Good to know. Now what?

I haven’t been blogging much, a combination of weather (beach time! gardening! panting from humidity!), work, boys, and, mostly, my neck.

If you know me you know that I have had severe chronic back and neck issues since an ice hockey injury in high school.

So, 1993 to 2010, that’s kind of a long time to keep putting off the pain, but the truth is that I have been trying to deal with it– I’ve had PT, chiropracty, some acupuncture, massage, seen doctors, essentially purchased stock in ThermaCare, done yoga etc. etc. etc., without finding anything that worked to effect any long term relief. I finally reached the breaking point last month after I did some mysterious thing (sleeping the wrong way? handstands in a pool? Who knows.) that put me into a new place of hurt  and I couldn’t take it any longer. The kids are old enough, I’m not nursing, I can get babysitters. I realize that I’m not getting younger and I have to make my pain a priority (my mother has of course been telling me this for years. . .). So, I made the doctor’s appointment, got the MRI and am now waiting to see the specialist (Thursday, July 1st seems like a long time to wait though I know it isn’t).

This is NOT my MRI, but this is what stenosis looks like. I won't be looking at this post again since it makes my neck throb when I see the image.

The preliminary reading of my MRI showed narrowing of the nerve channel on the right side of my cervical vertebrae. This is known as Cervical Stenosis, an ailment most commonly seen in those 50 or older (great, just great.). Though I don’t yet know what is causing it or what my specific  treatment options are, I am both hopeful and incredibly anxious to finally have some sort of factual reason for my pain. I don’t dare to imagine that something will diminish it all together, but the idea that it might be somewhat relieved is amazing.

Once I have more information, I’ll post an update. If you know someone or yourself have experience with this issue, please let me know. I’d love to hear what steps you have taken to ameliorate your pain.

Apparently, Dick Cheney had surgery for lumbar stenosis today, so I’m in good company. ;P