Got some really bad medical news today

[gaymer77]

******FIRST I WANT TO FIRMLY STATE I AM NOT ASKING FOR ANY MEDICAL ADVICE IN THIS POST AT ALL SO PLEASE LEAVE THOSE COMMENTS FOR SOMEONE ELSE******

Since the first week of October I've been having some pretty crappy medical issues that popped up literally overnight. I woke up with a stiff neck and by noon I had shooting pain radiating from between my left shoulder blade & my spine that traveled down my left arm. I knew this wasn't a heart attack because I'm in the medical field & it wasn't centered from my heart/front of my chest but instead was in the far back. By 8pm it was intense pain in the same area and I decided to go to the ER to get something for the pain (mmm morphine!). That was on a Saturday & I was told to follow up with my regular doctor on Monday or Tuesday if I was still having any pain. I did just that on Monday morning because the pain was still at a level of 8-9 constantly and I have a high tolerance for pain to begin with. I saw his FNP who gave me some NSAID and said it was most likely a pinched nerve & to see the chiropractor and massage therapist they have in office later in the week. I went to my massage appointment and it didn't do crap for me other than hurting me even more. The next day was my chiro appointment but I got the times mixed up and missed it (I went after lunch & he leaves before lunch) so I ended up seeing the FNP again to inform her the NSAID wasn't working. She gave me a different one to take and sent me on my merry way. The very next day I woke up with my index, thumb, and middle finger completely numb so I took my happy little ass back to the doctor because the other NSAID didn't do crap either. I saw a PA this time and told her that the only thing that has gotten me out of pain was the 2 day prescription of Norco that the ER gave me when I was there. I told her very firmly I didn't want another NSAID but I wanted Norco. She said that the big guy (the actual MD that owns the office) is the only one that can write for long term Norco & that in order to get it long term I had to do a pain management contract with the office but she was ok giving me enough to last me until I could see him the next week so I was happy. I should say that the Norco didn't take the pain away completely but it dropped it from the constant 8-9 to a 4-5 which was more tolerable for me and luckily for me Norco doesn't give me that drunk or high feeling like it does to some people (codeine does though for some strange reason). She actually gave me enough to last until I could see the chiro. Fast forward to the next week & my appointment with the big guy. He did a neuro exam and some testing and blood work (mostly to make sure I didn't have an imbalance or that I was on drugs) which all came back within normal limits. He told me that he has suspicions that it was something to do with my radial nerve but he didn't want to say what it was because it was out of his scope of practice so he was sending me to a neurologist. It took a couple days to get approval from my insurance company but once they got approval & called the neurologist, I had an appointment literally the following day. Neurologist ordered a MRI of my brain & cervical spine and told me he wanted to do a nerve test on the day of my follow up too.

I went to the neurologist today for my nerve test & results for all the testing I've had done. Basically he told me good & bad news. Good news is it was nothing related to my brain. Bad news was it was TWO different things going on with my body that are separate from each other. The first issue which I thought was the bigger issue until he explained why its not is that I have left cubital tunnel syndrome (basically its carpal tunnel but in your elbow). He said this was a secondary issue and wanted to address the other problem first. The other thing he discovered is that I have cervical radiculopathy (left side cervical C7 root compression due to disclose bulge) which is what the link is about. He said the reason he is wanting to address & treat this first is because it could give a misdiagnosis of the other issue because they involve the same nerves. When I asked him about the intense pain I get when I cough, sneeze, or breath too deeply he said that's caused by the bulging. He is referring me to a neurosurgeon and pain specialist to get a cervical epidural and treatment.

As far as treatment goes, he told me that from the looks of things surgery on my neck is highly possible treatment for me. I actually asked him specifically about cannabis and if he thought that would help my problems. He said something to the point of "Though I am a firm believer in the healing power of cannabis, I am not licensed to prescribe it. I have given other patients the names and numbers of providers who can, and will, prescribe it. But my opinion in your situation is that it would not help." He did tell me to keep taking the Lyrica until/unless told otherwise and for the acute pain to keep taking the Norco which is actually the ONLY thing that helps when I'm having extra pain or having usage pain.

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tl;dr: I got life altering medical diagnosis & have never dealt with this before

My boyfriend is sorta freaking out over all this because he's afraid I'll be disabled and crap for the rest of my life because of all this even if I were to have surgery. He's scared that I could become paralyzed if the doctor screws up or die. I come from a medical/nursing family so I understand all the risks involved for other people but when its happening to YOU, its a whole other situation. I'm worried I won't be able to finish my nursing school because of the weakness in my grip of my left hand & numbness.

All that being said, have any of YOU ever had to deal with either a similar situation or been on the receiving end of really bad medical results? How did you cope? What advice can you give on the coping with bad news and how to move forward?

