Back pain , numbness in legs

I am posting this for a friend. All replies are welcome!! I've edited for brevity as best I can, thanks for taking the time to read:


First email:



My legs started going numb when I was driving about 3 weeks ago….especially my right leg.

I finally got a referral to a neurologist who did an MRI.

She said that there is a cyst on my spine….or something like that.

She also said something in my spine was not entirely “closed” and that is how the cyst eventually developed?

I didn’t quite understand her.

She said that the only way to correct the problem is with surgery but they don’t like to jump into back surgery anymore….because a lot of times it does more harm than good.

She said it was totally up to me (and I know absolutely nothing).

So, I asked her what would happen if I just kept going around with legs that felt half asleep.

I asked her if the numbness could become permanent or get worse.

She said, “I don’t know.”

I asked her if it would be better to do surgery then.

She said, “I don’t know.”

I asked her if the cyst might go away on its own.

She said, “I don’t know.”

Every question that I asked, she said, “I don’t know.”

How could I make a decision with information like that?


Second email:


Even though I said it was my back….the neurologist insisted on doing a double MRI….of my back AND my brain.

The reason that she wanted to MRI my brain is because she asked me what day it was and I said “July 7th”……and it was August.

Then she did some weird left and right test with me, and I got confused of course.

I have never been able to tell left and right (unless I have time to think about it).

Mom took a black pen and made a dot on my right hand when she sent me off to school, so I wouldn’t forget which was which.

Anyway, my normal mental “driftiness” distracted the neurologist.

So, I had to get 2 MRIs, to make her happy.

She thought I had a brain tumor or something. I guess brain tumors will also make your legs numb.

BUT…I was right and she was wrong.

She didn’t need to check out my brain…..there is nothing wrong. It’s apparently just the way I am.

My back on the other hand, is another story.

She didn’t give me the whole details of what kind of cyst it is.

I am supposed to go back on the 23rd of September and get an “EMG”. (not an EKG).

I have no idea what an EMG is.


Third email:


I didn’t have any information, because all the information that the neurologist gave me was, “You have a cyst on your spine. Do you want surgery or not.”

There is no way I could make a decision like that.

I don’t know anything.

I tried looking it up on the internet---and then I found out there are all kinds of different cysts and back problems.

And there are a lot of failed back surgeries too.

Since I didn’t have any detailed information, I went back to the clinic today and asked the nurse at the front desk for a copy of the MRI.

I told her that I might want to go to a chiropractor, so I needed something to show him.

All I know is that my legs are numb and it is making driving and (sitting for any period of time) frightening.

Here is the info:

“On the coronal localizing images, the patient is noted to have a mild dextroconvex thoracolumbar scoliosis.

At L4-L5, there is a 5 mm synovial cyst arising from the left face joint and encroaching on the left subarticular recess region. There is a moderate degree of left subarticular recess stenosis. The left L5 nerve root would appear to be impinged upon. There is a mild to moderate degree of right subarticular recess stenosis secondary to chronic degenerative disk disease. The right L5 nerve root may be adversely contacted. The neural foramina are patent.

On L5-S1, there is mild to moderate facet arthropathy.

Impression:

The patient has disproportionate spondyloarthropathy at L4-L5. Clinically significant relationships may be present. “


Thanks all!!!