Barcelona On The 9th

[drewrad]

Can't wait for that whole bone density thing for the dreamy M6s. My back is in too bad of shape. It feels like if I wait any longer my spine is going to fall out of my body and turn around into a hand that's flipping me the bird.

Activ L or cardboard that's where I'm at. I choose Activ L and Dr. Pablo Clavel for early July. Let's get her done.

[Optimistic]

Hi Drew,
Congrats on making the decision. You completed your due diligence, asked many questions and did a lot of analysis. While this phase often takes a significant amount of time, don't underestimate the recovery phase. Some people bounce back right away and others take a lot longer. I trust you will be in the former category. Good luck and I'll be interested in your success stories.

[drewrad]

Hi Drew,
Congrats on making the decision. You completed your due diligence, asked many questions and did a lot of analysis. While this phase often takes a significant amount of time, don't underestimate the recovery phase. Some people bounce back right away and others take a lot longer. I trust you will be in the former category. Good luck and I'll be interested in your success stories.

Wish I would have dealt with this sooner. I am getting new symptoms now higher up in my back as my low back is like a stiff, knotted ball.

I had my wife Magic Marker the new pain and my doctor looked at the area, said it was the L1/2 and L2/3. It is strange new mechanical instability there along with increased aches now which sucks. I feel like my entire spine now is deciding to give up.

[FranklySir]

Andrew,

Glad you have the confidence to go forward now.
Di you by chance leave the option open with Clavel to use M6 regardless of the BD thing? Meaning once he gets in and actually can see or feel that the otpion might still be for the ADR you seem to really want?
You might want to bring it up with him. Very receptive guy to options. He might just stick with the plan anyway but worth asking when you actually see him in person.

Also as Optimistic states dont underestimate the recovery. Its a bear to many and not so much for some.

6 months today for me and all is right in the world other than stiffness in the morning which 10 minutes of walking takes it away. Remember your back is gonna need to readjust to the new stability and being straight so take your time. Posture, walking and exercise will make it happen but it is work. Get off any/most or all pain meds as soon as you can that way your mind is clear and the nerves can start firing normally.

Lastly, yes there is a cascade effect when other things start to come out of the blue. Other stuff will hurt that didn't before so get your mind strong and deal.

It takes big brass ones to do this so welcome to the club of clangers soon!:beer:

Wish you the best safe outcome. Tell the crew Frank P. (aka Superman) said hello. Also know some great places to eat as well.

If you need any pointers feel free to PM me.

All the best,
Frank

[drewrad]

Andrew,

Glad you have the confidence to go forward now.
Di you by chance leave the option open with Clavel to use M6 regardless of the BD thing? Meaning once he gets in and actually can see or feel that the otpion might still be for the ADR you seem to really want?
You might want to bring it up with him. Very receptive guy to options. He might just stick with the plan anyway but worth asking when you actually see him in person.



I was already thinking of doing this very thing. Good to know we're on the same page there.

The reason why I chose Clavel is two-fold. Number one, he was the first one to propose a three level with conviction. Last week, two other docs came out with a three level diagnosis on me, Carl Laurrysen and my primary Kasier neurosurgeon, HOWEVER, Clavel was the first one to latch on to this in my case.

Also, Clavel is a creative. That's very important. I already know after talking to Sonia, that he was able to ad-lib on her once he was inside and addressed bone density issues with her and also gave her man size M6s.

So, I like his style. He's never 'locked in'. So, yeah, I was planning on doing what you just said for sure.

BTW, did you stay at the AKO?

[jss]

Drew,

Congratulations on making a decision. I know you're going to do great!

Good luck, Jeff

[Kelly4ADR]

Drew,

Big decision moving forward, glad to see it. You are smart to know when to take action before your situation gets worse, as you are having increased symptoms. You have done much research, it's easy to get stuck in that phase and never actually decide. Just try not to waste energy second guessing now, that will drive you crazy right up until you are being wheeled in. The 9th will be here before you know it. Can't wait to read your posts in the surgical outcome forum! I'll be praying for you bud!!!:clap:

[TPatti]

Glad you were able to make a decision. Wishing the best!

