Thoracic Spine Health Foundation
We look at pain as a global problem
Sofia Ried
Consultant, Speaker, Patient advocate
Navigating healthcare while suffering a thoracic spine injury is challenging. I met countless dismissive doctors who overlooked my serious symptoms. Feeling unheard, I learn about my condition and I went trough every possible conservative treatment. I spend two years bedridden, being told surgery was too dangerous. I decided they were wrong, I found a skilled neurosurgeon, and post-surgery, my pain and neurologic deficits are gone. I share my experience, the importance of self-advocacy, education, and perseverance in healthcare for better outcomes.
What if all the doctors were wrong and I was right? this is an email I sent to my neurologist:
No surgeon wants to see my thoracic spine MRI, two say that I must get a fusion on my neck, and two say I shouldn't.
It seems to be up to me and I will only make a decision when I find a surgeon that's not afraid of vital organs and ribs. I won't be able to make a choice until I find a surgeon that can see my spine as a whole. Because to see and to understand are like the same thing.
At what moment did this stop being rational and my thoracic spine stop being part of my back?.
I had an accident and my back is damage, at what point did my thorax become an excluded area like Chernobyl, or an unspeakable thing like Voldermort? Or is it invisible? The only invisible thing right now is my ass because I'm losing weight in a bad way.
I have constant and stabbing pain and the symptoms come from T7, T8, I've found this: "Sometimes other tests maybe ordered because herniated thoracic disc pain and symptoms can mimic heart, lung, and stomach conditions" I found around 200 case reports and they mention my symptoms: "Unsteady gait", "Ataxia", "Progressive weakness", "Heart and lungs discomfort", "Constant headache".
My symptoms have been ignored by a bunch of men who think I have anxiety, and those same men get too anxious to take a look at my MRI. Have you seen the MRI?
Do you think I'm going to blindly accept a half-baked diagnosis made by people who are incapable of looking at an MRI.
When was logic lost and this became a matter of belief?
I'm not denying that my neck is a problem, but I know that the thorax is a bigger problem, and if I need a fusion in my neck, what do I need in my thorax?
thank for reading,
Sofia
What We Do
We are committed to spreading information and awareness, advocacy and education about pain and symptoms caused by thoracic herniated discs
We connect people suffering from thoracic spine related conditions with capable doctors to receive treatment
Thoracic herniated discs can cause pain and a broad variety of symptoms, mimicking heart, lung and gastrointestinal disease
Because of the complexity and sensitivity of the area, people suffering from thoracic herniated discs can find it challenging to obtain accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for their condition, having to endure symptoms for years or a lifetime
The Thoracic Herniated Disc Problem
Get In Touch
We know how hard it is to feel heard and seen as a person suffering from thoracic-spine related conditions
Help us to connect you with capable physicians who can get you the help you need to reclaim your health
Active Projects
Research Database
We are building a database of cases of thoracic herniated discs, and partnering with researchers to advance knowledge on conditions caused by these injuries
Blog
We maintain a blog, elevating the voices of people whose pain has been dismissed, to share their journies and tell their stories, because pain shouldn't be invisible