Question about MRI's in general & mine

[xmelax35]

I am sorry about this as it is going to be rather long. (I have a very long history). Unfortunately the one doctor who had some concern about my neck area, I believe is not allowed to do surgery there, although surgery was mentioned. I don't know - it is a long story about what is going on.  I have another issue that I had surgery for (brain wise) and I am still not better and he was like I think I know what is wrong but you will have to wait for your follow up. Well I am going to another Dr for my back issue (ortho neuro) we are trying to see if we can get everything taken care of at once. Well, I  keep finding my records and I have to wonder if this is what my surgeon was concerned about. However when I called the other surg off the secretary said everyone has that. So here I go:

The radiologist said:

There is some artifact within the spinal cord opposite C3-4, the cord signal is normal. (what does that mean?)

The vertebral body heights and marrow signal are well maintained but there is straightening of the cervical lordosis with multilevel disk dessiccation and disk buldging most advanced at C2-3.

No paraspinal mass or fluid collection is seen. The cord signal is normal on the axial images but there is patchy increased T2 sign on the T2 sagittal images which is not reproduced on the sagittal STIR images which most likely relates to artifact. (what does this mean?)

Also, is this NORMAL? Is this what EVERYONE has? That secretary said everyone has this stuff.  I know lots of people who said they never had that one their scan results.

[xmelax35]

So basically they don't cause pain and everyone has them?

[Eric Wang, MD]

All these results fall within normal limits.

[xmelax35]

Here is the rest continued:

Okay and last one sorry (there is lots of other stuff but this is the last one I am putting on here): Mild posterior disk bulging minimally indents the arterior thecal sac and causes mild left foraminal narrowing. - is that normal too? Does everyone have that on their results?

Trying to figure out why I am in so much pain. The other surgeon is going to be doing surgery on my disc herniation in my lumbar area that a chunk of it broke off and is sitting somewhere else. But he said if I have tethering as my surgeon who is no longer in practice due to health issues of his own said, then we can take care of both at the same surgery. But...I was hoping if I don't have tethering and it is other stuff causing my other symptoms that he can take care of that too. Is this stuff worth telling him about (he doesn't know about these reports). His nurse as I mentioned said EVERYONE has this stuff.