[2Confused]

I had surgery in Spain & My neurosurgeon agreed to treat me post op - that was huge! however, he admittedly has no knowlwdge of the M6 disc. I'm sure his ego was bruised because I chose to go elsewhere, but he also admitted that
1.) he had never done a two level ADR
2.) did not know anything about the M6
3.) he felt like a 2 level would be my best option & provide me with the best results
4.) insurance would not cover the procedure, the out of pocket expenses would have exceeded $150,000
Had my insurance been willing to pay, I most likely would have ended up at TBI...
That being said, I based my decision on what I believed was best for me & my body.... The cost of paying cash for surgery in Spain will set us back financially, however, the inability to work due to neck pain had already set us back! So, it was a risk I was willing to make after due diligence, research and much soul searching.... only time will tell if it was the absolute right decision. Based upon my condition almost 13 weeks after surgery I say the risk was worth it and the money well spent.
For what it is worth, based upon the fact my local neurosurgeon has no knowledge about the M6, he has told me that he feels like the disc placement is less than optimal;in his opinion they are not centered properly but he also admits that the curve in my cervical spine due to the double whiplash may play a factor in the way the discs were/are placed. He feels that the worst case scenario would be a revision years from now, so he says I may have bought myself some time and avoided the fusion which I was so opposed to, again remember he has NO experience with the M6 and that is purely speculation. I am anxious to hear what Dr. C's response will be when he receives my 3 month post op films and the dictated report from my Neuro.

Many people here on the forum and through PM provided support and encouragement as I struggled with the decision, again, I cannot thank you enough (you know who you are). Here I am three months post op, no neck pain, no cervical headaches and I feel 100% better. Yes, there is still some nerve pain radiating down my right arm, over my right shoulder & under the scapula - those nerves had been compressed for 3 plus years, all I can do is hope that it will eventually decrease and hope that it will go away completely with time. I also have some achy muscles in the center of my back that comes & goes depending on what my activity is & some muscle spasms in the trapezius & another muscle (can't remember the name) on both shoulders. My left tricep shows considerable loss of strength which both my NeuroSurgeon & PT say is due to nerve damage. Prior to surgery I had the nasty EMG nerve test and there are nerves in my left arm that are non-responsive and there were indications that there was damage in the right arm as well. So considering I waited 3 plus years for surgery and may have compounded the damage by doing so, I have to say that I am 100% happy with the outcome at this point.
Do your research, talk to others, listen to their stories and then --follow your gut instincts! We have to be our own advocates in todays medical world.

Hope this helps in some small way to lead in to a decision you are comfortable with.