Need ADR advice & opinions

[scduggan]

Hello Everyone,

I have been dealing with some mental anguish and was hoping to get some input from you guys. I will be happy to have opinions, advice or even a wild stab. I am in limbo waiting for ADR at L4/L5, and have jumped through all the hoops to get to this point. I need 1)$60,000 to magically show up in my mailbox 2)United Healthcare to have mercy and cover ADR OR 3) go to Texas to (hopefully) participate in the Freedom lumbar trial. These three options are without a doubt causing some of my anguish, but they are not the only source.

My question is about DDD. I have read everything I can get my hands on about the condition. It seems like everything points to how common it is (for most) and if you can just wait until you are 60, your symptoms will likely go away. I know my DDD is more extreme and will require surgery. I certainly cannot wait until I am 60 (I am 44 now) because there are times I am not sure I can wait until next weekend.

---Is it normal for all kinds of weird things to start happening as the condition progresses? I had plain old back pain for so long....years even. Now I have the leg weakness, pain in both hips, spasms in both hips and now the NEW THING....spasms that are ABOVE L4/L5. This started recently and comes and goes. It is a severe spasm in the paraspinal muscles at about waist level. Last weekend I had these spasms for two days....a complete contraction that would not yield. I have not had them in a few days.

---What about deep buttock pain? I had never heard of a piriformis muscle in my life. Both of my hips/glutes can be have very painful tightening/gripping pains....but they are more pronounced on the left side. I wonder how diligent I need to be about getting to the bottom of this. My discogram was positive at L4/L5, but it did not create pain in my glutes. Could this just be a progression of DDD or maybe overexertion? From the beginning of my spine issues I have always known my low back is a LOT worse when I push it too far. I feel like it is just all part of the DDD. I am always so diligent with my stretching because I have seen so much evidence concerning the importance of keeping limber muscles (especially in the hip and hamstring areas). My fear is that I have the surgery and still have all this deep hip pain.

I am about to close now. Thanks for reading this and if you have ANYTHING....please send it my way. I am a pretty upbeat person, and I know this gloomy disposition and worry will pass. We may be moving soon across the country from Tennessee to California for my husband's work. No doubt, that is causing some stress. Hey, maybe our new insurance will cover ADR. Things might be looking up. Have a great week!

CD

[Harrison]

Hi CD, welcome to our humble family of patients! I hope we can help you with support, ideas and other information. I may chime back into this topic later. In the meantime, thanks for creating a signature line -- that helps us help you...

BTW: When did your "bad" back pains start? With the onset, what were they like?

[jss]

sc,

What a terrible position in which to find yourself.

I am sorry that I can't answer any of your medical questions. However, as you are willing to participate in a clinical trial for lumbar ADR, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov lists at least three lumbar ADR trials that that site claims are currently recruiting. Go to that site, select "Search Clinical Trials", and then enter the phrase for which you wish to search. I found those three by searching for "disc". One of the trials is in France, but is being conducted under FDA guidelines for approval here. Though the FDA filing doesn't state it, the French often exclude those outside their system from such trials.

I had an appointment with my neurosurgeon a couple of weeks ago. He told me that most "large insurance companies" like mine (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas) cover not only disc arthroplasty, but also "off label" use of the ProDisc-C prosthesis. Given his statement, I am surprised that it is not covered by your very large insurance company. Indeed, perhaps your husband's new insurance will provide coverage.

Good luck!

[Jack]

If you use me as an example, the 60 and over line is total (I'll substitute "not true" for what I wanted to say).

It seems of all the insurance that is out there, workers comp, if your back pain is from a documented injury and not just arthritis, has the most liberal coverage. All others vary from state to state and policy to policy. It seems you get what you pay for with the most expensive giving the best coverage, not withstanding state mandates or subsidies.

I have read over the House version on the currently proposed national health insurance. Don't expect any type of disc replacement with the basic coverage. Those that are members of a union, work for a hospital or medical chain, etc. who currently have the best insurance may end up being forced to pay an extra premium to the government to keep their current coverage. Members of Congress have excluded their cushy insurance from all us Neanderthals. I haven’t seen anything referencing civil servants (Post Office, DOT and the like) if they can keep their current health insurance and retirement insurance. Due to my son’s mental disease, I key in on mental health issues. I haven’t seen anything about mental health in any proposed legislation. Personally, I’m scared of this take over of such a big chunk of our economy without means testing first. As I see it, both working in and outside medicine as a provider, much could be done to cut costs without such a huge takeover. Tort reform could easily cut 25% of current costs. Since Congress is mostly lawyers, I doubt this happens.

This last part may need to be moved to another area of discussion.

[jfg2009]

Hi CD. Sorry to hear about your horror story. I am participating in the Freedom Disc/Prodisc Study in Los Angeles, through the Los Angeles Spine Institute, Dr. Hyun Bae, who has an excellent reputation. I am in the control group of patients receiving the Pro-DiscL. If your insurance will not cover it, I think it is worth trying to get into this study. You will get either the Pro-Disc or the Freddom Disc, if a good candidate. Also, I have had chronic pain and muscle spasms for years because of my DDD and Herniated Discs. I have seen another doctor who has helped me with this condition as well. Dr. Sheldon Jordan in Santa Monica. He is a neurologist and highly recommended.

Good Luck.