[laid up doc]

janaya -

i will be tested for titanium as well, but it's much less common that nickel or chromium allergies. i am analytical beyond analytical... since i'm unable to work anymore i spend a lot of time doing research, trying to decide what the best thing for me to do is.

if i am not a candidate for a prodisc, i will most likely find the $$ to pay for whichever surgery i think is best, and deal with the appeals after the fact. it costs me a tremendous amnt of $$ not to work (i'm a specialist MD) and my COBRA runs out in May. plus, waiting and fighting aetna will destroy my mental health. also, once i have some resolution then i can proceed w/ the lawsuit - which may in some ways take aetna out of the picture.

i am having a HUGE problem getting a consensus from docs though... one thing that will be a problem should i choose to do an ADR overseas. the 2 docs i saw where i live now both said fusion, that they did adr's and stopped.

i saw a neurosurg in another city (to which i am moving shortly) who just does fusions... and since i am a great ADR candidate as far as my diagnosis, he wanted his partner who does a lot of ADR's to review my case. well, i'm having a lot of trouble even speaking to this dude on the phone. seems once they found out i wasn't a candidate for one of their studies, they weren't interested. apparently most of the insurers in that area don't cover ADR, and they didn't seem to believe me that I had a policy that did. his secretary said some extremely rude things on the phone... i don't know if these are the surgeon's words or hers but it was extraordinarily rude and unprofessional. really turning me off... usually fellow docs don't treat another doc like that, or any medical professional for that matter. ugh.