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Abnormal x-ray results I desperately need hugs please

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AJLang

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Feeling exhausted, washed out etc because of the labythinritis (thank you everyone who posted - and @mikeyB thanks for the warning about alcohol but I don't even if want any at the moment).
Went onto GP online system today because I knew the pelvis/lumbar spin x-ray reports would be on there. In my heart I'd hoped that the results would be normal but both x-ray reports were marked as abnormal. Mild to moderate degeneration, evidence of sceloris (which I think means bone hardening), mild to moderate facet joint damage and some space in my right hip joint and something else I can't remember. So, if I've got this right I've got back and hip arthritis but not sure if the scleroris means more than that. Still in my 40's but feel about 80. GP has written "no action" but I assume that is because I am seeing the rheumatologist in eight weeks. The amitriptylene was helping things but I've stopped it because of the effects on my BG levels/gastroparesis. The advice for each of my health conditions that I have is contradictory. At this precise moment I feel beaten by yet something else but I will fight back because I know that I'm in a lot better position than a lot of other people. Any hugs will be gratefully received 🙂
 
Sending hugs. Will be thinking of you.
 
Sorry to hear this Amanda. Hope you can get some good advice and treatment at the appointment in 8 weeks. Try to take comfort in the 'no action' that the x-rays were marked with. Hopefully it means whatever they have spotted is a a very early stage. Hope you get support that puts your mind at rest.
 
Don’t worry too much, Amanda. If you did those same X-rays on every person between 40 and 50, most would show some of the changes you mention. I sure did. I found out I had OA of the hips about 12 years ago, and only became symptomatic a couple of years back.

The back problem is simply lumbar spondylosis that is a consequence of humans walking upright. Nearly everybody shows signs of that by the time they are 50. It’s not really arthritis, just wear and tear.

So you aren’t crumbling away, you’re just being human.🙂

And that’s why the GP said ‘no action”.

So, as I say, don’t worry. Just try and keep mobile, particularly your back. You’re like me, mobility limited for other reasons; that’s why you are getting symptoms. If the rheumatologist says any different I’ll eat my hat:D
 
No advice, but big hug. Hope that the no action note is a more positive sign for you.
 
Mike echos exactly what I was going to say Amanda. I had a couple of MRI’s and when I read them I couldn’t understand how I was still upright and walking about! I was offered epidural injections into my back but in the end declined because the benefit is short lived. My systemic arthritic condition started young too but I rejected the heavy duty meds the rheumatologist would have had me on.

I always think these results are like reading the surveys they do on houses you’re interested in. You read through and it sounds like it’s about to fall down when it fact much of it is wear and tear and expected changes.

Keep going and you’ll be fine 🙂
 
Hugs, Amanda, and hoping that this does indeed come under the umbrella of 'if you gave everyone a thorough examination, you'd find something wrong in even the healthiest'
 
Thank you everyone. I really appreciate what you're saying, and I hope that Mikey won't be eating his hat. I really hope that these results are normal for my age. But then it still leaves the question as to why I'm struggling to walk more than very short distances because of the pain and stiffness. I think that both myself and the rheumatologist thought that the x-rays would provide the answers.
 
Thank you everyone. I really appreciate what you're saying, and I hope that Mikey won't be eating his hat. I really hope that these results are normal for my age. But then it still leaves the question as to why I'm struggling to walk more than very short distances because of the pain and stiffness. I think that both myself and the rheumatologist thought that the x-rays would provide the answers.

You’d need more in-depth diagnostic testing than X-Rays can provide to be honest AJ.

It’s certainly ‘not normal’ and certainly not at your age but sometimes structural degeneration like this is a reality and I share your frustrations. You should see the state of my hands! 😱 It seems to me that not many advances have been made in this field for decades apart from heavy end drugs which as you say, fight madly with other conditions and medications! I can’t take any anti-inflammatory drugs at all no matter how bad it gets because they take my platelets out and I end up covered in bruises. Ain’t fair is it? I want a charmed, illness free life next time round please and I’m sure you do too.
 
Sorry to hear this Amanda {{{{HUGS}}}} I hope that the rheumatologist can find other options to explore if they are able to discount the x-rays as normal wear and tear'. Take care {{{{More HUGS}}}}
 
I'm on 25mg Amitriptyline tablets and it really works. When I was initially prescribed them my doctor told me to persevere with them despite the side effects. I guess it's a matter of compromise- do you put up with the pain or suffer the side effects.
Maybe there's an alternative to Amitriptyline. Surely worth asking your doctor about rather than waiting eight weeks?
 
Hugs from me @AJLang. Sounds similar to my wife. She has been diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease but although it only showed up as mild, she is in horrendous pain & when it is at it's worse, can barely move. The Amitriptyline help her a bit. She did have a guided steriod injection in her back about 2 months ago which made a huge difference, but it's wearing off rapidly now & can't have another one for another 2 months.
 
(((Hugs)))
 
Here's another {{hug}} for you Amanda. I hope you feel reassured by MikeyB's information x
 
More {{{hugs}}} from me too. Hope they're helping, Amanda xx
 
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