LUMBAR SPINE MRI - SCARED PLEASE HELP!

[dax0007]

Hello Everyone,  If anyone can give me insight I would be really appricative.. I am scared out of my mind.. Not sure what to do...  LONG STORY SHORT:
I bought a pair of those new Sketcher " Shape-up ' shoes.. I wore then for 1-2 weeks and LOVED them, but then started to have mild low back pain.. At first I thought " Ok stop wearing these shoes" So i bought NEW SHOES and the low back pain would not stop.. It is mild in nature but presistent and is worse in the morning.. After 1 month of this pain i decided to get a MRI..  Here are my results:

L1-L2 - No significant ventral extradural defects. The facets and neural foramina are within normal limits. No edvidence of central or foraminal stenosis.

L2-L3 - No significant ventral extradural defects. The facets and neural foramina are within normal limits. No edvidence of central or foraminal stenosis.

L3-L4 - A broad-based disc herniation is seen. There is also bilateral facet and ligamentous hypertrophy.
There is moderate bilateral neuroforaminal narrowing and mild central canal stenosis.

L4-L5 - A broad-based disc herniation is seen. There is also bilateral facet and ligamentous hypertrophy.
There is moderate bilateral neuroforaminal narrowing and moderate central canal stenosis.

L5-S1 - A central herniation slightly indents the ventral aspect of the thecal sac causing central canal stenosis.

Findings:- Verebral body alignment is anatomic. There is intervertebral disc space narrowing at L3-l4 thru l5-s1 with endplate reactive changes and disc desiccation. No compression fracture is identified. The conus ends normally at its expected location.

So thats it.. My Doctors actually wants me to redo this MRI because the image quality was bad.. SO who knows with a better MRI i am probably worse..  I am scared out of my mind... I have always been active and worked out.. I have never had any lower back issues other than lttle stiffness. This all started after i used those SHAPE UP SHOES.. I have neck issues which were a mess a year or so ago after a car accident but never back problems...

3 HERNIATED DISC has to mean fusion is right around the corner..

PLEASE HELP! .. I will see a NEURO at end of March.

[Willie56DS]

I am 52 years old male with multiple herniated discs.  I am so sick of it all.  I had anterior and posterior spondylosis and spinal cord compression and surgery at the C4, C5, C6, C7 levels of bone fusion and cadaver bone grafts and insertion of Titanium plates and screws.  Three years I am still in neck pain and herniated discs higher up at the C2-C3 areas.  I am so sick of it all.  Now severe pain at the lower back spreading to both left to right sides and cutting right across my *** on both cheeks going down my right groin more and from the both hip joints down both legs.  I am so sick of it all.  I am seen by the pain service doctor.  He is a nice doctor very assertive and too concerned that I do not see no other doctor or take any other pain meds... but in the mean time I am going out of my mind with pain and the new characteristics of the pains.  His assistant says...where are you getting the pain? where are you getting the pain? so I stood up and pointed to all the areas I described.  So, I was sent for a MRI.  I swallowed my pride and interpreted the tone as one of insult.  I had the MRI and what do you know.  The result is as follows: The L3-L4 disc demonstrates normal height and loss of signal.  There is CENTRAL DISC HERNIATION CREATING A VENTRAL EXTRADURAL DEFECT. THERE IS EXTENSION OF DISC INTO THE NEUROFORAMEN BILATERALLY GREATER ON THE RIGHT THAN LEFT.  There is a mild ligamentum hypertrophy at this level.  

The L5-S1 disc demonstrates normal height and signal.  THERE IS A POSTERIOR BULGE CREATING A VENTRAL EXTRADURAL DEFECT.  THERE IS A MILD SIGNAL ABNORMALITY OF THE PEDICLES OF L4 AND L5 CAUSING STRESS.  

I am so sick of the pain and suffering.  My other thing is that no one wants to be sick.  We all go to the doctor for help.  But when the doctor acts like you are an annoyance then you wonder to know. Well, anyways doctors are supposed to listen to their patients and the dots will connect... the patient always tells what he/she is feeling and came to seek help.  But, sometimes you begin to wonder if the doctor is listening to you the patient or what? Now I am able to figure out why I am in such pain there and now I am concerned about what to do next to feel better in my own interest.

I met a gentleman today whom is also a doctor but is now on disability.  He had similar problems and had the fusion surgery of the lumbar and affected areas.  However, he still describes great pain in the region.  So, I dont know what to do.  I am sick of it all.  Help me to understand if any of you had this type of surgery.Please.

[dax0007]

Sorry i forgot to say.. I am a 37 yo male, 5'11", 235lbs( i need to lose 25lbs). Stocky build.. I use to work out all the time, but family life slowed me down..

THANKS!