[1Day]

Hi,
Newbie here, 47YO female...after 30 years of back and neck pain I finally decided on surgery only for the insurance denials to start. 25 years of PT and Chiropractic, 5 years of injections. Several times a year I can barely move for a week at a time. And I really don't understand pain meds and muscle relaxers, when I'm in that much pain, absolutely nothing helps except for not moving a muscle. Epidurals used to work, not anymore. I think I have forgotten how to bend at the waist. After the last 8 weeks of PT, the PT doc said, you started out with two ropes for back muscles and you still have two ropes for back muscles, they are no better now then day one.

L5-S1 and L4-L5 are the culprits that need replacing. Been waiting on Aetna since June. When my discogram was done, the doc came out and asked how I was doing, I said, all good. He held my hand and said "Young lady, you are one tough cookie, that bottom disc is SHREDDED and the other one is pretty bad too". Surgeon says I'm a perfect candidate for double lumbar ADR.

The funny part is that according to my surgeon and pain doc, my neck is radiographically much more jacked up then my back and they cannot believe that I'm not in daily agony from my neck. Spinal cord compression, herniations and a few other things. The surgeon wants to replace 3 discs in my neck. But, since I currently do not have any issues with pain down my arms, I'm waiting for my back to get done first. When the neck seizes up, there is no moving it for weeks, but I am so used to it. I asked the doc what that golfball was on the side of my neck and he explained it was the entire muscle balled up into one spot.

I never look forward to the neck headaches, and when they happen I'm back to wanting surgery on the neck.

Anyway, thanks for this forum, it helps to know I'm not alone in this. I look forward to getting approvals.

Thanks,
Chris