[drewrad]

Thanks all.

[Boxer78]

Awesome news man!! How many levels?

[Jerry5]

drew,
said it was the L1/2 and L2/3. It is strange new mechanical instability there along with increased aches now which sucks. I feel like my entire spine now is deciding to give up.
---------------------------

Exactly, this is what happened to my L2-3, they won't tell you this, but the L5-1 and maybe, in some cases, the L4-5, get so little, and have so little movement, that the upper lumbar takes a beating, this is like fusing the lower discs, this will cause less motion and increased stress on the upper levels.

Did you have to deal with the insurance companies?, I did and they DENY any claim, I paid money for articles and provided enough information to fill a book, no use.

Time to move on, I have had a discectomy, I can do this, time to go to Germany, the date offered is July 22, but I would hope to go sooner, we'll see.

Time to get rid of the pain pills. :puke:


All the best.

[WNB175]

I have followed your posts as a fellow east bay resident and spine patient. Wishing you well for a great outcome. It seems you have done your due diligence in your decision making.

[drewrad]

Thanks. There are no perfect solutions to anything and what I've learned so far is that investigation is one thing but ignorance is bliss, in the end.

The crossroads of my catch 22, is that the M6 is great but you need good bone health. The Activ L is great but my blood tests show slight reactivity to chrome and nickel.

So, do you flip a coin?

A lot of people I've talked to have done neither the DEXA bone scan or the metal analysis test. Just got their ADRs.

So... Ignorance, is it bliss or not? There is no predicting the future. You just must live your life as it comes at you.

[drewrad]

Leaving the 6th. Could stay till the 30th if I want to.

Questions.

1) how much euro walking money should I take with me for that long?

2) may sound stupid, but will hotels and restaurants take most credit cards we use here in the States?

Yeah, I don't get out much.

[FranklySir]

Leaving the 6th. Could stay till the 30th if I want to.

Questions.

1) how much euro walking money should I take with me for that long? You dont need to take a boatload of money or exchange. Most cards are taken but I would use cash. (Euros) all you need is a discover card and go to a La casxa. They are like mini banks/ATMs. Stay away from the exchange places casue they all have diff rates. Discover doesn't charge for the exchange and the machine spits out the Euros. I would take a couple of backup cards too. Make sure you call your card companies and tell them you are traveling abroad.

Walk around money i would just get 300-500 Euro at a time. No need to walk around with alot. Typical nice dinner will run about 50-80 Euro for two max and more like 40, depending on your level of alcohol consumption. If your staying at AKO which is real nice (in my opinion) Ive stayed in 5 different hotels and one High end on LaRambla (wasn't worth the money).

Stick with the Cafes for breakfast (most hotels provide continental bfast anyway) or late lunch. Venture out and make looking for Cafes part of your walking exercise. If you wind up too far from hotel or get tired then grab a taxi. If you want to see the Med then take a taxi and try walking back.

2) may sound stupid, but will hotels and restaurants take most credit cards we use here in the States? Hotels will take the cards. Amex, Discover etc. see above

Yeah, I don't get out much.

Drew, you can always call me Im around all day. Hey and the good news is your getting fixed!!!!!

[ian]

Sweet! Hey, bring me back some paella.

Holla!

[Optimistic]

Hi Drew,
You must be in the hospital prepping for tomorrow's surgery. There are many of us rooting for you. I am absolutely confident that Dr. Clavel will do right by you and perform a surgery like no other, perfect for your individual needs. We anxiously await good news and progress from you when you are able to post. The best of luck to you.

[Boxer78]

Good luck man!!!!

[henry4956]

Well your time has come Drew. I have no doubt that happier days are ahead. Sent you a PM

[jss]

Drew, good luck today. I know you're going to do great!

[Kelly4ADR]

Prayers for you Drew!!!! You're gonna do great and can't wait to hear from you :clap:

[grows]

i receive a mail from Drew, and he said that have three Adr Level .. if i can i hope go to visit tomorrow or friday.......
i supouse that hi can write more the next days, because the surgycal was today.
Hurra for Drew.......:clap::clap::clap:

[drewrad]

Some pain but not too bad. I absolutely made the right decision and glad it's over. Dr Clavel is the man. An artist and will post pics soon.

