all of tthese especially L5 AND L4
This is the best depiction of how my leg feels (shooting/tightness)
Here is an idea of how the pain has pretty much always been.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
first 3 in particular on this picture
Thorasic Park & The Claw: April 2011
Another set of back injections are completed with no results, I decide these will be my last injections ever. I believe I have had six overall or maybe more at this point.
After building up to short, light jogs, I notice severe clawing in my right hand and foot. So I conclude that this problem is likely coming from the back and my discs are being jolted a bit when I do a light job (jog for about a minute or two, walk for a minute, jog a minute, overall for about 30 minutes)
Have seen a re-surgence in facial and right bicep/arm/deltoid pain after beginning to swim and do abs again.
A thorasic MRI is ordered to check on the increasing pain in the middle of my spine, the only area that has gone undocumented by MRI scan so far. Here is the best overall MRI I could find of my Lumbar for first time viewers, I believe this is from winter 2011.
After building up to short, light jogs, I notice severe clawing in my right hand and foot. So I conclude that this problem is likely coming from the back and my discs are being jolted a bit when I do a light job (jog for about a minute or two, walk for a minute, jog a minute, overall for about 30 minutes)
Have seen a re-surgence in facial and right bicep/arm/deltoid pain after beginning to swim and do abs again.
A thorasic MRI is ordered to check on the increasing pain in the middle of my spine, the only area that has gone undocumented by MRI scan so far. Here is the best overall MRI I could find of my Lumbar for first time viewers, I believe this is from winter 2011.
Strange Sexual Symptoms: Early Spring Overview
I've noticed that not only that I cannot achieve even a partial erection without a lot of stimulation, but that my flaccid penis is very noticeably smaller and not getting the normal amount of bloodflow (perhaps?) that it normally would in it's flaccid state. It also often takes on a strange hour glass shape instead of its normal state. I also notice that it is often cold, and I am starting to lose sensation, especially in the tip. Cialis and Viagra prescribed a few months earlier, help very little, though they do help a tiny bit, and give the outside cavernosa a little extra rigity at this point, but still not enough for penetration, however, masturbation is possible with some work. Climax and erection cause some pain in the saddle region and running down to the tip of the penis, as well as the lower back.
I am prescribed 5mg daily Cialis trial to see if this can at least help me with my symptoms for a month. I have yet to check back with the urologist but the daily seems to at least be helping me a tiny bit with the flaccid state. Side effects however are bad with severe headaches, dry eyes, and constant stuffy nose.
I am prescribed 5mg daily Cialis trial to see if this can at least help me with my symptoms for a month. I have yet to check back with the urologist but the daily seems to at least be helping me a tiny bit with the flaccid state. Side effects however are bad with severe headaches, dry eyes, and constant stuffy nose.
The Numbness and Thorasic Pain: March 2011
The tip of my right index finger and thumb begin to become completely numb for hours at a time, even while sitting and walking around. This is a rare occurence but still seemed worth noting. Also, I begin to notice some tingling sensations in my fingers and toes (on the right side as usual). My foot begins to claw and cramp more often, along with my hand with any walking or physical activity for a short period of time. All exercise has been stopped since January with hopes of improving symptoms, I have been sleeping on a moderately firm bed for a few months. The pain in the front of my right lower leg has become very bad, however, I would say overall my leg pain has slightly subsided or plateaued at about a cosntant 5-6, which I would describe as high level of discomfort when not doing activity to a low-medium level of pain (6-7) while doing activity. This is obviously terrible but it seems to have hit its peak, however, back pain, especially while sitting is worsening and is almost as uncomfortable and painful as my leg pain. Back pain is obviously very severe during activity and having correct posture is almost impossible at this point, which I had had my entire life before the injury.
What's most disconcerting, is the high increase in pain in the dead-center of my back, above my lower back and below my neck. It has hurt before maybe in the 1-2, but never as bad as my lower back, which now it does. Whether this is due to a changing posture, muscle loss, etc I do not know but the pain is reaching the level of my shoulder and lower back. It also shoots pain across the right middle back of my body to my underarm and front abdomen area.
