Oh no Kate (kropos)
I am sorry to hear it.
I don;t know anything about it, I just wanted you to know I was
thinking about you and had read your post.

I did the thing with your name so that people would be able to
distinguish you from the other Kate who is going through STUFF with
her arm.

It seems like our Kates are having problems this winter.
    Rose   @}>->--
    Being educated means that rather than fearing the unknown, one seeks to understand it. RB

    Please remove "Ima" to reply.

(((((((((((((((Kate)))))))))))))))  man, those fractures sound painful!  i
sure hope it's not as bad as it sounds. i wish i had info to share, kid.  is
that the procedure where they inject a kind of cement?  please let us know
how the mri goes.

kate

Anyone have the kyphoplasty procedure? I have 2 fractures in my
thoracic spine, get the MRI Friday to see if I can have this procedure.
Any info would be helpful. Kate

Kate -  Let me say I can honestly feel your pain!  I am recovering from
two compression fractures in my spine - T11 and T12 right now and had 4
of them 2 and a half years ago. I've never been in so much pain in my
life. I've shrunk 4.5 inches as well. Have you measured your height?
Where are they? How are you holding out? Are you having trouble
sleeping in a bed?  I found a recliner to be the only place I could
sleep.

To answer your question -I have not had the kyphoplasty. My family doc
wanted me to have it this time, but I was so discouraged from having it
last time and that combined with a lot of other things going on put me
off having it this time.  I hear if it's successful, your pain is gone
immediately. I had my records reviewed at Mayo Clinic and they told me
that if I could recover without it, it was preferable because of my age
(50 at the time) The neurosurgeon there told me that they do not have
longevity studies yet on the cement that they use as the procedure has
been (at that time) only been done for about 12 years and they are were
afraid to find out in 20 or more years that it would degrade and leak
out and cause paralysis. Mostly he told me the procedure was done on
people in there 70-80's and they weren't too worried about longevity at
that point. He told me if the pain was getting better and I could live
with it, that it was better not to have it.  This time my family doc is
very gung ho on my having it done. He said he's never heard anything
about the cement and even spoke personally to the interventional
radiologist who does it here about it and he'd never heard that either.
I still didn't have it done. I'm a worrier.

Of course, I have so many other reasons not to have surgery - I take
coumadin and that would complecate the surgery. When I was last in the
hospital I had a hemotoma in my knee from complications of trying to
get my PT/INR right. I can't afford one in my spinal column.

The pain is tolorable and I know it will get better over time. The
worst of it has past.  The loss in height drives me crazy but they told
me there was no guarentee that the height would return completely with
the procedure. It's hell buying clothes now and I can't reach anything
on the top shelves anymore. I have to have all my closets re-aligned
because at 5' 7.5' I didn't have any trouble with them and now I'm
cursing all the time and using a reacher because at 5'3" I can't reach
anything!

For me, it's been a choice not to have it. Apparently it is better done
while the fractures are considered "acute"  But Mayo clinic said they
have done them as many as 4-6 months out.

Let me know what you decide.  Cyberhugs....gentle ones....DianeW

Oh Kate, feeling your pain. I know that area from what my chiro said is the
least bothered area. I feel for you  and hope it heals quickly with whatever
has to be done to help you with it. I can not imagine the pain you must be
in because of it.