Bones strong by the way. You know what that means.

[Boxer78]

Yesssss!!!!!!

[mcjagger]

Great news and yes Dr. C is the man!!!

[Kelly4ADR]

Yay!!! You are on the other side now!

[drewrad]

Tender belly, dizzy, but up sitting in chair.

Not used to sitting. Strange. Better than lying flat on back.

[grows]

encourage, in the next days everything will be better :beer:

[scoop302]

congratulations. I have been following your posts for awhile now and understand how hard this decision was. I am glad that things are looking up.

[Jen93312]

You're doing so great! Good for you!

[drewrad]

Hospital food, not bad. White monkfish maybe with soup, yogurt and fruit. Pain lessening. Can't wait to get back out to the beaches here.

BTW, Dr Pablo Clavel is the best.

[drewrad]

Morfina drawdown now, I can tell there's much more healing required. Oucho.

But still not too bad.

Ugly belly here. Knife fights do that.

[FranklySir]

Hey man. Glad your doing well! Walk walk walk as best you can. You can escape downstairs after hours and go outside next to the ER area. There are Vending machines as well with goodies. Get back in by ringing buzzer they don't mind in the middle of the night if you cant sleep. Guards are great.

Oh and there is a pizza shop you have to try. the street acroos from the main entry right then left down the hill. Awesome pizza and bring back to room. Yolanda will know.

Yeah the morphine. Good thing its not too strong so you shouldn't have too many issues getting off of it.

Really happy for ya. Just be patient it takes time. Enjoy Barcelona!

Frank

[scoop302]

Drew,

How are you doing? I hope everything is going well and you are pain free, the pre-surgery kind. Was it worth it and would you do it again? I am interested in your thoughts as I will be talking with Dr Clavel on thurs. via Skype about my neck. Hope you are doing better

[drewrad]

Drew,

How are you doing? I hope everything is going well and you are pain free, the pre-surgery kind. Was it worth it and would you do it again? I am interested in your thoughts as I will be talking with Dr Clavel on thurs. via Skype about my neck. Hope you are doing better

Would do it again, pain free save wounds(don't forget drainage tube).

Dr Clavel isn't just highly skilled, but highly ethical.

My pastor and I prayed with him preop, and not only was he open to the idea, he got up first to do so. That meant a lot to me.

When we talked later the day of surgery, he said it went perfect, perfect, perfect and that God was definitely in the room.

Again, he is more than IMO the best neuro. He listens and is a creative which means he can adapt on the spot.

He ran the extra DEXA scan on me because he wanted to make sure where I stood. And I'm glad he did.

[drewrad]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/wyattjunker/imagejpg2.jpg

[drewrad]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/wyattjunker/imagejpg4.jpg

[drewrad]

A week tomorrow morning. Overdid it on La Rambla today. Need to slow down a little.

[drewrad]

One thing Dr Clavel emphasized is that any ADR at the L5/S1 level will experience greater sheer forces, Activ L, ProDisc or M6L, any of which could fail due to sheer forces. He's guided away from L5/S1 and looks intently at sacral slope, mine being nearly 70 degrees was too steep. I prefer it anyway and already intuited that prior to any doc telling me since it just made sense. Hybrid, fusion the angular bottom and stack ADRs flat like pancakes above that at more steady levels. Just 'saw it' and knew from observation and had already determined 'sheer force' in my own God given common sense. Who knew I could have done neuro seminars? LOL.

I wasn't planning on any pickup basketball games or setting downhill slalom skiing records at 45 yrs old regardless. My goals were simple. Live a quiet life, enjoy family and friends, no more weightlifting, but still do Stairmaster and treadmill, perhaps machines. And just be able to sit in a chair, drive a car, etc.