[Destinas]

I wish you all the best in this tough situation. I know it's easier said than done, but stay as positive as possible, even when you strain to find anything positive at all. It's what I've had to do with the medical problems with myself (eye issues, corneal ulcer that won't heal) and my family (mother's spine was broken around 10 years ago). It's tough, but it helps.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Yes and nerves and how you and your body reacts to them makes this area of the body very chronic. Depending on your age this could just go away or you might need surgery but it will come back. Hope your doctor has leveled with you about this. The up news is there is more information now than before to treat this non of which is cheap.

[d00mGuArD]

you are probably doing some research on the internet about what you have.
When you research, keep in mind that on the internet, you will only find the worst of the worst of examples, that are unlikely to happen to you
(Also people tend to remember the worst, keep it in mind when you ask your family about cases they may have encountered)

Stay away from cannabis, or any addictive drug (if the doctors prescribe drugs can cause addiction, sort out a plan with the doc how not to get addicted)

[druenos]

First off sory to hear about your diagnosis. My whole life i have had problems, car/bicycle/motorbike accidents breaking 13 bones in these accidents, hell, when i was young I even fell over in the yard and broke 2 bones in my fingers. I also got meningitis when I was out hiking in Scotland and ended up in hospital where I had a stroke a few days later. Sometimes I feel like God has put a big bulleye on me lol. The stroke left me with mobility issuses but it's not the end of the world. Im still alive and my intelect is normal. it's true what they say about if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger. You just have to go through whatever needs to be done to make you better, riskes and all, and hope it works ok. There is nothing else you can do. You just have to put on a brave face and deal with whatever comes your way. Life isn't fair and one of my best motos is " Shit happens " because it's lifes knocks are so random.

[weedburst]

you are probably doing some research on the internet about what you have.
When you research, keep in mind that on the internet, you will only find the worst of the worst of examples, that are unlikely to happen to you
(Also people tend to remember the worst, keep it in mind when you ask your family about cases they may have encountered)

Stay away from cannabis, or any addictive drug (if the doctors prescribe drugs can cause addiction, sort out a plan with the doc how not to get addicted)

to clarify this, stay away from addictive drugs as much as possible, and(in his opinion) also stay away from marijuana which is NOT an addictive drug.

[chazus]

Sucks to hear that news.

Twice now, I've had a 'the black gate is looming a bit too close' incidents. Back in 2008, I basically woke up nearly paralyzed from the chest down. It ended up being a screwed up sacroiliac muscle group, but for a week there I literally had no idea if I'd ever walk again. Ended up taking a good 5 months of PT. Just a couple years ago, I was having tiredness issues that were getting worse and worse, to the point of going up a single flight of stairs would wreck me for a few minutes. I almost dropped out of university because literally walking with an 8lb backpack would do me in for the day. Turned out I had a near-fatal red blood count, that has since mostly been corrected. I was told by a number of nurses/doctors, 'Huh. Its weird you hadn't stroked out or died.' Thanks, guys.

A few things I'd recommend, going forward.

You have medical insurance, and what I assume is a decent paying job. That means that you likely are going to be able to get this fixed. It may just be a matter of toughing it out. Life sucks sometimes, but you move on. You will move on. And your friends/family will move with you.

Don't let it consume you. If it's a struggle to do certain things, DO them. Make it a point of victory (as long as you aren't making the problem worse), to continue as you have, as best you can. Make this hardship the XP you need for the next level. But do not let it tell you "Maybe I should just skip work today" or "I don't 'have' to get up right now, so I just won't". Get up. Do stuff. Be active. Live.

Basically, make it so that when it is time to reach the black gate, somewhere down the line, you can kick that fucker in standing on your own feet.

[Elim Garak]

Spine problems are normal for every human as every human will have them if they don't die prematurely. I have a similar problem only lower down the spine - it affected my leg, I basically couldn't walk for longer than a minute, and I wouldn't even call that walking. The cause for the problem was me being obese. I was set up for surgery, but I was too obese for the operating table, hell I even had trouble finding an MRI device big enough in the city. So I lost 60lbs in preparation for the surgery and... the pain was gone. No surgery requried.

I don't know what was the cause for yours - but if you can find out what it is and it's something you can alleviate it might help even without surgery.

[Laerrus]

Go get a second or even a third opinion. Especially since he is suggesting surgery.

Investigate other avenues such as chiropractic, physical therapy and medical massage as possible treatment options.

I've seen people that get on my table that have had surgery on their spine and their pain is worse than before the surgery. There are some good outcomes, but there are also a lot of botched ones too.

Two years ago and after a particularly severe bout of back pain that kept me in bed for two days, my wife convinced me to see a chiropractor. I was diagnosed with an old compression fracture in L3 with stenosis and several bulging disks in my Lumbar and he recommended that I not seek surgery. Instead he gave me the option to do physical therapy. I rarely have back pain today.

