[mmglobal]

At the beginning of last year, I was saying that I'd certainly be having cervical surgery in 2006. I have large osteophytes w/"moderately severe foraminal stenosis" at 2 levels and early last year, the symptoms were quite limiting. However, the symptoms subsided to annoying levels with them rising to limiting only occasionally. I'm supposed to be getting yearly MRI so I can monitor the size of the osteophytes... if they get to be too big, I'll lose the option to do ADR and they are already marginal.

Yesterday, I sneezed quite hard and when I did, I got an electrical shock in my upper back that spread across my shoulders and up my neck into my head. There was momentary severe pain that went away immediately. The electric shock, tingles, and the sensation of pins (sharp pains... more than 'pins and needles') through my shoulders and neck and head lasted for about 10 minutes... then faded to very minor. The feeling of insects crawling on the left side of my face other annoying sensations L ear and face and left arm are higher than normal, but not too bad.

While the symptoms subsided quickly, the feeling when it occurred was very scary... I had to sit and collect myself and wait to see what might happen. There was a lot of adrenalin and it was almost like being in shock... I don't know if you've ever had a fall or a crash so severe that you just laid there and took inventory.... you couldn't immediately tell if you were hurt or not. That's what this was like.

It's been 16 months since my last cervical MRI... time for another one very soon.

Mark