GRRRR, anyone know why my replies do not inlcude paragrapsh when I have typed in paragraphs? thanks

Just like grey hair, some people get this sooner than others - and its the same inside our bodies too. As I said, genetics play a big part. The bony growths (osteophytes) cannot be simply removed, because they grow back! It is a case of making the hole through which the nerves and other structures pass (foramen) either larger or more stable (or sometimes both). Can be achieved by surgery (but a possible side effect is that scar tissue can form in the space created and press on the nerve so your symptoms return), and in some cases by good rehabilitation and conservative therapy (i.e structured and supervised excercise programs, not merely seeing a physio once a week for 10 mins then not continuiung with exercises and stretching/strengthening whilst at home). Given your age I would try to avoid any large operations such as a fusion or disc replacement (especially the latter as the long term performance of these is not yet known), your surgeon may offer a discectomy which is a relatively minor op (although still needs aneasthetic with associated risks). I would try GOOD conservative management for 6 months (discuss with your surgeon as to what GOOD conservative management is, its not a physio appt once a week) and then consider surgery. That said, its YOUR decision taken in conjunction with YOUR healthcare practitioner. Advice on the internet is always superficial and shallow. Good luck

BTW apologies when I typed this I used the return key to create paragraphs etc - but it has uploaded as one big lump of difficult to read text.

Yes defo get your consultant to explain this to you as an MRI is just a number of many tests which are firstly used to diagnose what might be causing the pain in order for the correct treatment to be identified (which even in the case of severe degeneration may not be surgery. In some instances conservative therapy can achieve the same outcomes as surgery, reduction in pain and disability). The problem with MRI alone is that degeneration in the discs and facets is as normal as grey hair and wrinkles, but for some it causes pain and for others it doesn't cause any pain (ie dark discs and facet OA are seen on MRI scans of people without back pain). "The conus is sited at the T12-L1 disk level. - NORMAL, THIS IS THE END OF YOUR SPINAL CORD, BELOW WHICH IT BECOMES MORE LIKE A HORSES TAIL AS THE NERVES SEPERATE OUT (and this part is called cauda equina - horse!) The visualised cord and cauda return normal signal. - NORMAL Normal visualised vertebral marrow signal. - NORMAL The canal is capacious throughout the lumbar and sacral levels.- YOU HAVE A GOOD SPACE AROUND YOUR SPINAL CORD IN YOUR LOWER BACK Bulky moderate multilevel facet OA present and this is particularly pronounced at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels. DEGENERATION OF JOINTS BETWEEN THE VERTEBRAE THAT ARE CALLED FACETS. THE FACETS SLIDE OVER EACH OTHER WHEN YOU MOVE YOUR BACK. DEGENERATION OF THE FACETS CAN SOMETIMES CAUSE BONY OUTGROWTHS WHICH CAN IMPINGE ON NERVES AND CAUSE PAIN, BUT NOT ALWAYS. DEGENERATION OF FACETS IS NORMAL - DEPENDING ON YOUR AGE, USED TO THINK IT WAS DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR, BUT GENETICS PLAY A BIG PART TOO. The upper 2 lumbar disks are slightly dehydrated but there is no compromise seen to nerve roots at these levels. DEPENDING ON YOUR AGE COULD BE NORMAL, DEHYDRATED DISCS ALONE DO NOT CAUSE PAIN (RECENT RESEARCH WHICH I CAN QUOTE IF YOU WANT ME TO) THE PROBLEM IS WHEN THE DISC LOOSES ITS TURGIDITY(HARDNESS) THROUGH DEHYDRATION IT CAN 'COLLAPSE' WHICH THEN PRESSES ON NERVE ROOTS - BUT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED AT THESE LEVELS The L3-L4 disk is dehydrated with a broad-based disk bulge and focal central protrusion which is small but effaces thecal sac. THE DEHYDRATED DISC HERE HAS COLLAPSED A BIT AND IS PRESSING ON THE SAC WHICH SORROUNDS THE SPINAL CORD AND CAUDA EQUINA. THE BULGE IN IN THE MIDDLE AND GOES IN TOWARDS YOUR SPINAL CANAL (THE BULGES CAN BULGE IN ANY DIRECTION) THIS MAY CAUSE PAIN IF IT IS ALSO IRRITATING A NERVE ROOT (AND YOU CAN'T ALWAYS SEE NERVE ROOTS ON MRI) No definite compromise seen at this level however.(SEE ABOVE, THEY CANNOT SEE WHETHER A NERVE ROOT IS ALSO AFFECTED The L4-L5 disc is dehydrated witha broad-based disk bulge. AS ABOVE BUT A BIGGER BULGE This accompanies bulky facet OA particularly on the left side narrowing lateral recess THE OA ON THE LEFT SIDE HAS NARROWED THE EXIT CANCAL THROUGH WHERE THE NERVE PASSES and there is some mild effacement of the left L5 nerve root in this region. AND IT IS IRRITATING THAT NERVE TO A MILD DEGREE However, there is a moderate left foraminal stenosis in which the foraminal L4 root on the left side does appear to be impinged to some degree. This is predominantly due to bulky facet osteophytosis.SAME ASA BOVE, A FORAMINA IS A HOLE BETWEEN TWO BONES THROUGH WHICH NERVES AND OTHER STRICTURES OASS (LIGAMENTS ETC) IN YOUR CASE THIS HOLE IS NARROWED AND IT IS IMPINGING ON THE NERVE (A STENOSIS IS A NARROWING) The L5-S1 disk is reasonably well-preserved. There is sacralisation of the L5 vertebral body NORMAL ANATOMICAL VARIANT, YOUR L5 VERTEBRAL BODY HAS A DIFFERENT APPEARANCE TO 75% OF THE POPULATION, BUT IT IS NOT ABNORMAL, JUST A VARIANT.IT MEANS THE TRANSVERSE PROCESSES (STICKY OUT BITS ON THE SIDE) ARE WIDE Focal high signal in the pars on each side may reflect some low-grade stress THIS VARIANT MAY BE CAUSING YOU EXTRA MECHANICAL STRESS (IE WHEN YOU MOVE AROUND) DUE TO ITS SIZE Conclusion: evolving degenerative changes within the facets and lower lumbar disks as detailed above. Moderate to"

