MRI

For those of you who don't know, I've been having back and leg problems since a few days after Christmas. It got pretty severe in early January and I went to my family doctor and they did the usual things testing whether this and that hurt and then prescribed me Ibuprofen 3x's a day...and nothing got better. I went back for another visit and they sent me for an X-ray of my lower back. That was done and my doctor told me that I had a narrowing of my lower spine which usually indicates a herniated or bulging disc. Unfortunately due to it being just a regular X-ray it was not a definite yes or no. Now with my insurance, I am required to go through some PT before they'll approve an MRI which is just fine with me, I am horribly claustrophobic. I went through some PT, things were more manageable. I was able to sit at work and do my job without being completely preoccupied with the pain in my leg.

I went back to my family doctor, and since things were not yet 100%, and I still had numbness in my left calf and foot she sent me to a back specialist. He performed a few physical tests on me, checked if I had reflexes in both feet and I didn't. My right was fine, the left was not! I was unable to stand on my tip toes with only my left foot, a task that was simple with my right. He said that he could with almost definite certainty determine that my L5 lumbar disc was herniated, but I'd need an MRI to determine this.

...soooo today, I went to Buffalo MRI and had one done. It was a VERY unpleasant experience, not due to the staff there...they were amazing. I had to have a washcloth over my eyes so that I didn't open them while in the machine. I actually had an open MRI too! But it is open in the on the sides, but it is still right there in your face. It took 30 min to do the scan, but I survived. But I can not explain to you how fast my heart was beating because I was so nervous.

That's what it looks like...
Thank goodness it is done, and they said all my 'pictures' came out well, so I shouldn't need a repeat visit. Now I will go in for a cortisol injection in my back, in the lumbar that is herniated. This is supposed to alleviate the pressure on my nerves, which is causing me the pain and numbness down my leg. This, so I've been told, is NOT pleasant, but is usually quiet successful. I sure hope so! I've been walking with a limp for 3 months because I can not bend my toes without forcing them, it feels like they are constantly sleeping. I will have to reteach myself how to walk once things are fixed.

Anyways, sorry for the woah is me story...I just thought I'd share with you, what I've been going through. Thanks for reading!!