Bizarre Information Today

[Maxine]

Today I went to get ultrasounds of my carotid, VERTEBRAL, abdominal aorta, and a cardiac echo.

Here's a twist! Remember when I said my left vertebral artery is missing, and it was confirmed by NIH, and finally by my local neurologist because they finally LOOKED at the MRA done in 2005. Two MRAs showed this artery is missing, the one in 2005, and the one done at NIH done in 2008. I also saw it on my computer----there it was plain as day two larger carotid, and only one vertebral on the right-------------nothing on the left---JUST GONE.

Well today blood flow shows up where the left vertebral artery is, and so does the artery on the ultrasound. Explain this! This is all too weird. Now this is all we know so far, the doctor has not seen the ultrasound films yet. This was just what the ultrasound tech. and I saw. She double checked, and there it was. Was the artery damaged beyond my neck? It could not be visualized on the brain MRAs. I told her about the swelling in my neck near my clavicle, and she said she noticed it too, and I told her it gets worse the longer I'm standing or sitting, but worse when standing or using my arms to do anything. she checked this area also, but didn't see any growths or blockage.

OK this was today. Friday I saw an ENT. This is because mastoid fluid has now showed up on 2 MRIs, and one CT. One MRI in 2005, the recent CT I had done this summer, and the MRI I just had Wednesday last week. I told you my granddaughter hit me on the face with a heavy toy, and since then I have had worsening of already existing symptoms, and pain. this is why PCP ordered the MRI. NOW GET THIS! I have stated that many of my MRIs show abnomalities---especially in cervical spine. Everywhere from NIH, to NY, to four local hospitals------------usually all reporting the same herniated disks, some reporting the congenital cervical spine stenosis, and two reporting abnormality on odontoid bone with pannus growth. My PCP sent me to a local out patient radiolgy clinic. What a joke--------the MRI on cervical spine showed "normal cervical spine". This is crazy, as soon as I got home from taking the MRI I had to get the weight of my head off my neck and lay down it hurt so bad, along with a wicked headache with different positions. This headache is still here, and it feels like I have edema in the right side of my neck.

OK, the brain MRI shows scattered foci of signal abnormality in th deep white matter of cetrum semiovale and frontal regions. These changes could be from vasculitis, small vessel ischemic change, or demyelinating change. A mucosal signal abnormality suggestive of a small retention cyst on right maxillary sinus, then of course abnormality in the right mastoid air cells suggestive of, "childhood infection", or "chronic mastoiditis". HMMMmmmmm, the ENT did not see anything wron in my middle ear suggestive of infection----EVER. As a child I did not have chronic middle ear infections. BUT, I do know vascular congestion can cause this------but dare I bring this up to any of my physicians-----------------I think not.

Something isn't right-----but I think they're waiting for my head to blow up and they'll examine the aftermath to see what caused my head to blow. When is the rocket scientist going to come and figure out that it's probably related to cervical/cranial instability combined with vascular issues in the back of my brain?? Along with the headaches I get from different positions of of my neck and head, but I also have the constant localized pain right where I felt the tear somewhere between my upper neck and head. The ding dongs at the radiology "outlet" couldn't find anything abnormal in my c-spine----but yet everyone else has---and this is before the toy in the face mishap last weekend. Meanwhile, still the same old symptoms with a little more dizziness thrown in.

I'm sitting here after taking over an hour to type this wondering when in the heck the rocket scientist is going to come and save the day for me........

Forgive errors---I'm not correcting tonight.........

Maxine :0)

[iheartcats]

I just don't know - can you see a neurologist (of your choice) with all these records and information?

You need to ask what can and can't be ruled out and it'd have to be a doctor who will listen to your input. I know how hard that can be.

Hugs!

[firewatcher]

Maxine, would the reduced cerebral blood flow that Dr. Stewart noted in one of his recent articles account for the missing artery? So reduced that it isn't there, making it look absent? I think that I WOULD dare bring it up, because you might me the rocket scientist to finally figure it out! (better that than the monkey in the capsule, waiting for your head to explode!) I don't know what your docs think of you, but track it down! Who would you see for vasculitis?

Good luck, I hope your headache lets up!

(((((((((((((((((((very gentle hug, nowhere near your neck!))))))))))))))))))))))))

Jennifer

[Broken_Shell]

Hi Maxine,

How frustrating! Did the radiologists reading the latest scan have the old images for comparison?

I am not sure what to suggest, but I would bring up anything and everything to the doctors. I know how you feel, but they are not the ones living through what you are, and it is your right to keep on bringing things up and getting additional opinions until you get some resolution.

Gentle Hugs, Broken_Shell

[bjt22]

I recently had an MRI due to the sudden, almost 100 percent loss, of hearing on my right side.

What did I learn? I learned I want that radiologist's job. A whole report of "This might or might not be normals" and "unclear what this means". Yeah, I'd like to earn a six figure income for writing up such reports.

I had several of those lesions found, too. One quite large. They are found on about 10-19 percent of people who've reported migraine. This goes far with the theories that migraine is often "stroke like", and the thought is that the ischemic, stroke like damage comes from the "aura" felt before the actual headache...it's possibly a consequence of the strong vaso-constriction that causes the aura preceding the massive vaso-dialation that causes the headache. I often get the "auras" without the actual headache, so it makes sense. Since one was quite large, I wouldn't rule out a stroke in the past.

[Maxine]

Thanks for your replies, and for your support!

This is all so confusing, but what is really making me wonder is the fluid and abnormalities in the mastoid area. The leasions have been there, and it sound like I'm getting more. I have this instability right in the cervical/cranail junction, and what appears to be this missing left vertebral artery. This needs more followup!

I talked to my Doc's secretary this morning when I called to renw my prescription. I told her I received the test results from him, but I actually had copies mailed to me at my request by the radiologist. I studied the results before I got their copies, and I told her that I don't understand how this radiologist could possibly know what he's doing when he missed many of the abnormalities that mostly every other radiologist from different hospital facilities picked up on.

Vascular congestion seems to be something that should definately be checked out. I'm thinking this would be further up into my brain, and the vascular carotid and apparently vertebral flow was fine, but again, I don't have the report from the doctors who will read it.

On Tuesday next week I be having a BAER test, CT of temporal area in my brain, and a hearing test. This was ordered my my ENT, and he didn't see any evidence of a middle ear infection on clinical exam, but wanted to order these tests because of the matoid fluid buildup that has been there for over four years.

Maxine :0)

[Maxine]

I thouhg you might find this link on BAER testing interesting.

It looks like it's important that this test be read by a ENT--neuro with a PHd in addition to an MD.

The ENT I saw has both.

http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/testing/baer.htm

THANKS AGAIN! I really appreciate you following my posts, and all of your support!

Maxine :0)