Pain in my saddle area also starts to become a problem (2-3?) with a pressure feeling when I sit and a noticeable reduced anal tone and feeling like I have an object in my saddle. Though a third urologist visit concludes that I am able to void completely, and another vasodilation test concludes that the genitals are again, not having a problem from leakage or a genital related disease, I feel that my power of my stream has become very reduced.
What's most disconcerting, is the high increase in pain in the dead-center of my back, above my lower back and below my neck. It has hurt before maybe in the 1-2, but never as bad as my lower back, which now it does. Whether this is due to a changing posture, muscle loss, etc I do not know but the pain is reaching the level of my shoulder and lower back. It also shoots pain across the right middle back of my body to my underarm and front abdomen area.
Pain in my saddle area also starts to become a problem (2-3?) with a pressure feeling when I sit and a noticeable reduced anal tone and feeling like I have an object in my saddle. Though a third urologist visit concludes that I am able to void completely, and another vasodilation test concludes that the genitals are again, not having a problem from leakage or a genital related disease, I feel that my power of my stream has become very reduced.
A New Pain & Serious Dysfunction: Winter 2010/2011
My face/shoulder pain turns into full blown arm pain, similar to my legs. The pain seems to travel from my right neck and face into my deltoid, my front bicep, the top of my forearm, and into my fingers. When asked, I would say the pain in my fingers is mostly located in the middle finger and sometimes index. The pain also travels down the center of my right tricep and makes even my lighter lifting load extremely difficult.
EMGs are ordered in both my leg and arm and again prove negative. Cervical MRI's reveal only a slight bulge in my cervical spine and possible an overly straight neck that may have been caused by muscle tightness from the affected nerve(?) in my arm. I am not prescribed Lyrica, which like Neurontin, gives no aid whatsoever.
Brain MRI's also prove inconclusive. I am ordered to see urologists for my increasing sexual dysfunction which has become very severe. Two urologist visits with doppler tests and injected vasodilation tests show that venuous leakage is very minor, if any. Both urologists conclude that the problem is likely not related to genital or vascular function, and unlikely to be mental since I am handling the stress well at this point and have had zero problems with performance anxiety in the past. I would rate my erection rigity at maybe 50% of what it used to be, with the only way to achieve erection with both visual and physical stimulation, focus, and laying on back. Most noticeable, the underside and glans of penis can temporarily inflate when i bear down and clench my anus in but immediately unballoon.
I am on about my 4th nerve root injection, which at times can reproduce the same pain down my leg, but not make symptoms any better.
Possible Cyst & Amitytriptyline (sp?)
Amitytriptyline is prescribed to try and treat my worsening facial/neck pain with no results besides some side effects. Multiple MRI's are ordered with and without contrast of my Brain and Pelvis. The pelvis MRI reveals what I am told is a cyst in my pelvis. I am told the cyst "may or may not" be causing any sexual pain or the earlier tailbone pain, but the Doctor believes probably not, and "even if it was the root of the pain, taking it out might be a little tricky". So I am told to stop physical therapy, continue swimming, stop [attempting] light lifting and jogging.
Multiple MRIs were ordered on my sacral plexus and pelvis with and without contrast, I am not sure where the cyst is but here is a sample of images from one of the scans:
EMGs are ordered in both my leg and arm and again prove negative. Cervical MRI's reveal only a slight bulge in my cervical spine and possible an overly straight neck that may have been caused by muscle tightness from the affected nerve(?) in my arm. I am not prescribed Lyrica, which like Neurontin, gives no aid whatsoever.
Brain MRI's also prove inconclusive. I am ordered to see urologists for my increasing sexual dysfunction which has become very severe. Two urologist visits with doppler tests and injected vasodilation tests show that venuous leakage is very minor, if any. Both urologists conclude that the problem is likely not related to genital or vascular function, and unlikely to be mental since I am handling the stress well at this point and have had zero problems with performance anxiety in the past. I would rate my erection rigity at maybe 50% of what it used to be, with the only way to achieve erection with both visual and physical stimulation, focus, and laying on back. Most noticeable, the underside and glans of penis can temporarily inflate when i bear down and clench my anus in but immediately unballoon.
I am on about my 4th nerve root injection, which at times can reproduce the same pain down my leg, but not make symptoms any better.
Possible Cyst & Amitytriptyline (sp?)