[WNB175]

Congratulations! You should send those photos to the Kaiser surgeons who refused you ADRs. Is all of your back pain gone, other than pain from the surgery itself? I know you have 2 M6 ADRs, but what hardware is that Clavel put at L5/s1? Is that a fusion? I am so excited for you. You are smart and brave to find this amazing surgeon and make this choice. I wish this option had been available to me in 2002. I would love to meet you some time. Keep us updated please on the forum. Best wishes.......Wendy from Berkeley (spine patient & Kaiser Oakland employee)

[drewrad]

Definitely have pain from fusion, see those three freakishly long screws? Bone pain as body tries to figure out what on down there. That will take some time to sort out. Dr Clavel said a year for bone to work through cage.

Postop healing is part of the process and it ain't easy either. Also pain from surgical site, incision as well as nerves from being pinned down and mobilized by the invasive Condor halo, which in my case was repositioned in order to do fusion, so I really took a hit.

[Kelly4ADR]

Thanks for sharing Drew. I'm sorry you are hurting,praying for a quick recovery and strength and stamina more and more as each day passes.

As much as a the majority of us don't like to complain, I think its important to spell out the real picture post-op, even the worst of the worst. There is harm in patients thinking surgery is a fix all without its own obstacles. Sharing your ups and downs can give others a realistic sense of what to expect and then be better prepared mentally.

You've been a valuble addition to the wealh this forum provides. Bless you!

1Peter 5:9-11

[drewrad]

Honestly felt incredibly good first 8 days postop. Just realizing now it's going to take time as the body adjusts to serious changes. Continue to do my stretches and walk, then eat, ice and rest, repeat. Spain's a good place for that!

Thanks for the scripture too.

[drewrad]

Wow, had a great day two days ago, followed by a not so great, to today which is another really good one!

I think being stretched open for so long is starting to finally heal. Also started taking l-carnitine for nerve healing.

A couple cafés have adopted me as their token Americano, getting into a rhythm here. Walking and even sitting today all through breakfast! Wow! Sitting through an entire meal on day 14 postop is a total miracle! Haven't been able to sit for a long time, still getting used to the idea but having no pain while doing it, what a pleasure that was!

And Spain is beautiful, even if I miss the family back home. May even get to the beach tomorrow, that's how good I'm starting to feel. Praise God.

And didn't even have to pop a Valium the entire time since I've been here. Keeping the drug monster at bay. May even taper on the paracetamols and tramadols soon.

And had a really weird dream early this morning when I woke up that I met Vladimir Putin. When we shook hands he was surprised at how strong my grip was and, inspecting my forearm, wanted to know my secret. Not sure what that was about.

[Optimistic]

Drew,
As you well know, there will be great days, good days and some bad days, the latter will hopefully be fewer for you. I think you'll find new areas of the body that feel different to you - potential new nerve pathways being discovered, maybe these firings enlivening some muscles. I know this has been my experience.

While the recovery may not be 100% smooth, the important thing is that you will recover and be in better shape than you have been in a long time. Anyone who undergoes back surgery will remember what brought them there in the first place. The reduction or elimination of back pain and other symptoms is nothing short of miraculous.

It's slow & steady. As so many have commented before, you will start using different metrics to measure improvement. Rather than evaluating one day compared to another, you may start using weeks and even potentially months. But it is too early for that now. I wish you happy days and continued progress.

[drewrad]

Feeling truly amazing today! And very grateful, obviously I'm having a great day.

Went to gym. 20 min Stairmaster. Pec deck and tris. Gotta safe, modest burn going. Keeping spine straight, no twisting/bending but feeling good!

Was up on my feet almost all day and sitting also. Driving myself around in truck on short jaunts. Amazing.

Only took one Paracetamol this morning. I think the juicing and blood flow is working to speed up recovery.

Even helped find dead deer on property yesterday to cart off.

Only worry now is I don't blow a disc Clavel didn't touch, but time to modify my activity to avoid stupid crap that would do that since I do have other disc issues. Hopefully they calm down.

Incision pain lessening also.

[drewrad]

Update one month out.

Walked 2 miles early this morning. Iced after. Got up for another 3.5 mile walk 2 hours later. Ice again. Will walk again later this evening.

Walking feels the best.

Juicing veggies in-between walks too.