The test are in and the results are!

I had my MRI done on Monday and my Electromyography (EMG) done today.

I have a ruptured disk in my neck. I have surgery scheduled for Dec. 6, 2011 to repair it.

This will relieve the numbness in my right arm and hand. The rupture is putting pressure on my nerve which in turn is effecting my ring and little finger going numb and my loss of grip strength in my right hand.

The MRI test was a breeze, they lay you down on a board, slide you into a tube and you do not move. I can see where people who do not like tight spaces could get nervous. For me it did not bother me at all.

Today they ran two types of test. The first one was to check my electrical impulses. They did that by zapping me with electricity up and down my arm to measure the nerve endings. It was similar to touching an electric fence and getting zapped. Not too painful just annoying.

The second test was to check my muscle function. They did that by sticking a needle in different places in my muscle of my right arm and hand and having to move that muscle with the needle still in there. They also stuck me in the back of my neck, that was not fun. The needle had a little sting to it, but it was manageable. It felt like someone poking me with a straight pin, and leaving it in there. it was not too fun moving the muscle with that needle still in there. It was not horribly bad, just slightly painful and annoying.

At least I did not faint through the whole process.

The funniest line was when the doctor said "this one is going to hurt the worst" and I thought, and just what does that mean? did that mean? compared to the previous ones, those hurt less? All I knew each time I got stuck with that needle it hurt, every single time!

Well, he was right, that one had a bigger sting to it as compared to all the other ones. Maybe he should have stuck me with that one first, and then all the other needle sticks I received would have been just a piece of cake, because then I could have established a baseline for the pain level I was enduring. Nothing would have jumped up hiring than that one!

So, I will have the operation on December 6, 2011 and stay overnight and will be able to go home the next day after 9:00 AM, and life will go back to normal.

Matthew just arrived home, and Mary will be coming home soon also.

Sarah and Dan will be arriving on Friday, so we will have a full house

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.

Posted by Randy