Reisa, so glad you now know just what the problem is, and hope the surgery
in June will take care of all the pain.  Keep us posted closer to the time
for surgery so we can have you on the prayer chain.
Gwen

hi reisa!  sounds like it's been a rough go for you, for awhile now.
(((((((((reisea))))))))))  but it also sounds like some things are moving
towards resolution for part of your difficulties, and that's goodness.
please let us know the exact date of your surgery, so we can get the prayer
machine working on your behalf.

kate

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since I've been here, had many other things going on.
But thought I'd give you a quick update.  I finally got into the rheumy
and she gave me Enbrel, which has been working pretty good to keep
my hands and knees limber without pain.  Didn't touch my back issues.
I've had 4 sets of facet injections along with 4 sets of SI injections none
of which helped beyond 3 weeks of controlling the swelling only, minimal
help with the pain.  So, the rheumy ordered another MRI and sent me off
to a neurosurgeon, who did another CTscan and several normal xrays and
come to find out, NO! I don't have AS.. but I have degenerative
spondylolisthesis
instead.  Seems the vertabre(sp) at L4 is overlapping L5 which is crushing
the nerve roots which is some of my pain, the other pain he feels is the
bone
rubbing bone every movement I make.  He said it's a "Grade 3" which means
it's overlapping by 75%.  He said, think of it this way, the vertabre is
broken
off and is just hanging there.

I'm scheduled for surgery in mid june and he's going to put in a cage and
remove
the scar tissue and do a diskectomy on the other hernation at L3-L4 while
he's
got me open.  SO, let's hope this gets my by another 6-7yrs like my first
surgery
did.

LOL, oh and top it off, I'm not being watched/tested for hypERthyroid.. my
TSH
has been dropping quite a bit over the past year from 1.5 to .4 -- This will
make
my 4th autoimmune disease.. *sigh* wonder what's next!

So, theres my update.. Hope all are doing well, I only had a few to breeze
over
what others have said of late. Take care and I'll try to get back to being
more active.

Hugs.

Reisa