I have some imaging CD's

[rohrer01]

I'm afraid to put the disk into my computer for fear of ruining it. It has a dicom format, which, I'm completely computer illiterate and don't know if it will work in my machine. I'm assuming dicom is a special program that specialized for medical software? If, so, I know I don't have the program. Can anyone help, since so many of you post your images on here?

[LindaRacine]

Most discs come with the software to view the images.

[Pooka1]

Yes I agree with what Linda said. I have my horse's radiographs on disk and that came with a self-extracting program to read them. I forget the name of the program but I'm pretty sure it isn't what you are dealing with.

[rohrer01]

I only have the MRI's right now, still waiting on UW-Health to send my X-rays. I guess I'll pop it in and see what happens.

[rohrer01]

Okay, they wouldn't even load in my "old" computer. It said it was a blank disk. My new laptop, however, they loaded beautifully. I just have to figure out how to save them here since the options are all different than the usual options. My doctor didn't tell me the "whole" truth about my neck MRI. I have a bone spur on C-4/5 and narrowing of the nerve root on the left. I looked it up and it goes right to my left hand that has been going numb. It controls mostly from the elbow down and some shoulder and bicep, which is EXACTLY the symptoms I have been having. This is probably why "they", whoever they is, cancelled my appointment with the PA-C and wanted me to see only a doctor. I'm assuming "they" is my neurosurgeon. Now that I know what that problem is, maybe there is something that can be done, like was done in my lumbar spine that had the same problem. I'll bet the cervical spine is a bit more risky to work on, though. I do know however, that my cervical spine would not be wearing out so soon if they would just fix the scoliosis. There is a lot of tension holding my head upright. When I get my X-rays, I'll try to post them here. MRI's are a lot more difficult to look at for the untrained eye, as I am finding out. Especially these cervical ones. I need to figure out a way to really blow them up large. But then I don't have my glasses on. I also noticed, but nothing was said in the report, that I have no lordosis in my neck. It's completely FLAT. I'm assuming scoli has something to do with this, too? Oh, well. At least it gives me a little bit of hope that they can help me with my neck. Then all I will have left is my thoracic pain. Only scoli surgery can help there. Thanks all for "listening" to my runon paragraph (I'm being gramatically lazy tonight).

[LindaRacine]

I also noticed, but nothing was said in the report, that I have no lordosis in my neck. It's completely FLAT. I'm assuming scoli has something to do with this, too? Oh, well.

You can't judge lordosis from images taken in the prone or supine position, because the spine straightens significantly when we lie down.

--Linda

[skevimc]

I'm afraid to put the disk into my computer for fear of ruining it. It has a dicom format, which, I'm completely computer illiterate and don't know if it will work in my machine. I'm assuming dicom is a special program that specialized for medical software? If, so, I know I don't have the program. Can anyone help, since so many of you post your images on here?

Some versions of photoshop can open and convert DICOM into another image type. If not, there are online tools that can do this. Using either an online trial version or an open source version. Do a search for "dicom to jpg conversion open source." Lot's of stuff available if you are interested in doing this.

[rohrer01]

You can't judge lordosis from images taken in the prone or supine position, because the spine straightens significantly when we lie down.

--Linda

Thanks for the info. That makes me feel a lot better.

[rohrer01]

Some versions of photoshop can open and convert DICOM into another image type. If not, there are online tools that can do this. Using either an online trial version or an open source version. Do a search for "dicom to jpg conversion open source." Lot's of stuff available if you are interested in doing this.

Well I got it opened and it worked. I actually found out I can zoom in and out. However when I choose one frame (it will have between like 13 and 21 slices) I can't get back to the "main menu". I'll figure it out. Thanks for the info, too!

[rohrer01]

Okay, help me out here, someone. I have my X-rays from five years ago and this year. I have managed to clip off the undesirable parts and save them as jpegs. So now I need to know how to make a like to share them. I notice some people go through facebook, which I do have an account, but I want to keep things private, if you can understand that. I only want to share the images. Any advice?

[rohrer01]

I wanted to see if this works from my computer. Just messing around. I'm so technologically illiterate that it's not even funny. I really am a college graduate! From 2003 no less! I don't know how I survived.

2010 radiograph.jpg

2005 radiograph.jpg

[titaniumed]

We knew all along you would pull through with the goods! He he

Wow! Your neck! and such a high curve. Your low end looks great.

Maybe Linda has seen x-rays similar to this?

I'm just wondering how high they would have to go?

Ed

[rohrer01]

My doc said the lowest he could go would be T2. That's part of the reason he won't do it for pain. He is convinced that he will cause more pain and that I will feel the rods sticking out through the skin in my neck. I have since found out that I have a bone spur on C4-5 and a pinched left nerve root at that area. I'm sure that is contributing significantly to the neck pain portion. It just doesn't explain my thoracic pain. The only thing there is scoliosis. I told you it was high!!

[dailystrength]

Not bad, Rohrer! Thanks for posting those! Your 2010 looks so much better and more comfortable in your neck area - your head angle is so much straighter- you must be doing something right.

[rohrer01]

Not bad, Rohrer! Thanks for posting those! Your 2010 looks so much better and more comfortable in your neck area - your head angle is so much straighter- you must be doing something right.

My 2010 is WORSE. It has progressed 6* on both curves and is more painful than ever. Balance can be deceiving. My neck hurts so badly that I can never get the last bit out of a glass or a soda can. It hurts to turn my head in any direction (some days better than others - and of course, when I go to the doc, it's ALWAYS a good day). Some days are better than others. You can see on my 2005 X-ray that my shoulders are completely out of balance, but the pain wasn't AS severe. That's why I thought about working on trying to straighten out that compensatory curve. Although, now I have developed arthritis of the neck, so don't think that would be a good idea. I have upper back spasm underneath my scapula, so of course, they are very hard to rub out. I also get dislocations of my ribs at my sternum, where you can actually see the rib sticking up. Fully dressed, no one would even know I have scoliosis, but believe me, it hurts like the dickens.

But thanks for the compliment, it does "look" balanced. When you go through Schroth, don't let that fool you. Curve increases hurt. Best of wishes in your upcoming training.