I think what you're going to have a CT myelogram, is different than what the original poster was talking about. They had xrays taken after the dye was injected into the spinal cord. What you are probably going to have is a simple vein injection of contrast material which is pretty much painless, although it may make you feel suddenly warm. Then when the dye is in the right area, they start the CT scan in the machine. Very fast.
Call the place where they have you set up for the test and ask them if this is what is going to happen. Also, with this test in a CT, doesn't matter how you lay.
Wendy
myelograms
Re: myelograms
Beth,
No, my daughter never had a myelogram at Hershey Med. She had one done at the Mayo Clinic and she experienced no problems with it. I can tell you that I work in an Outpatient Surgical Department in a local hospital and we do about 6 to 8 myelograms a month. Most patients do not have any ill effects but hate the laying around for 4 to 6 hours flat in bed afterward. The dye is not injected into the spinal cord, it is injected into the space around the spinal cord. A headache is the most common "complication." A small amount of the spinal fluid may be taken off so this is why we recommend laying flat and drinking plenty of fluids to replenish the CSF and to flush out the dye. If a respected doctor recommends a myelogram, I would not hesitate to have one done. Sue
No, my daughter never had a myelogram at Hershey Med. She had one done at the Mayo Clinic and she experienced no problems with it. I can tell you that I work in an Outpatient Surgical Department in a local hospital and we do about 6 to 8 myelograms a month. Most patients do not have any ill effects but hate the laying around for 4 to 6 hours flat in bed afterward. The dye is not injected into the spinal cord, it is injected into the space around the spinal cord. A headache is the most common "complication." A small amount of the spinal fluid may be taken off so this is why we recommend laying flat and drinking plenty of fluids to replenish the CSF and to flush out the dye. If a respected doctor recommends a myelogram, I would not hesitate to have one done. Sue
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Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: myelograms
CT Myelogram involves dye injection into the spinal cord and then getting CT scans. I had the Myelogram preformed on the tilting table while using a Fluoroscope (real time continual xray) machine to guide the needle placement and dye injection into the spine. The Fluoroscope was used to capture images of the dye pluming out my spine where the nerves where torn out (C5, C6,& C7), and then they hustled me off to the CT room to get scanned.
I remember being able to see the Fluoroscope screen from the corner of my eye as I lay face down on that examining room table, and wanting so badly to turn my head to see better but couldn't because of my neck brace (from fracturing C1, C2, & C3). When I saw that dye starting to creep out my spine, from the holes created by the torn away nerves, I want to yell out from the base of my gut. I had been told for over a month and a half that it was most likely only one avulsion if any, which I never trusted. But strangely, with finally getting a real sense of what I was up against, a sense of peace and firmness came over me, that soon pushed me into finding out all my own answers. I realized that no one would care about the severity and consequences and remedy for this situation as much as I would, and in the end only I could be held accountable if the treatment I got wasn't good enough. In a real life way, I was learning the real meaning of that tiresome & over used expression, "Knowledge is Power". It was the day my dreams died of who & what I was going to be, but oddly empowering me as to what I had to, and was going to do.
chriscnaz,
Yes it's on a tilting table, and they may have to reapply the brace to lay him on his stomach.
Best of Luck ,
Christopher
I remember being able to see the Fluoroscope screen from the corner of my eye as I lay face down on that examining room table, and wanting so badly to turn my head to see better but couldn't because of my neck brace (from fracturing C1, C2, & C3). When I saw that dye starting to creep out my spine, from the holes created by the torn away nerves, I want to yell out from the base of my gut. I had been told for over a month and a half that it was most likely only one avulsion if any, which I never trusted. But strangely, with finally getting a real sense of what I was up against, a sense of peace and firmness came over me, that soon pushed me into finding out all my own answers. I realized that no one would care about the severity and consequences and remedy for this situation as much as I would, and in the end only I could be held accountable if the treatment I got wasn't good enough. In a real life way, I was learning the real meaning of that tiresome & over used expression, "Knowledge is Power". It was the day my dreams died of who & what I was going to be, but oddly empowering me as to what I had to, and was going to do.
chriscnaz,
Yes it's on a tilting table, and they may have to reapply the brace to lay him on his stomach.