Amitytriptyline is prescribed to try and treat my worsening facial/neck pain with no results besides some side effects. Multiple MRI's are ordered with and without contrast of my Brain and Pelvis. The pelvis MRI reveals what I am told is a cyst in my pelvis. I am told the cyst "may or may not" be causing any sexual pain or the earlier tailbone pain, but the Doctor believes probably not, and "even if it was the root of the pain, taking it out might be a little tricky". So I am told to stop physical therapy, continue swimming, stop [attempting] light lifting and jogging.
Traveling symptoms, things get worse: Fall 2010
Tailbone pain has almost entirely disappeared, being replaced by a sort of dull, numbing sensation in my tailbone area. I am noticing a serious decrease in my erections and noticed that I have been without morning erections for some time, though, I achieve a partial morning erection at times when I have to urinate quite badly. I would put the rigity of my erections at around 60-70% of what they used to be at this point, where most of rigity has been lost in non-balooning glans and the bottom side.
I also start noticing a strange facial/shoulder pain that I would put at about a 3 on the pain scale, and is similar to the pain I feel in my leg, and is unlikely to be a pull since I have considerably lightened my workout load. I see a neurologist who is a family friend and am put on the maximum dose of Neurontin.
Here are some images of my Cervical Spine that are ordered later, as addressed in my later post, I am just trying to spread out the images per post:
I also start noticing a strange facial/shoulder pain that I would put at about a 3 on the pain scale, and is similar to the pain I feel in my leg, and is unlikely to be a pull since I have considerably lightened my workout load. I see a neurologist who is a family friend and am put on the maximum dose of Neurontin.
Here are some images of my Cervical Spine that are ordered later, as addressed in my later post, I am just trying to spread out the images per post:
A strange twist in the symptoms: Summer 2010
Late Spring/ Early Summer
After a first round of oral steroids proves worthless and the pain on the outside of my right knee is at an all time high, I am given another round of oral steroids and set up for future nerve root injections. The pain is so severe that I have trouble simply walking home from class or walking around the boat on a cruise, with the majority of pain focused on the outside right of my knee and right calf, with medium pain down my right leg.
Early in the summer I begin my second round of steroids, after they run their course, I notice a steady decrease in my sharp sitting tailbone pain to a more numbing sensation over the course of a month or so. Whether this is due to a changed sitting position, the oral steroids, or just the progression of the disease, I do not know but am incredibly relieved that it has become easier for me to sit at work and at the gym etc. What's slightly disconcerting, is that a few weeks (maybe even a couple months?) after the pain almost turns into this numbing sensation while sitting, I begin to experience slight sexual dysfunction, with the ability to achieve erections much more difficult than before, as well as the absence of random erections and morning erections. What's more, I would rate my normal rigity of erection at about 75% of what it was just a few months to a season earlier.
My leg pain is increasingly worse, making it hard to walk simply from the parking lot to work without severely limping, I try to explain to coworkers who ask me why I am always limping that I am just going through some back issues and figuring things out at the moment, as I have been for almost the past year.
A random set of images from a lumbar MRI for a summer update:
After a first round of oral steroids proves worthless and the pain on the outside of my right knee is at an all time high, I am given another round of oral steroids and set up for future nerve root injections. The pain is so severe that I have trouble simply walking home from class or walking around the boat on a cruise, with the majority of pain focused on the outside right of my knee and right calf, with medium pain down my right leg.
Early in the summer I begin my second round of steroids, after they run their course, I notice a steady decrease in my sharp sitting tailbone pain to a more numbing sensation over the course of a month or so. Whether this is due to a changed sitting position, the oral steroids, or just the progression of the disease, I do not know but am incredibly relieved that it has become easier for me to sit at work and at the gym etc. What's slightly disconcerting, is that a few weeks (maybe even a couple months?) after the pain almost turns into this numbing sensation while sitting, I begin to experience slight sexual dysfunction, with the ability to achieve erections much more difficult than before, as well as the absence of random erections and morning erections. What's more, I would rate my normal rigity of erection at about 75% of what it was just a few months to a season earlier.
My leg pain is increasingly worse, making it hard to walk simply from the parking lot to work without severely limping, I try to explain to coworkers who ask me why I am always limping that I am just going through some back issues and figuring things out at the moment, as I have been for almost the past year.
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