Can anyone help please? (32 reads, no answers, --uh ph does that mean it is complicated)?

Hi, A good friend of mine who is in her late 70's has asked me to sit in on a meeting tomorrow between her and 'The tax lady'. The only information I have so far is that my friend has been overpaid pension tax credits, and has underpaid council tax. She believes she was paying correctly because her husband is registered disabled with advanced Alzheimers, now she is petrified she will have to sell her house to pay it all back (at the moment I have no idea how much this is, or how long it goes back to - I will find out tomorrow). She is also terrified of this visit, she thinks 'The Tax Lady' will make her sell her house, her animals and that she will have to get a cleaning job to pay for it! I am trying to reassure her it will not come to this, but I could do with some hard facts and help please. I have previously successfully challenged a council tax demand with bailiff fees for a friend, so know the system a bit there in terms of repayments. For this I argued with the council to take the debt back from the bailiffs and accept a low repayment of £10 per month from my friend (the council were originally asking for £350per month!). With the taxman, is it the same? I can argue for a low repayment over a longer term based on the elderly couples statement of account (which I will help them to do). How far can the tax office go back with reclaiming tax credits? Is there a right of appeal and what else do I need to know for tomorrow? I know harrassment for money is illegal (what's the actual act there and would it apply in this case) and also that this elderly couple are vulnerable (so are there any exemptions of anything I should know in repsect of this)? I also know they are panicing like mad over somthing that wasn't done deliberately. How far back can the tax credit folk go (is there a 6 year limit)? What can they ask for from this couple in terms of repayments? Any other useful threads on here for similar things (pension credits and elderly ppl). Thanks in advance Fi

A close family member has been made redundant for the second time in 6 months. They are not entitled to any redundancy pay, they have no savings, she is a single parent with a mortgage and 2 teenagers and a suspended repossession order on her house. She is also in debt with her electric and gas and has had a pre-payment meter fitted recently. She has begged me for help to cover her mortgage in the short term given the suspended repossession order. This is £805 per month. I am in a position to help as I have £20K in my cash ISA currently paying 3%. This is for my intended house deposit but I am willing to sacrifice this in order to keep a roof over their heads. How do I go about drawing up an agreement? Do I need to see a solicitor? I'm also aware that the family needs money to live day to day, for gas, electricity etc etc. Whilst I want to help I also want to protect myself. She has offered me equity in her house but I don't want to gain from her bad situation (and house prices are still likely to drop anyhow). I don't want to lend her the full 20K (I need enough to look after myself should my own job get the chop). The uncertainty is when she is likely to get a job again -its dire in teh industry she works in and as re-training is an expensive option. What do you recommend in my situation? How much should I lend? On what terms? She obviously can;t begin to pay me back until she gets a job again. How should I draw up thsi agreement? I look frward to you help and replies. Thanks in advance.

