Thanks for your comments, folks. I don't think enough people have chimed in on this to get any sort of consensus yet, but I do have some further thoughts.
Scott - I don�t see anywhere in the profile where there is a cell nearly large enough to include the information I want to post. If it�s there and I missed it, save me further embarrassment, buddy, and email me direct! ;-)
Biff - Your idea is really good, and has some merit, but...
Both Scott and Biff�s ideas require one to navigate somewhere else to get information about a member; something I think ought to be available while you are reading a post. Imagine reading for a couple hours and navigating back and forth to a Signature Thread every time you come across a new person�s post. This could involve dozens of navigations to that thread, and then remembering each person�s details or going back once again to the Sig Thread. Yes, I could keep a separate tab on my browser with the Sig Thread available, but even then I�d have to search for the member�s name to get their info.
I�m sure we all get to recognize and remember some of the more proliferous posters (don�t ya just love alliteration?) as we go along, but I�m thinking about the new recruits who join and are daunted by the sheer numbers of differing individual cases. At that point they�re just trying to figure out who�s who and what�s what and if anyone else is trying for the same device, same state, same insurance and whose been successful doing what they want to do.
I�m torn about this, because I agree with Scott that long sigs do take up more space, cut down on efficient reading of a thread and perhaps take more loading time. I�m thinking, however, that the advantages of instant identification of case details is more necessary to the reader�s acquisition of knowledge and critical contacts than the negative aspects might be.
I�d really appreciate a few more people giving their yea�s or nay�s on this.
Maybe we should give it a test run, say for a month, to see how it works? We're getting at least two new members per day now, so there are plenty of newbies to test it on!
I�ve been working on the format I mentioned at the top of this thread and would like to submit the current version for everyone�s red ink. You�ll notice it has no subject titles at the beginning of each line; those could be (for the sake of helping the newbie fill out the form correctly) included in a section of the FAQ, perhaps. Anything I left out? Obviously, those who have already received a device would fill in who, what, when, where, (how?) and results.
Rein
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1947/06/18
male
married
sailmaker, self-employed
Massachusetts
BCBS PPO
Want ProDisc
No Surgeon/Facility lined up yet, although talking with Dr. Yue/Yale Medical/CT. Possibly Dr. Bertagnoli/Europe if I can figure out how to push the right insurance buttons, as money *is* an object.
2003/09/26 Ruptured L5-S1, precise cause unknown (suspect lifting/carrying heavy weights incorrectly, aging spine)
2003/10/27 Microendoscopic discectomy
2003/12/18 Finished physical therapy
2004/05/28 First stabbing pain in area of ruptured disc following by period of increasing pain, guarding
2004/07/07 MRI - completely degenerated disc
2004/06 Determined ProDisc was ADR of choice (Can't afford self pay, so waiting for FDA and BCBS to get their act together, hopefully by 2005/06.)
2005/04/13- Determined FDA may not approve ProDisc until as late as 2006/01. Re-commenced exploring options, including Charite.
Current capabilities: Limited ability to work, function normally. One day of work = two days of agony/recovery. Typically limited time sitting, standing stationary, lying in one position, bending, etc., no rapid movements of any kind.
Current damage control: Using stationary bike, BioFlex inversion traction machine, stretching exercises/ab crunches/extensions, occasional Ibuprophen or Motrin. Stretching, BioFlex every two hours seems to give the best results so far.
Would like my life back, if you please, FDA & BCBS!