cord were able to ambulate pot surgery. This new technology probably will only benefit the next generation but I’m so glad the research is being done

@upnort I did look at the report findings from your imaging that you sent privately. I am responding here so that others may benefit from the post.

I don't know how long it has been since your doctor referred this to a neurosurgeon, but there is enough in the report that you may benefit by seeking an opinion of a neurosurgeon. Physical therapy is not going to able to fix nerve compression in your spinal column. There are structural problems, and your report may be indicating bruising of the spinal cord with the myelopathy in the thoracic levels. The spinal cord needs to move inside the fluid in the spinal canal, and if any part of it is tethered by pressure from stenosis on the spinal canal, that wouldn't be a good situation. One of the complications of having thoracic spine issues is that these levels have ribs attached and your lungs are right there inside the ribs. The surgeons who are able to operate on thoracic levels are usually the surgeons who do big scoliosis and spine deformity cases. Not all spine surgeons would operate on thoracic levels. I don't know if you also have other issues at other spine levels such as cervical. There are always other considerations of operating on an older person which includes osteoporosis and general health and an ability to heal. There are a lot of end plate changes and discs shrinking which causes wear and tear on facet joints on your report as well as indenting of the thecal sac which would be a condition that may put pressure on the spinal cord. There are also some issues with arthritis in the foramen where nerves come out from the spinal cord. I don't know if you have had spinal injuries, but some of this is age related that tends to be common in seniors.

As a bit of hope that I could share with you, is a member we had on Connect, Robert Hodes who's member name is @hodinator. I communicated with him a lot and he had spinal cord compression and was in a wheelchair unable to walk for several years. He had spine surgery and with a lot of rehab, he did walk again. I don't think he has been on Connect since his recovery, but his story is inspiring because without Connect, he would not have understood the issues. Being on Connect also helped him find a good surgeon closer to his home. He made the biggest recovery of any of the patients I know on here. If you click on his name, you can find his posts under his profile.

My suggestion would be to contact Mayo and ask that your imaging and report be reviewed by Jeremy Fogelson who was my spine surgeon. He is a deformity expert and he does a lot of big surgeries for scoliosis. He is well respected there and an excellent surgeon.

I know you have a lot on your plate with taking care of your wife. Being a caregiver is a hard job, and I did that for my dad when I was in need of spine surgery and in a lot of pain. I had trouble getting a surgeon to help me until I got to Mayo to Dr. Fogelson. Bless you for doing that. I do hope you have some help from time to time so you can rest a bit.