Neck x-ray? Huh???
Had a follow-up with my PCP today (they'd squeezed me in last week and didn't do much besides bloodwork). So I'm confused. We reviewed the numbers and I got my own copy, and she's right, my numbers are all good to very good. She admitted she isn't sure what's going on, and I can't blame her. I'm a weirdo and my symptoms change daily. 
Her office is scheduling an MRI. I did confirm it will be with and without contrast, brain and c-spine. They'll call me next week with that appointment.
Then she ordered a c-spine x-ray and told me to go get it done TODAY. Say what?? I asked why and she said I have a lot of upper body symptoms (I do have a few, but just as many lower body ones) that concern her. I have had neck and shoulder tension that often increases to pain for many, many years. I have tingling in my right hand and forearm, and that's new. I have excruciating, debilitating, horrifying pains that shoot up the back of my head on one side, which she agrees sounds like occipital neuralgia. So okay, if the lady wants an x-ray, I'll give her an x-ray.
So I go to the hospital, pay my $143 (boy, they get ya right at registration these days, don't they?), and go to radiology. The technician asked what brought about the order, so I told her briefly. She says the x-rays won't show a pinched nerve, so she wonders what else my doctor might be looking for.
What the heck? Could the technician be wrong, or could there be something else the doc is ruling out? I'm confused. Anyone had an x-ray for similar symptoms?
Oh, and since the tech very gently manipulated me into the right positions for the films, I'm in a lot of pain. Neck, shoulder, arm...pretty bad. So maybe the doctor IS onto something. Standing there against the x-ray board, she brought the shiny light camera thing (lol) within a couple feet of my face, and my eye instantly started twitching violently. Cracked us both up. So she told me to close my eyes and I nearly fell over sideways when I did.
Lordy, this is for the birds.
Her office is scheduling an MRI. I did confirm it will be with and without contrast, brain and c-spine. They'll call me next week with that appointment.
Then she ordered a c-spine x-ray and told me to go get it done TODAY. Say what?? I asked why and she said I have a lot of upper body symptoms (I do have a few, but just as many lower body ones) that concern her. I have had neck and shoulder tension that often increases to pain for many, many years. I have tingling in my right hand and forearm, and that's new. I have excruciating, debilitating, horrifying pains that shoot up the back of my head on one side, which she agrees sounds like occipital neuralgia. So okay, if the lady wants an x-ray, I'll give her an x-ray.
So I go to the hospital, pay my $143 (boy, they get ya right at registration these days, don't they?), and go to radiology. The technician asked what brought about the order, so I told her briefly. She says the x-rays won't show a pinched nerve, so she wonders what else my doctor might be looking for.
What the heck? Could the technician be wrong, or could there be something else the doc is ruling out? I'm confused. Anyone had an x-ray for similar symptoms?
Oh, and since the tech very gently manipulated me into the right positions for the films, I'm in a lot of pain. Neck, shoulder, arm...pretty bad. So maybe the doctor IS onto something. Standing there against the x-ray board, she brought the shiny light camera thing (lol) within a couple feet of my face, and my eye instantly started twitching violently. Cracked us both up. So she told me to close my eyes and I nearly fell over sideways when I did.
Lordy, this is for the birds.
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