Originally Posted by
CraigB
What's your specific disc issue?
That's a good question. Like I said, the doctor was less than helpful. I certainly intend to get a better idea of what's going before I allow them to cut me open.
Originally Posted by
CraigB
About three years ago I had excruciating pain in my right arm, accompanied by numb spots on the skin near the elbow and at a couple of places on my hand. The pain was awful, and there was literally no posture - sitting, standing or lying down - that helped. I lost a lot of sleep. After X-rays and an MRI it was determined I had a cervical disc "protrusion," which they told me was the precursor to a herniation. No one knows why it happened the first time, but it came back a year or so later when I was installing a tile backsplash in our kitchen, craning my neck upwards to work under the wall cabinets. In both cases, it subsided on its own, though it took a good 6-8 weeks or so each time. Now I'm real careful about putting my head in that posture for long periods, which is why I'm buying my new bike from a shop that does ultra-thorough fitting. FWIW, the neurosurgeon I saw said they could operate (going in from the front, oddly enough) but he prefers that as a last resort. He said if it happens again, we'll try some traction devices, and failing that they'll go in. Luckily, it hasn't happened again in over 2 years now.
Interesting. Maybe I should hold out awhile before going under the knife. I'm actually considering cancelling the epidural also after reading up on it. It may or may not help. If it does help, it's temporary. There are possible side-effect or even risks.
Originally Posted by
CraigB
BTW, if anyone from the health insurance industry is reading this thread, the preceding paragraph is entirely fictional.
Nice.