My advice would be to concentrate your efforts on claiming back the charges. I got absolutely nowhere when I tried to get Barclaycard to freeze/reduce interest on my friends balance despite recorded delivery letters etc. However when my friend decided to reclaim the £8 difference between the charges of £20 and the OFT recommended charge of £12 from 2006 Barclaycard suddennly paid up in full - all of the charges from 2004 + 8% interest. This has cleared his balance completely and was much less effort than getting the interest frozen.

I'm just amazed they paid it without it even been asked for! Have also update my other thread on this and I will make sure my friend makes a donation to CAG. I almost wish I'd had charges on my barclaycard now - a great little windfall for him.

Well well well..... Here's an update for y'all. I was claiming for a friend (I wrote the letters - he signed them and made the decision to only claim the £8 difference). I was busy with work and he was lax in reminding me to send the next letter so this claim was left for a while. Barclaycard have just sent him a letter in full and final settlement with ALL his charges back to 2004 including 8% interest!! Is that usual does anyone know? Obviously a good result for him and saved me the time of writing letters for him too.

This is a true story on behalf of my friend which is rather strange but in his favour. Prior to Xmas he decided to re-claim his credit card charges from Barclaycard. On the MSE website it says you may have quicker success if you decide to only claim the difference between the £20 charge and the £12 recommended by the OFT. I helped him enter his charges on a spreadsheet so he could decide. His decision was to only claim the £8 difference from 2006 which amounted to approximately £100. Original letter duly sent off, with standard 'we're looking into it reply' from Barclaycard. Then Xmas happened and he forgot to send the next letter threatening action. Barclaycard then prompted him with a second "we're still looking into it" reply and promised he'd hear by the 20th Jan. He decided to wait and see what they would say rather than send the next letter and today he received a reply from Barclaycard. They have enclosed a statement of all his charges from 2004, with a full and final settlement of the whole amount plus 8% interest! A total amount of just of £700. How odd is that and has it happened to anyone else? He thought it was a mistake at first but its clearly his account and his charges. Needless to say he's accepted, and as there's no confidentiality clause in the F&F letter I decided to let you guys know all about it. Well done Barclaycard! - Never thought I'd say that in my life but I genuinely mean it.

Hi Slick, Thanks for your reply and a copy of the template letter. Below is a copy of my original letter, sorry its copied as such huge text! - It was cribbed from the MSE site. Isn't that the same as the LBA effectively? Though I note I do not state I will take the matter further so perhaps another LBA using your template is required? ()Of course I wish I'd have used the CAG group template initially but trying to make the most of the situation now) Many thanks once again. Fee Dear Sir or Madam, Account number: I am writing to request that you repay all the late payment fees and/or over limit fees that have been applied to my account. I do not believe the charges reflect the true cost to Barclaycard and are unfair and disproportionate. I am therefore requesting a refund based on the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. This is supported by the Office of Fair Trading’s April 2006 statement into credit card charges, which noted that the level of charges at the time, and prior to that period, were unfair. As the OFT reported that its fairness threshold was £12, I will accept the difference between my charges and this figure so that the matter can be concluded as quickly and easily as possible for both of us. This totals £96.00. I believe I have been unlawfully deprived of the money and therefore ask that you repay me this amount. Please find a full schedule of the charges with this document. I look forward to a full response to this letter within 14 days. Yours faithfully,

Thanks for your reply. apprecaited. It doesn't really answer my question above however and for my own reasons I'm happy to just claim the difference. Its not something I made up, the advice on the money saving expert website states its an option to do that. Whether you think its right or wrong is by the by now, I just wonder whether I should leave it until barclaycard get in touch again or send another letter, and if the latter which letter template would I use please? Thanks again

Dear all, Your advice is needed please on what to do next. ..I am reclaiming my barclaycard late payment charges. I'm only reclaiming the difference between the £20 and £12 (so £8 per charge up until they dropped the charge to £12). The total reclaimed is just £96 and I sent my initial letter giving them a deadline of 14 days to reply. 18 days later they replied saying they were considering my complaint and would get back to me. Another 14 days later (today) I received a letter from them saying they were still considering the matter and will be in touch on the 16th Jan. Given that this is way over my original deadline should I continue to wait for them or should I issue the second letter? If the latter, can someone please post the link to the appropriate template - do I now proceed with court action? Many thanks for taking the time...

Argghhh where did my reply go???? See here: http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/final/redstone.pdf Redstone mortgages had thier hands slapped recently for a similar thing, see page 9 in particular. Good luck