MRI Results From August 13, 2013... Some Very Bad News...

            Welcome back, My Dear Readers, to The Other Shoe. I have been home now for about a half an hour. Already I have looked at the images from the MRI I just endured. (More on why I said “endured” in a moment) First, a word of THANKS! To my father Kenneth Hanning. Dad taught me how to read X-Rays and all kinds of scans when I was… … eight or nine. While Darrell played ball, other children had fun in the sun? Danny was working at the Herman Medical Building for my father’s bosses. Each summer I would spend several weeks culling old X-Rays from the wall of film in the doctor’s office. Older X-Rays were sorted, alphabetized then taken down to the basement and put in storage.

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Each and every year for… well, several years I did this for my father. He told me that the doctor’s (because of my help) allowed us the use of the cabin at the lake and use of the bass boat. I helped contribute, each year, to our family’s vacation with my work early in the summer. My father had me working, in the garage helping with TV and Radio repairs, and at work sorting and archiving X-Rays from a very young age.

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I did not mind. Hell, I LIKED IT as a matter of fact! The whole staff at the orthopedic doctor’s office treated me very well. That, and I loved helping my father earn that family vacation that I looked forward to each and every year. So, thanks to my father I do not have to wait to know the results of the MRI scan that was done just three hours ago.

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See St. Joseph’s always gives me a DVD of the scan. I take it home, put it in the same computer I write on and… BAM! I have my results within hours of my scan. My Dear Readers, the news is not good. Matter of fact, the news is pretty bad.

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What I am going to do is a contrast of images. I have several images on this computer from my last scan in 2011. I have already converted image (of the same area, same perspective) from today’s MRI. I will do my best to explain what I am posting, where to look and what to look for.

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            First image from 2011. This is the cervical spine, side view from C-1 to C7. At the top of the image you will notice a small flat headed mushroom between C4 & C5. This is a partially desiccated disc. Next. Notice the mushroom shaped form in the lower part of the screen? This is the disc between C7 and T1. It is/was impinging on the spinal cord back in 2011 (see below)

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[caption id="attachment_1386" align="aligncenter" width="630"] MRI Cervical Spine October 2011[/caption]

(Scan from 2011 Notice the Mushroom shaped Disc)

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Next is the same area of the cervical spine from today’s MRI scan. (I have tweaked these images so they are easier to see what I am talking about)  In the next image, from today, you can see that the mushroom shape in the lower part of the image (C7-T1) is now SHOT!  A few days ago I head a very loud pop in my neck. Based on this scan what I heard? Was the dural sack breaking. See how the mushroom shape is not flattened? The dural sack poped, leaking dural sack fluid into the spinal canal mixing with the cerebral spinal fluid (BINGO that is why I have low-grade fevers) and likely causing a spinal fluid infection. So, all that is left @ C&-T1 IS the dural sack and the fiber. Hence, the grinding I am hearing and the bone snaps.

Towards the top of the screen (below) The dural sack between C3 and C4 has (looks like) been compromised, too. Notice that the mushroom shape is now flat. As a matter of fact all of the discs are flat!  All of the discs in my cervical spine are S H O T! They have gone beyond desiccated and look to me like they are void of fluid and flattened.

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[caption id="attachment_1387" align="aligncenter" width="320"] MRI Cervical Spine August 2013[/caption]

(MRI Image from 8-13-13 Notice the Damaged Discs)

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So, this explains the extreme pain I am experiencing… and (most likely) the fevers and every other symptom I have experienced in the past six months.

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Bottom Line = I am pretty much screwed. To my knowledge there is no surgery for my current situation. I am going to review some more documentation… I wasn’t really ready for this news! This is a much worse situation that I had anticipated. Dr. Gorlick was so frigging accurate in diagnosing “Severe Spinal Stenosis’. One whole side of my cervical spinal canal is blocked with dead dural material. This is greatly limit the flow of cerebral spinal fluid. This can have a lot of bad results.

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I am going to do my best to post this and the images I ahv right now. It is 5:40 PM Pacific time.. about 7:50 PM in Texas. My Dear Readers and my friends and family in Texas.

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More than any time before I need your help. I cannot even help moving… in my current condition. If I try… I will be a paraplegic. I need your support… I need a surgery… that I am not sure exists. However, for the moment… I need your help to assist me in moving.

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You can come out here and literally lend a hand. OR You can make contributions and help save (literally) my life. Just click the link below… and DONATE!

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As always, it is an honor to have you come and read my work. Today… is special.

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THANK YOU!

PLEASE HELP?!?!