I Might Have an Answer

The cervical spine MRI showed cervical spondylosis, or degeneration of my spinal joints. These joints have formed bone spurs, which are taking up room and making less room for my nerve passageways.

I have "minimal" canal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, and "mild to moderate" neural foraminal narrowing, which is narrowing of the passageways that lead off the spinal canal.

Limb (arm and leg) pain, numbness, and parasthesias are symptoms, as are balance and gait problems and bladder and bowel incontinence. Fatigue and dizziness can be caused by spondylosis as well, but I've had a much harder time finding scientific evidence that hormonal dysregulation, muscle fasciculations, and semantic paraphasia can result. I have seen a few papers and articles that deal with all of these issues except aphasia in the general context of spinal cord damage, though, so I'm hoping everything is related. It's hard not to think that even the aphasia is related, since it's been a problem only since all my other symptoms have become unbearable this year.

I have an appointment with a neurologist in early January, so I'll ask him my questions and discuss treatment options (which can evidently range from cervical collars to surgery) then.