[JJames]

Thank you Bill & Juli for your posts,

Dr. Yue has always considered me a candidate for the bi-level ADR. Way back in the beginning he was willing to do whatever necessary to assist in the appeals process. The trouble was with me. I needed other opinions before accepting that I needed such major and invasive surgery. The other 4 surgeons who I went to see didn't exactly fill me with optimism either. In the end, I was denied by my medical insurance even after I'd exhausted the appeals process.

My wife and I were the ones who asked Dr. Yue about the feasibility of the hybrid as an option for me and my condition. Once denied for the bi-level ADR, Dr. Yue didn't want to discuss much more. It is bothersome to me that WE had to come up with the alternative, and it was not offered by him - the surgeon! He said that it was also an option. Of course, as luck would have it, he said this at my last visit at which time he was more concerned with my new upper-back, neck, right shoulder, and right arm pain/issues!

He ordered an MRI on my cervical spine which seems to indicate more spinal issues! I canceled the follow-up appointment with him and I just canceled an appointment which I'd previously scheduled with another surgeon. Too many doctors! Too many surgeons! Too many so-called experts with no real answers or convincing solutions.

It appears that for now I need to improve on coping with the pains I have. I do not want to add "Failed Back Surgery" to my list of problems.

My thought now is that when the pain becomes too debilitating and or I have the mental fortitude to start this fight again I may go visit Texas Back Institute. It is quite a trip to TX from CT, but from all the reading I've done throughout the years on these boards, it looks like I could possibly get some answers there. For now, I need a break from the fight for a resolution even more than a break from living in daily pain.

Thanks again - Jeff