Best of Luck ,
Christopher
-
swhite1
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:15 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Bad fall in June of 2006
LTBPI - Location: right here in Texas
Re: myelograms
This message is particularly for Christopher, who by the way I would nominate wholeheartedly for president of our little world. Christopher for King! as I were...
I was scheduled for an MRI last week and fortunately fell, busted my head open. I went to my appointment thinking I could manage an MRI of my shoulder or my chest and then go to the ER. I had stopped the bleeding and wore a ballcap so no one was the wiser. I was not aware of what was going to be filmed. I was told I needed Lab work to make sure my liver or kidneys could manage the dye. I asked what they wanted to MRI and was told 'my head'. Chris, was I being set up for a myelogram? Because of the institution that is the V.A. there is no one I could talk to pre-dye. Heck I don't even know who ordered the MRI. Because of the multiple traumas I've suffered I am loaded for bear. 10 steel plates are holding my right pelvis together as is steel hardware holding my right hip/femur. My right patella has been completely removed as was my appendix and my ascending colon. I've had spinal taps (definitely not fun) I've had to learn to be vertical again after 3 months in traction on my back. Of course walking again with a hip-spike-a(?) and hinged right, full leg cast was fun...because I can not navigate on a tread mill I had to have a 'chemical' stress test on my heart. My God who could have possibly come up with that solution? Now then...I have testified to two horrific procedures, the spinal tap and a chemical stress test. I failed to mention one other test where I was injected with something that made me taste or feel iodine through an I.V. tube, what was that? Please tell me I was being set up for a myelogram so I can cancel it? I still have 8 steel staples that need to be removed from my head. ENOUGH ALREADY!!! Jeez when do I break? I hope to heck I've asked you a question you can answer King Christopher because I really don't want to bother anyone for anything. If I could only read my records...I can not because my latest print-out is over 500 loose sheets and that is only a four month period....
oh what to do? what to do? By the way kudos to you and your sister for inventing that procedure I was recently reading about. You are truly remarkable and it is only too bad we've had to meet...like this.
I go back to the V.A. Friday or Monday. I'm certain you'll have something positive for me???
Thank you,
Scott
Message was edited by: swhite1
I was scheduled for an MRI last week and fortunately fell, busted my head open. I went to my appointment thinking I could manage an MRI of my shoulder or my chest and then go to the ER. I had stopped the bleeding and wore a ballcap so no one was the wiser. I was not aware of what was going to be filmed. I was told I needed Lab work to make sure my liver or kidneys could manage the dye. I asked what they wanted to MRI and was told 'my head'. Chris, was I being set up for a myelogram? Because of the institution that is the V.A. there is no one I could talk to pre-dye. Heck I don't even know who ordered the MRI. Because of the multiple traumas I've suffered I am loaded for bear. 10 steel plates are holding my right pelvis together as is steel hardware holding my right hip/femur. My right patella has been completely removed as was my appendix and my ascending colon. I've had spinal taps (definitely not fun) I've had to learn to be vertical again after 3 months in traction on my back. Of course walking again with a hip-spike-a(?) and hinged right, full leg cast was fun...because I can not navigate on a tread mill I had to have a 'chemical' stress test on my heart. My God who could have possibly come up with that solution? Now then...I have testified to two horrific procedures, the spinal tap and a chemical stress test. I failed to mention one other test where I was injected with something that made me taste or feel iodine through an I.V. tube, what was that? Please tell me I was being set up for a myelogram so I can cancel it? I still have 8 steel staples that need to be removed from my head. ENOUGH ALREADY!!! Jeez when do I break? I hope to heck I've asked you a question you can answer King Christopher because I really don't want to bother anyone for anything. If I could only read my records...I can not because my latest print-out is over 500 loose sheets and that is only a four month period....
oh what to do? what to do? By the way kudos to you and your sister for inventing that procedure I was recently reading about. You are truly remarkable and it is only too bad we've had to meet...like this. I go back to the V.A. Friday or Monday. I'm certain you'll have something positive for me???
Thank you,
Scott
Message was edited by: swhite1
-
swhite1
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:15 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Bad fall in June of 2006
LTBPI - Location: right here in Texas
Re: myelograms
Okay Chris I trust you. What was the other guy talking about the dye goes 'around' the spinal column. Is it mis-information or is he/she misguided? I need the truth.
