Fred.Kreitzer@p0.f10.n137.z1.fidonet.org (Fred Kreitzer) (02/28/91)
Index Number: 13707
Hi Harry
Nice to hear from you, I am probly late in responding, I had been away
from home for a day.
Your problem to say the least is interesting, has it been medically
proven though tests?, has test like MRI Mylogram ruled out any boney
disorder?
A short history on me. Injured in early 1970 when the chopper I was
flying was forced down due to small arms fire. I sustained no trauma
from the crash, but took 2 rounds, one in the buttock and the other
entered the rectum,exited the Sigmod Colon and lodged at L4-L5 level.
The first one could be removed with no problem, the second was so close
to the spine, it was left there. I fully recovered to say the least that
was my last trip to Vietnam.
Ever since 1970, I have recived back x-rays to plot the location of the
projectile. I remain in the army and flying till 1986, when x-ray showed
that it had move away from the spine, I when to Walter Reed Hosp, where
surgery was performed to remove it. As the took the projectile, it eas
noted that I had develope athritis and they were forced to remove the
disc at L4-L5.
In 1987 right at christmas, amother operation was done to find why I was
still in great pain and had loss use of my right leg. This revealed that
discs at L3-L4 and L5-S1 had also ruptured. Those disc were removed, my
spine fused and 2 steel rod places for support.
I still have severe pain in my lower back, a burning pain in the rt. leg
and when I am tired or have stood too long, lt. leg pain will start. I
can walk fairly well with a cane and have little trouble getting aruond.
I have had all the battery of test and all they can find is a small bone
sper which might at times inflame the rt siatic nerve. My doctors have
come to two conclussions, first, any further injuries to the lower spine
could not be repaired and second, most likly the mucsle of the lower
back have intersperced with scar tissue, mucsle spasms will push the
scar tissue on to the siatic nervres, inflaming them for weeks on end.
I am on moderate pain killers and heavy mucsle relaxants(they seem worse
than the pain kill).
There has been talk of removing the scar tissue, one doctor says yes,
one says no, I'll let them fight it out
Excuse my spelling, I was always a good speller, but a bad typist and I
wont take the time to edit this, you get what I mean
Please write again and give me more detail on your disorder.
40
Sarasota Fred
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!137!10.0!Fred.Kreitzer
Internet: Fred.Kreitzer@p0.f10.n137.z1.fidonet.orgHarry.London@f1000.n261.z1.fidonet.org (Harry London) (02/28/91)
Index Number: 13711
One thing that the doctors have all agreed upon is that there is an
inflammatory process, probably autoimmune related, within the spinal cord
that showed up in all the pictures as abnormally widened. Suspected tumor,
which has been ruled out, or maybe sarcoids, cysts, or just plain
inflammation, specifically vasculitis. I did have spinal stenosis in the
cervical area which at first was thought to be the cause of weakening
right leg, but that was before the mris in the thoracic spine. The last
word on the subject is: "Whatever it was in there has burned itself out,"
but the damage to nerve cells remains, and appears permanent, to wit: "If
nothing has come back so far, it isn;'t likelyh to." What is likely is
that there was a sort of stroke within the spinal cord, which ould
function in thespinal cord much as a stroke in the brain...cutting off
supply of blood to nerve cells. So all in all, I don't think there is a
problem of bone. Incidentally, an around the corner neighbor had metal
lodged inside his spinal cord during WWII, and it wasn't until he'd been
home a good many years that he began to have what wer thought to be ms
symptoms, so I have some feeling for what you have described. Thanks for
sharing.
Harry
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!261!1000!Harry.London
Internet: Harry.London@f1000.n261.z1.fidonet.orgFred.Kreitzer@p0.f12.n137.z1.fidonet.org (Fred Kreitzer) (02/28/91)
Index Number: 13715
Hi Harry
nice to hear from you and I hope all is good with you. Her in Fla, we have
been having nice weather, its warm in the afternoon, but does get in the
lowerer 60, upper 50 at night. It seems that when the temp goes below the
low 70s, my back and legs act up more(glad i'm not in chicago).
I think I might have an interesting pooint which I have not been able to
earch yet. My uncle is in his 80s, he live 20 miles from me in Venice,Fl
About 2 years ago, he strarted to have leg weakness with severe pain in
his legs. He has been to many doctors and ended up at the Mayo Clinic,in
Jacksonville, Fla. Ater a week of tests, they ruled out MS, CP and the many
different types of MD. They were about to send him home when a new doctor
that had been called to see him, did more test, ct-scan and electro-
stimulation test. The results were clear, either due to his age, or an
unknown illness, the protective lining (Mylan) around the nerves in his
legs was being destroyed and the inpulses from the brain were shortting
out. This was what was causeing his troubles. No cure, they gave him some
medication to cut down on the pain, limited use of Prednison(steroid) and
told him to enjoy the rest of his life.
He and my aunt are leaving this week for a trip around the world, by
ship and he feels alot better when he found out that this was not going
to put him away for good.
armed with this knowledge, I am going to ask my doctors if this could
posibly be part of my problem, because if it is, at my age, it could be
slowed down so as to keep me on my feet. This is a stab in the dark, I
have been told that my problem along with the scar tissue is the fact
that arthritis is creeping into my joints .its degenerative in nature and
they cant find any thing to stop it. I have been told that there will be
no more attepts to enter my back and remove arthritic buildup, too too
ddangerous to try.
Well I must run, have sat to long and must walk around for awhile to cut
the pain down alittle
see you soon
Sarasota Fred
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