Last posted here 5yrs ago, need help finding a doc in my area.
 

Ok, here we go.

My name is Kyle, 35, 5'11", 235lbs live in Seattle Washington. Here's my history, to the point:

-Football injury in the 8th grade, bulged disc L5S1.
-1999 L5S1 completely blow out, impinged my S1 nerve.
-Nine months went by in the end couldn't get out of bed so I agreed to have my first microdisc in end of 1999. Nerve conduction test done, + for nerve damage. DDD is the prog
-One year later it re-ruptured and had my second microdisc. 2000
-2001 ruptured the L4-5 disc, another micro-discectomy
-2002 FBS (failed back syndrome), in very bad chronic pain all the time.
-2003 ENS (Electronic Nerve Stimulator) put in, one month later taken out because I got meningitis from the surgery. Almost died from that one.
-2007 had a pain pump put in, didn't help had it removed one year later.

That was my last surgery on my back and I'm paying the price for all that now. I contacted Dr. Bert overseas and sent him my films, he agreed to do a three level disc replacement, this was back in 05. 50k for the op, I had no way to come up with that, so I didn't have it done. Still can't come up with the funds so I've been waiting for some good news here in the states about multi level disc replacements. I have read that some people have had it done here but they ether paid for it themselves of L&I flipped the bill. Me I'm on Medicare by the way and I haven't heard of them paying for it.

So get down to it, I'm now having sever instability issues and I know it's time for fusion but I'm not having 3 levels fused, end of story! That leads me to my question for all you wonderful people that suffer like i do. It's my understanding that some docs are doing "hybrid" fusion/discs replacement surgeries and having them paid for my insurance. My questions are:

1) Can someone please led me to a doctor in my area (Seattle) that I can just go talk to about this hybrid surgery or even just ADR?
2) Does anyone have any knowledge of someone having two fused discs and one ADR in the L5-S1 to L3-4 area of the spine? I'm thinking one ADR at L3-4 and fuse the other two?
3) Anything that would help, I'm in dyer need of it. This is as bad as it gets, I can't even bend at the waist a little without everything going south really fast, very painful. Please help in anyway you can.

God Bless everyone,
Kyle:confused:

Kyle, so sorry to read your post! I don't know of any surgeons in your area, but that does not mean anything. We can talk in the next few days.

PS: I deleted your duplicated posts in all the other forums.

Harrison thanks for you reply. Please do let me know if you have any ideas for me. I'm hoping because I have Medicare and private insurance it will give my the ability to find help around the states. Maybe the TBI? Would love to pick your brain about this. Thanks again.

God Bless,
Kyle

Ideas for Kyle?
 

Hey everyone,

I usually don't jump in and ask for extra help, but does anyone have any practical or "out of the box" thinking to support Kyle in his next steps?

Thanks in advance for any ideas that may support his decision options towards wellness. ;)

To ask the ugly question: have you had any diagnostic work recently, x-ray or MRI possibly? You might be able to get your normal doc to snap a few x-rays and order an MRI based on your current symptoms. If you get copies of them and your radiologist's reports, you'd be in a position to go where you need to and also you could read through them yourself to understand if ADR is even going to be a possibility for you. The fear is that your condition indicates that you're too bad now for ADR at all three levels. It isn't as likely as you being bad at one level and better at the others, but it can happen.

Thanks for your input, but yes I'm had xrays and mri's but I need new ones to see whats going on now. I know I'm having instibility issues, it's what they said would come next in my condition. I'm hoping I could get a hybrid two level fusion and one ADR but I don't even know where to start here in the seattle area.