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-   "Getting Back on Their Feet" New Film on DVD (https://www.adrsupport.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=57)
-   -   A miracle, of sorts... (https://www.adrsupport.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10137)

Harrison 08-11-2009 07:52 PM

A miracle, of sorts...
 
All members!

Finally, after two years of hard work, the high definition DVD is ready for global distribution! Getting Back on Their Feet was produced and created by the Arthroplasty Patient Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. This film provides a comprehensive perspective on the spine motion preservation technology called artificial disc replacement. It is uniquely designed for people considering major spine surgery (especially ADR) and provides insights from experienced patients.

Produced and narrated by an artificial disc patient (umm, that would be me...) the film follows the journey of seven spine patients who offer candid stories about the struggles, decisions, challenges, and victories they faced along the way.

Getting Back on Their Feet walks the viewer through all the stages faced by a patient choosing to undergo spinal surgery with artificial disc replacement:
  • Problem realization
  • Pain management
  • Diagnosis
  • Exploring options
  • Decision making
  • Surgery
  • Post-op recovery
  • Support
  • Looking back
The Arthroplasty Patient Foundation was founded in 2007 to empower patients and help them research the range of treatments available for their spine dysfunction, whether device-based, biological, or naturopathic.

See the trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp2pNgqkwQ8

Your contribution to obtain this ground-breaking DVD is tax deductible. Start the secure ordering process here:

Order Videos | Arthroplasty Patient Foundation

There's much more information to come in the next week. Thank you to the people that contributed to this landmark film -- especially the patients interviewed!

:)

Lumbar Cookie 08-12-2009 03:54 PM

Hats off to you. If I order the dvd will I get a receipt for my taxes?

Harrison 08-12-2009 07:59 PM

"LC," welcome to the forum. Yes, you will receive an order confirmation that confirms and tracks your order. If that is not sufficient, we can send you another one -- but that confirmation should suffice for your tax records. Thanks for asking.

Harrison 08-13-2009 10:16 AM

Thanks!
 
Thanks to LC and one other person (not a member) who ordered the first DVDs yesterday. You should have the DVDs in 2-3 days; but you can choose the method of shipment to expedite delivery.

;)

mama bear 08-18-2009 06:48 PM

I received the DVD on Saturday and watched it with hubby on Sunday. It was very enlightening and encouraging to watch and listen to others who have suffered for years and eventually had ADR surgery and were able to resume some normalcy in their lives.

Prior to finding this support forum and listening to only one orthopedic's negative opinion of ADR, we felt like it was a procedure that shouldn't dare be ventured. After tons of reading and research, checking with other doctors and getting fed up with living with pain 24/7, we've turned the corner and now feel like there's light at the end of the tunnel. Though the problem is with my husband's back, I say "we" because his pain and limitations have truly has affected the entire family.

Watching the DVD stoked the flames of hope that we have had burning for some time now. Kudos to you for putting this together and doing such a superb job!!! I would definitely recommend it to anyone considering ADR.

Johnny Vegas 08-19-2009 09:44 AM

Any chance on a freebie?!
 
Congrats on getting the video produced. Considering the state of the economy (and my own bank account!) any chance the video will be available at a reduced price later? Thanks and by the way it is now 8 months post op and working full-time and doing very well!:jacks:

Lumbar Cookie 08-21-2009 09:41 AM

I got the DVD a few days ago and finally watched it. So much information Ill watch it again. The parts about surgery risks were very good. I’m glad you mentioned local osteoporosis and would like to see and hear more about this. THANK YOU

Alastair 08-24-2009 09:45 AM

Excellent
 
Folks as you know I`m an "old hand" with ADR and run the UK website but helped to start this one some years ago.

I have dealt with and recorded over 1400 spine cases (please note I`m NOT a Dr), I would recommend everyone who thinks they might need ADR or just simply be better informed to get this DVD.

I have just spent my lunchtime watching it and you have everything there for you.

Good luck everyone
Alastair :)

Harrison 09-13-2009 07:26 PM

New film helps spine surgery patients get back on their feet
 
Thanks for your kind words. I am most proud of the film as an educational piece, as it consolidates a great deal of information that has been exchanged within this community in the past five years. And good point about the donation sizes; if anyone has economic hardship, of course we can make exceptions. These are recommendation donation sizes and any donation is tax-deductible.

Two separate articles were submitted and accepted recently by two (very different) orthopedic publishers. This version below was released this week (hard copy) by Orthopedic Products News and a longer web version was published by Robin Young a few weeks ago. I hope it helps new spine patients better understand the educational aspects of this new film on DVD.
____________________________

NEW FILM HELPS SPINE SURGERY PATIENTS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET
By Richard Longland
Founder, the Arthroplasty Patient Foundation

A Cutting Edge Spine Patient is Born

In 2002, I started to get some really nasty pains in my lumbar spine. In 2003, I had myriad tests while gobbling NSAIDs like PEZ candies. And my sitting tolerance worsened to the point where my quality of life completely evaporated. While getting physical therapy, which consisted of nothing more than traction, I consulted with different doctors to obtain the most appropriate treatment options. Since my L5-S1 disc was desiccated and dark on imaging studies and the nerve pain was increasing in severity and location, I whittled my options down to a century-old procedure (the gold standard of fusion) or the newfangled artificial disc replacement.

The idea of motion preservation seemed to make sense to me. So on June 24th, 2004, nearing the end of the Charité clinical trial, I underwent artificial disc replacement surgery at L5-S1 (see image 1). I was in the hospital for 1½ days and made a quick recovery. However, in the terrible process leading up to that day, I spent hours and hours researching my problem: sitting uncomfortably while on-line and reaching out to other patients through discussion boards, e-mail and eventually by phone. It struck me then that patients must look in so many places – too many places for even a “healthy” person -- to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I knew there had to be a way that I could improve the information gathering process for patients, making it easier, more efficient and comprehensive.

