thanks richard... this is definitely disconcerting. since having some bloodwork done to test for these various "bugs" is much less invasive and less expensive than all the epidurals, facet injections, and discograms we all receive in trying to nail down pain generators for our degenerative spines, if one could find a good doctor to work with why not test for these bugs?
when i had surgery i asked about saving my discs for tissue engineering but i was told at this time they couldn't do that. i should have asked about sending then to a lab for analysis. these are our discs! and they are just getting thrown away? i'm sure there is some fear about what our discs would reveal and how this may change future treatment.
i'm only 32 yrs old and yet i have 4 level DDD. yes, i had an injury and presumably tore L3-S1 from it and preceded to run, backpack and ski until i had nothing left at L5-S1 but still. i have the spine of an old woman. L2-3 now shows radiographic signs of DDD. my scoliosis could be pinching it but there may be another cause. i consider myself to have a strong immune system as i almost never get sick but it's worth investigating if anything else is causing this degenerative cascade.
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scoliosis; 1998 snowboarding injury->DDD L3-S1 w/annular tears/protrusions; 2007 episodes of rt foot drop
2007 Prodisc ADR L4-S1
L4-5 Prodisc tilted/facet issues; old L5 nerve damage
2009 L4-5 Prodisc ADR removed and revised to XLIF w/posterior instrumentation
massive hemorrhage from tear of inferior vena cava at right iliac vein due to adhesion from Prodisc op
2010 not fused; as a result of complications permanent nerve damage to lumbar plexus causing severe rt leg, hip, groin pain
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