Scott
Scott
Re: myelograms
Hey everyone it has been awhille, my pc crapped out on me and I wouldn't accept donation. So I go what I wanted, took a while but I got it. I think myelograms are very impotant for a final diagnosis of our condition. The reason I beleive most of you are haveing some sort of bad experience, is that maybe the hospital isn't quite set up to give them on adults. Because I deffinitely believe they are necessary
Brandon
Brandon
-
Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: myelograms
Scott,
My apologies for the late reply, and thank you for the flattery, it got you somewhere
. You have probably already had your MRI!
I doubt that you were going in for a Myelogram, as the needle that injects the dye has to be done through the guidance of using a Fluoroscope (real time X-Ray type imaging device) not an MRI machine, but who knows. It may have been a dye to be injected into your blood stream to get better imaging of your bodies vascularization, or how your brain processes are functioning by determining what areas absorb and process sugars in the dye for energy. If I were you, I would demand that you get a doctor to go through all of your reports with you and give you a heads up as to what your options are and future testing/diagnostics entail. Going at this stuff blind is no good, and isn't healthy. You should know exactly what you are being treated for, and exactly what you need to be treated for. No doctor can really help us if we're not up to scuff on what we've been through and what we need to be checked on, in my opinion. It's hard work staying up on all the endless details that come from massive injuries and trauma, but we use only a fraction of the potential our brains are capable of, so might as well stretch the limits a bit. Sounds like your body has been stretching the limits for a while! Ten plates, yikes! Of course the painkillers let us function at only about 50% of what we'd normally be able to! Getting off those things has been one of the best decisions I've made in getting me back into life again.
I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope so.
Best of Luck,
Christopher
My apologies for the late reply, and thank you for the flattery, it got you somewhere
. You have probably already had your MRI! I doubt that you were going in for a Myelogram, as the needle that injects the dye has to be done through the guidance of using a Fluoroscope (real time X-Ray type imaging device) not an MRI machine, but who knows. It may have been a dye to be injected into your blood stream to get better imaging of your bodies vascularization, or how your brain processes are functioning by determining what areas absorb and process sugars in the dye for energy. If I were you, I would demand that you get a doctor to go through all of your reports with you and give you a heads up as to what your options are and future testing/diagnostics entail. Going at this stuff blind is no good, and isn't healthy. You should know exactly what you are being treated for, and exactly what you need to be treated for. No doctor can really help us if we're not up to scuff on what we've been through and what we need to be checked on, in my opinion. It's hard work staying up on all the endless details that come from massive injuries and trauma, but we use only a fraction of the potential our brains are capable of, so might as well stretch the limits a bit. Sounds like your body has been stretching the limits for a while! Ten plates, yikes! Of course the painkillers let us function at only about 50% of what we'd normally be able to! Getting off those things has been one of the best decisions I've made in getting me back into life again.
I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope so.
Best of Luck,
Christopher
Re: myelograms
Well we survived the myelogram, and yes just as you explained he had to be on his stomach with a ton of pillows, blankets, and other padding to be able to do it. The pressure from the tilting was the worst part I think. Far from pain free, but if it gives us the info it'll be worth it!
Just completed 2 days ago, we have an appt in 2 weeks to review the results with the nuero. They made me leave and he couldn't see the fluroscope so no idea what they found.
We are somewhere inbetween many of the stories I've read here. Slow progress but still progess on bi-cep and tri-cep but still no progress on the hand function itself, and only small areas of sensation returning.
We are almost 5 mos post-injury and the nuero seems keenly aware and trying to balance not loosing the window for better prognosis if surgery is needed, but also not doing surgery unneccesarily.
They did both X-rays and CT scan so hopefully we'll some more definitive info at the next appt.
Just completed 2 days ago, we have an appt in 2 weeks to review the results with the nuero. They made me leave and he couldn't see the fluroscope so no idea what they found.
We are somewhere inbetween many of the stories I've read here. Slow progress but still progess on bi-cep and tri-cep but still no progress on the hand function itself, and only small areas of sensation returning.
We are almost 5 mos post-injury and the nuero seems keenly aware and trying to balance not loosing the window for better prognosis if surgery is needed, but also not doing surgery unneccesarily.
They did both X-rays and CT scan so hopefully we'll some more definitive info at the next appt.