When I regained my strength after surgery, I used my energy to launch a website: ADRSupport. Recalling how helpful interactions with spine patients were to me in my difficult journey, I launched a global discussion board in which I still contribute as a patient and community moderator. Even today, the ADRSupport online site brings together ordinary people from all walks of life from over seventy countries, but it also includes medical professionals including dentists, radiologists and medical technicians. I learned a great deal as the editor and administrator at ADRSupport still do. It was a significant learning process that challenged me to take the next critical step in my life.

Making a Big Step: Literally and Professionally

Starting a non-profit is great if you love paperwork and have oodles of money; I am not inclined to bureaucracy and have never won the lottery. Still, I pressed on, while cursing the IRS applications and started the Arthroplasty Patient Foundation, a nonprofit organization. I immediately focused on solving the perpetual problem for spine patients: what’s the best way for patients to learn about new spine treatment technologies? I sensed that film would be a great medium for delivering intelligence to patients, so I started producing a unique film that addresses these startlingly complex challenges. And as the founder of the ADRSupport community, a film maker, and patient, I was in a unique position to interview patients and explore opposing viewpoints on disc replacement.

As of July 2009, there is a new information resource that could accelerate the “patient-doctor” relationship: a film I produced called Getting Back on Their Feet. This 75 minute, high definition documentary is the first of its kind in the spinal arthroplasty world. Featuring candid interviews with seven spine patients, the film takes viewers through the process of disc replacement surgery from diagnosis to recovery. The end result is the visual equivalent of a “how to” manual helpful to both patients and doctors. This film is a concise medium that crunches down, distills and conveys complex information expressly for spine patients.

Medical professionals who watch the film will see and hear what spine patients are looking for in their treatment and consultations. Patients who watch the film will be able to approach their doctors with more knowledge about treatment options and especially a much better understanding of possible risks and complications. Armed with this crucial knowledge, Getting Back on Their Feet will help patients and doctors use their time together as efficiently as possible.

Thoughtful Analysis and Precise Editing

The film also brings out information that one cannot normally find through traditional research methods. Even though each patient interview used the same script, there are highly variable but different responses. As an interviewer, I learned to ask the right question and even ask the same question in different ways to glean information the patient may not have thought about.

One interviewee, Jim, gives his own scale for measuring progress during post-op recovery. It isn’t the normal kind of advice that a doctor would think to give a patient: “When you're in the bathroom,” says Jim, “there are so many things that happen that you need to do with your body, such as washing your hands, shaving your face, getting in and out of the shower, putting on your pants without a grabber or without somebody helping you, putting on your socks. These are the things to watch to determine what your rate of progress is. Forget about the numbers and forget about everything that everybody talks about. What you can do in the bathroom tells you how much better you're getting.”

Listening to these patients’ stories also helps other patients feel that they are not alone in their pain. Eileen tells the camera, “People don’t necessarily understand pain unless they see blood and guts.” Ken describes the halting of his active lifestyle as “taking a race car and putting it up on blocks.” Patients share their pain in the film in ways that they could not with their doctors. Both Ken and Eileen recovered from their surgeries and returned to active lives.

Education and Empowerment

An additional focus of the film deals with patient empowerment -- how people research and obtain information -- as compared to a more traditional patient role of relying on the doctor for everything. With the intensity of chronic spine pain, it’s all too easy for some patients to reach the end of their rope and think, “Just fix me!” Unfortunately, this mechanical way of thinking can be risky because patients might not do their due diligence on potential contra-indications.

For example, if the patient presents a long list of health complaints and defers solely to an orthopedic surgeon, that “surgeon-patient” team may not have the expertise to address all the cause(s) of chronic pain afflicting the patient. Fortunately, the film includes a comprehensive list of risks and contraindications for ADR surgery. After viewing Getting Back on Their Feet, the patient will learn how to ask more informed questions about their spinal condition and the surgeon will come to a better understanding of the patient’s perspective.

An orthopedist’s busy schedule may not always leave enough room to address a worried patient’s questions, and a spine surgeon may have trouble seeing the problem from a patient’s point of view. Getting Back on Their Feet is here to fill in the gaps on both sides. Doctors can recommend this film to their patients as a follow-up to an initial consultation. Then, instead of the patient feeling the need to meet with other doctors to address their concerns, the patient can come back for a second visit with new knowledge. And this makes for a more efficient consultative transaction for both parties. When a doctor can fully relate to a patient’s condition, and when the patient can understand his or her pain and treatment options, then both parties can concentrate on what the patient really needs: getting back on their feet.
___________________________

ADRSupport was founded in 2004 and empowers pre and post-operative spine patients by supporting them in a global community and by helping them identify appropriate treatments to preserve natural motion in their spine. Its web site and global community is found at www.adrsupport.org.

The new Arthroplasty Patient Foundation was founded in 2007 and helps patients research and consider the best solution for their spine dysfunction, whether device-based, biological, or naturopathic. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it seeks partners who are truly committed to helping spine patients return to the highest possible quality of life. Its web site and new film is found at: www.arthropatient.org.

tooyoungforthis 10-03-2009 11:15 AM

Nice validation
 
Just wanted to share that I ordered the movie as well. It came in the mail 2 days later. It was good to watch before surgery and get much of what I was feeling validated. Many of each patient had something that I could personally relate to. Thank you for making this movie, and sharing it with all of us.


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