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texasblues66 
After being diagnosed with Severe Advanced Ankylosing Spondylitis, I was doing some reading tonight of this article sent to me by my Neurosurgeon that pretty much described to me what they found on the CT Scan at T-11 T-12 and L-1. ( not mentioned here is that I have had 10 back surgeries leading up to this and I have been fused with steel at L-5 S-1 and L-4 L-5) The article is almost verbatim to what they told me, the rest of the article went on to say there are drugs to slow the progression of this disease but they never said what they were. Additionally the article went on to say that when this develops in patients with spinal stenosis and previous fusions walking can be near impossible from the Neuropathy (neuropathic pain….burning tingling pins and needles feeling the burning being the most severe and what I have) and muscle weakness. Anyway I thought this was a very interesting article and wanted to share it with you. This last part of the article (Highlighted below) made me laugh as it explains in layman’s terms why my shoulders, wrists, hands and knees hurt so bad, and make me require an electric wheelchair. Remember me saying that I was having trouble playing the guitar because of the pain in my wrists and hands? It all comes together now. 
Severe or advanced ankylosing spondylitis 
, back pain will gradually go away, but the spine will remain very stiff and unable to bend. The fused spine is more likely to break (fracture) if injured, especially the neck (cervical spine).Changes in the spine can cause problems with balance, safety, and mobility. The upper spine can curve forward until eventually the person has a hard time looking straight ahead. Also, as the spine loses its natural curves, it becomes hard to balance while standing and walking, especially if the hips are also affected.
In advanced ankylosing spondylitis, there is:
Fusion of joints in the spine.Flattening of the normal curve in the low back.Often a flattening of the normal curve of the neck, an increase in the forward curve of the upper back, and bent posture at the hips.Other joints can become painful and stiff, including those in the shoulders, wrists, hands, knees, ankles, and feet. (yes to all of these highlighted areas for me by the way)
Severe or advanced ankylosing spondylitis If, over time, the inflammation continues, it will lead to scarring and permanent damage.
Scarring in the spine causes the joints of the spine to grow together (fuse, or "ankylose"). As the bones fuse, back pain will gradually go away, but the spine will remain very stiff and unable to bend. The fused spine is more likely to break (fracture) if injured, especially the neck (cervical spine).Changes in the spine can cause problems with balance, safety, and mobility. The upper spine can curve forward until eventually the person has a hard time looking straight ahead. Also, as the spine loses its natural curves, it becomes hard to balance while standing and walking, especially if the hips are also affected. The red highlighted area depicts total bullshit, but in a nutshell this describes why I am now in a wheelchair unable to walk more than a few feet at a time, when I fell that night, I fractured the self fusion at T-11 T-12 and L-1 which will take up to a year to heal and then the self fusion will start all over again so I am totally and unequivocally screwed! This does a far better job of explaining what has happened to me than I could ever do so there you have it. Imay never find a reason to go on living after this diagnosis particularly because I now know this will proressively get worse bringing moe pain and sufering and knowing I will live life in a wheelchair which the insurance company has denied is making me all the more committed to ending my life but now at least I know what is wrong with me!
