Fantabulous news - my discs are fine. The MRI shows massive swelling in the facet joint between the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae and around the two roots of the nerves (forgot their names) that then join to make up the sciatic nerve. The fluid is trapped in the joint because of the swelling. The same thing is true to a much lesser extent on the other side.
The orthopedist said that an injection of cortisone into the joint will make the swelling go down with amazing quickness and within 48-72 hours I will be hopping about good as new and it will be like it never happened and my nerve will function again, undamaged! No more pain, also, no more leg-collapsing! And my career as a ballet dancer, figure skater, and marathon runner can continue!
Unlike if it were actually a torn disc in which case it would be a hideous months-long deal with multiple injections and continuing pain and disability with recovery in a time and galaxy far far away.
It was interesting to see the MRIs. He showed me the normal discs, and the normal joints in which there are some gray blobs that are cartilage and stuff, and then the joint where on the right side there are gray blobs and giant white-hot looking extra bad evil mean yucky blobs that are the fluid and swelling.
It is nice to have a doctor point to a scientific looking chart that has obvious empirical evidence not dependent on some one moving my legs into various positions and waiting for me to say OW and start crying. (As we also did. When I reach OW I tend to try to wrestle the doctor's hand away while with my other hand grabbing the table white-knuckle style and yelling OW and then I start crying and demand a pause in the body-part-moving around diagnostic thing.)
It is even nicer to know that this may very well be finite! Over! Soon! Not something I have to adapt to for more weeks or months! Fixable!
I wish they could do it right now and I didn't have to wait a week. Also I wish someone had referred me immediately to this doctor, think of the pain and horribleness I could have avoided!
Hoooray! I am so happy for you.
Posted by: Liz Ditz | April 26, 2007 at 02:42 PM
good news!
Posted by: severin | April 26, 2007 at 03:22 PM
WHOOOPEEEE!
I am so incredibly unbelievably psyched for you! Oh my god!
And I'm so excited to see you this weekend! Yay!
Posted by: g. | April 26, 2007 at 04:00 PM
dude. i am SO glad.
Posted by: minnie | April 26, 2007 at 06:00 PM
Wow! How great! I mean, not great that you have a huge swelling white icky thing, but great! You will be hopping soon!
Posted by: Jo | April 26, 2007 at 06:11 PM
That's absolutely excellent. Take it easy for the week lol.
Posted by: blaize | April 26, 2007 at 06:41 PM
Such great news!
I am curious, do your docs know why the fluid and swelling?
Posted by: Lisa Hirsch | April 26, 2007 at 07:55 PM
excellent news!
Posted by: jenijen | April 27, 2007 at 09:23 AM
This is just outstanding! (except for the not-referring-you-there-in-the-first-place part)
My dad has serious disc issues (as in many of them are all smashed to bits and compressed on each other) and that little cortisone shot, according to him, is The Greatest Thing Ever Invented, Bar None.
Yay!
Posted by: JM | April 27, 2007 at 02:39 PM
Oh happy days! Excellent news and I'm just delighted for you. The prospect of being free from pain must be making you quite giddy!
Posted by: Lin | April 27, 2007 at 09:00 PM
here's to a quick end to all this!
Posted by: cynthia | April 27, 2007 at 11:41 PM
Yeeaaaa! Huzzah!
Posted by: skarat | April 29, 2007 at 11:46 AM