[jss]

James,

Clearly your condition has taken a heavy toll on you. Condolences and welcome.

I can only imagine the frustration of not being able to get a diagnosis for the source of your pain; and if your only option is enduring another 35 years of incapacitating pain, I would never try and talk you out of suicide; but it sounds like you're being very hasty. I'm glad you stopped by here first.

Aside from the one imaging study, have you had any further diagnostics? ESI? Discogram? etc... It sounds like you have a particularly difficult case to diagnose. I know of two highly thought of spine surgeons in your area; one a neurosurgeon and one an orthopedic. Dr Luiz Pimenta is a world renowned spine researcher that is profusely cited by his peers, and is by all accounts an outstanding surgeon. Though domiciled in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he has been known to see patients in San Diego at UCSD where he is on the Board. You should be able to find out more about the possibilities of seeing him at UCSD by contacting his office in Brazil. The posters on this site that go by the handles Maddie and Sandy123 were both treated by him in Brazil. If you contact them, they would probably be happy to help you get in contact with him. Dr Rick Delmarter is a nationally renowned orthopedic research surgeon whose office is up the road in Santa Monica. His name has come across this site a number of times.

Please keep us posted, and good luck.

Jeff