[Cynlite]

NJ Gene,

Sorry to hear you don't have support from your boss. Since just about everyone willingly has fusion, his response was kind of expected. He speaks from being uninformed. It is annoying when we feel we have to defend our decisions. Often, I just take a pass on it. It's not worth the aggravation.

I had a good conversation with the surgeon yesterday. He said that there are hardly any disc manufacturers trying to get FDA approval anymore because of the cost to do it. We both sort of sneered at the FDA. He mentioned they approved some little plate that costs thirty something thousand for brain surgery. It only extends the life of the patient about six weeks and Medicare is paying for it so patients are asking for it and the tax payers get to foot the bill. Having gone down the road of cancer with my Dad for several years, I understand horrible disease but, I just don't see how a six week possibility of extending one's life is worth the surgery trade-off. It just seems the FDA is very politically influenced. In the same conversation he discussed how the Charite Manufacturer went out of business because it was a failure and the people in Europe paid the price for it AND yet, it was approved by the FDA.

I agree, I think he has limited experience with surgery with discs. He pointed me to the surgeons in my state that do which was good because he was honoring my wishes. It's a shame his office was not more knowledgeable because they would have saved me the pain of getting into that darn building. My blood pressure went to 145/100 and they asked me what I was doing to control my blood pressure. (Just breath and relax LOL.) That was the highest reading I've ever had and I was in PAIN plus agitated. I just had a reading a few days ago of 126/86. This is why it's important to try and control one's pain with drugs. I didn't take any drugs until after my appointment. I figure it is hard to tell a doctor where I hurt if I'm masking it with drugs. Oh my, it was a difficult journey because I had to hike about two blocks with a heavy bag to get there from the parking lot. The poor guys managing the parking lot said they were sorry they didn't have anything better. Hard to believe they haven't considered their patients' pain! Glad it's over for now. I'll be better prepared for the next appointment.

Please do let me know how it goes at the Texas Back Institute. I read the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC is doing ADR but, I believe the TBI has more experience since they've been in on many of the trials. I think you made a good call personally. The surgeons with really good experience in ADR in the U.S. are definitely a minority IMO.

I tried massage, acupuncture and now get jabbed with needles by a pain specialist. He helps me the most. The other modalities only help for a few hours to a few days. I think I'll just save my money on PT and keep doing body work at home for now. I'll speak to the next surgeon at Barrow about it.

Oh, one other comment from yesterday. The surgeon said "the discs are really easy to put in." That was kind of a flip statement! Hmmmmm, I think I may know more about what is going on in the "world" with discs then he does. Too bad our FDA won't consider the body of knowledge available in Europe.