[The Dwarf]

I have kyphosis and tinnitus. Both were devastating to me at first, but I eventually overcame them after several years. You got it man.

Also yeah, don't read crap about it on the internet.

[Independent voter]

Big pharma companies who sell opiods have cut back on the sales, why? They were killing tens of thousands of Americans each year.

There was testimony before Congress. The pharma companies had hired lobbyists lawyers who formally worked for the DEA, the agency that regulates big pharma. The pharma companies were very successful at getting government to back off.

The pharma companies sold opiates to anyone and everyone, they did so via shady "pain clinics" with even shadier doctors who'd prescribe opiods for shady reasons. The pharma companies raked in $billions of dollars while many junkies overdosed and died.

News organizations found the story, including 60 Minutes, the powerhouse of investigative news in the US.

The DEA is coming after the pharma companies and fines are being written.

So what I'm saying is, Doctors today are very reluctant to prescribe opiods.


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-dea-...-and-congress/

[Noobie]

...text...

I am having the same issue myself. it started 4 weeks ago with shoulder / neck / back pain, and moved down my left arm, with numb fingers. Doctors told me it probably was nerves getting "smashed" inbetween my spine (C7) He only gave me some pills (to reduce swellings), and told me to get back to him in 2-3 weeks if it didnt go away.

Its now 3 weeks later, and the pain is mostly gone, but i still feel some numbness in 1-2 fingers, and some slight pain in my arm / neck. I have yet to get back to the doctor.

Point im trying to make is it might just go over by itself, or at least get less painful. (week 2 was the worst for me, before it started getting better)

[Deleted]

That sucks, sorry to hear it.

I've had a couple of lifelong diagnoses. First when I was 19 and went to my GP about not having gone through puberty I was diagnosed with Kallmann Syndrome. Basically my body doesn't make testosterone and is incapable of it. I also can't smell which is related to the Kallmanns (and one of the biggest early indicators). Facing lifelong injections of hormones and will never develop 'properly', the time has passed. It's mostly fine and doesn't really affect my life.

Later I went to the doctor with blood in my poop and massive weight loss. While trying to find out what was going on they diagnosed me with Type 2 diabetes. Took pills and changed diet and it's all good. That was incidental to my other symptoms though as they were due to crohns disease. Multiple colonoscopies/endoscopies and more pills to deal with. While it's likely to degenerate over time i'm quite fortunate that my crohns hasn't flared very badly so far. No surgeries or major complications though they're more and more likely to become an issue as time goes on.

Then recently I've been having really severe leg pain, more weight loss etc. Back to the doctor. Turns out I had a type of diabetes that can appear to be Type 2, but is actually Type 1 and develops over time. Because of this and not taking the type 1 medication as I didn't know I had it, I now have neuropathy in my feet/legs and have been placed on Insulin injections 5 times a day, constant blood measurements and just getting to grips with my glucose measurements and how to handle everything.

Overall I don't have it so bad, lots to deal with that i'd rather not but nothing that's hospitalised me (so far) and I can still work and everything. Sucks but sometimes that's just life.

[Celista]

Sorry to hear, but when I think of "really bad medical news" I think of something like stage 4 brain cancer, month left to live. Sounds like surgery is your worst case option here.

I'm also fairly certain you'll survive having carpal tunnel in your elbow.

[Vargulf the Happy Husky]

this is fake

[Louisa Bannon]

This stuff sounds annoying, but not at all life-threatening. You don't want medical advice, so...

Hope you feel better soon. Best of luck with these minor health concerns.

[Dangg]

me too

got eye cancer looking at that massive wall of text


if it's actually a serious condition I apologise

[HavokHeart]

I've had 3 bulging discs for years. Narcotics aren't gonna help for ever...in the long term you have to live with it.

It sucks but that's just the way it is.

[breadisfunny]

might want to structure your first paragraph and break it into 2 or 3 small ones. either that or i'm calling your english teacher and tell him/her to come and slap you alongside the head. i want to read your post but that first run on paragraph is so painful to read.
finally got through that. sorry to hear that. not sure what to say.

[Aoyi]

First, I'm very sorry for your diagnosis.

Second, yes, I have had a life altering diagnosis as well. I'm a two-time cancer fighter and currently in remission. As far as coping, I just kind of shut down and gave myself over to the medical professionals to do what they needed. I don't remember most of 2016. I had 5 surgeries and spent 111 days in the hospitals/cancer centers. I spent an additional 100+ days in quarantine. I had hundreds of injections/blood draws. At least 6 transfusions that I can remember. I was basically a shell for most of that year and remember thinking every holiday was my "last Christmas, last birthday, etc." I kind of remember starting to plan my funeral and will. Sometimes I think my wife had it worse than me because she was aware of everything going on. I was just kind of gone for 14 months. So, basically, I coped by just shutting down and listening to whatever the doctors said.