Harrison,
Thanks for your reply. Tomorrow, I'll ask my neurologist if a foraminotomy could disqualify a patient for ADR surgery.
I met with my ortho surgeon today. I tried to get in as many questions and concerns as possible (I had a lot of them), but it's always hard, because these specialists are always in a rush. He had me do some range of motion movements to check for pain, and neurological movements to check for nerve pain and weakness. He said I passed all the tests well.
He doesn't think my fusion was damaged. He doesn't think I'm anywhere near needing a surgery at this time; not even a partial microdiscectomy to remove any disc material which may be compressing/irritating the nerves. He doesn't think I need a follow-up MRI or x-rays at this time to check on the fusion and the condition of my L4-5 segment. He said that if the neurologist wants to give me another EMG, then that couldn't hurt to see if the test detects any nerve damage, but he couldn't detect any during his examination. I didn't like hearing that he didn't want another MRI, not because I enjoy the test, but because I just want to be sure I'm not degenerating faster than he thinks I am. Doctors don't have x-ray vision; they are limited regarding what they can detect in someone's back.
He said that I will just have to tolerate the pain and sciatica when they occur (they will inevitably flair-up from time-to-time), and that I should work hard with my physical therapy to strengthen my back and core muscles, and try to avoid activities which put a lot of pressure/pounding on the lower back, like running for long distances.
I'm glad his examination didn't turn up anything serious. However, just tolerating back pain and sciatica feels wrong.
I mean, of course I have to tolerate the pain when it comes, but other than the physical therapy aren't there other conservative pain management treatments I can get? I didn't get a chance to delve into that with him. I have a follow-up appt in 3 months.
Tomorrow, I'm going to ask the neurologist about getting another MRI; maybe he'll agree to order one. I'll also ask about my options for pain mgmt. outside of physical therapy.
Lastly, there is a new therapy that's being used to treat DDD (Jim alluded to it earlier in the thread) which is what I have at the L4-5 lumbar vertebra. Basically, they take stem cells from your bone marrow or fat tissue and inject them into the diseased disc with the hope that it will repair itself, either arresting or retarding the degeneration.
One of the doctors doing it is Tim Davis out of L.A.
If you know of any others, please let me know. Check out this
short video about it. I very well may contact Dr. Davis and see if I'd be a candidate for such a procedure. It's meant to treat
early DDD which is what I currently have, but it won't stay that way forever. If it worked, then it could buy me a lot more time before I'd need to have any kind of surgery. I didn't get a chance to ask the ortho surgeon about it, but I will ask the neurologist tomorrow.
Thanks,
James