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New Member Introductions If you just joined, please introduce yourself here. Please add a signature describing your spinal history (use the "User CP) and ask us how we can help you get started. |
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#11
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OMG! Maybe we can even grapple TOGETHER! How freaking cool would that be? Not one, but TWO martial artists with multi-level ADR! Hot DOG! Where in the states are you? I'm in CA.
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Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#12
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Adr
Yessssss I'm in new york. Never been to Cali though ) so are you schedule for surgery??
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L5 S 1 herniation burning feet groin pain. Undisgnosed for months finally getting answers. |
#13
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I think so? March 18th is the day I requested out of the options Yolanda game me. Hopefully I will hear back from her soon about that. Since I am having so many levels done (Six! Yikes!) I need to be his only surgery for the day. I certainly hope I don't have to wait until April! Otherwise he is booked with surgeries already and doesn't have a full day to block off until then. Rest
Rest assured the moment I am scheduled for surgery * officially*, I will update my signature! I have been to NY once, but would love an excuse to go back. We'll make this happen somehow. That is, if don't blow all our money in Barcelona. LOL!
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Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#14
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Quote:
Yeah, the whole economics of medical care is nuts. Close to 90% of that price was for the Hospital. I quickly confirmed via this site (and other sources) what a more reasonable price looked like - which was more in line with what I originally estimated. I considered consulting with other clinics in the US (outside of my area). To be honest, I had reached the point where I didn't want to keep looking for options. Based on the information at hand, Dr. Clavel seemed like the best bet so I went for it. I don't know if that's the smartest way to go about it but it's what made sense to me.
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L5-S1 M6L with Dr. Clavel 3/6/13 |
#15
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Don't feel too bad I don't think you would have found the U.S. surgeries outside your area to be cost competitive with Europe.
The hospital fees alone in my quote the Texas Back Institute for a three level were $45,000 and my total quote of $78,000 only included a two night hospital stay. For Europe I could have the whole procedure for less than the hospital fees in the U.S. plus I get _5_ nights in the hospital and other things like physio and revision insurance. I realize that Harrison thinks the U.S. is a viable option, and for people who have local experienced doctors with one level degenerated it may be, but when you crunch the numbers Europe just makes a whole lot of sense. Part of the problem with the U.S. system is the ridiculous charges various providers make to each other. I had a discogram done through TBI for $3,000. Which was a lot but it wasn't killer. When I got invoiced the anesthesiologist tried to charge me $17,000 for 1/2 general anesthetic - when I called them up they said it was their standard rate (I won in the end BTW and only paid the $1,500 that I owed them). It's just crazy...
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Lifelong history of back issues from a young age, spasms etc. 1995 - Weightlifting injury 1997 - Hip Injury 2009 - Trampoline injury (just bounced down on my butt) 2009-2011 Physiotherapy and medication, progress but no lasting pain relief 2010 - X-Ray DDD L5-S1, L4-L5, L4-L3 2010 - MRI Herniation L5-S1, Bulges L4-L5, L4-L3 2011 - Epidurals - No relief 2012 - Facet Injections - No relief 2012 - Discogram TBI - positive L3-S1 L3-S1 ADR M6-L w Clavel 11/28/2012 |
#16
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Quote:
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Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#17
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Yet another reason that many of us go to Europe for this surgery.
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C4/5 - ACDF in 2000 C5/6 - ACDF in 2002 C3/4 & C6/7 - M6 ADR, Nov 2009, Barcelona Conceded defeat to a manifestly disingenuous BCBS-TX in my quest for reimbursement, Jan 2011 |
#18
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Tru dat.
BTW, and I will update on the other thread, ADR is nearly 100% tax-deductible per my accountant. Anything over 10% of your income (starting 2013, was 7.5% prior) is deductible. SAVE ALL receipts. Plus, the argument that it would be at least 2x that amount in the US works in our favor. My accountant suggested a letter from a doc stating medical necessity.
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Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
#19
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In Canada we get an even sweeter deal: we get to deduct everything over 3% of net income (or over a base of $2,109 whichever is less). :P
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Lifelong history of back issues from a young age, spasms etc. 1995 - Weightlifting injury 1997 - Hip Injury 2009 - Trampoline injury (just bounced down on my butt) 2009-2011 Physiotherapy and medication, progress but no lasting pain relief 2010 - X-Ray DDD L5-S1, L4-L5, L4-L3 2010 - MRI Herniation L5-S1, Bulges L4-L5, L4-L3 2011 - Epidurals - No relief 2012 - Facet Injections - No relief 2012 - Discogram TBI - positive L3-S1 L3-S1 ADR M6-L w Clavel 11/28/2012 |
#20
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You guys have it GREAT over there! I just watched Sicko today. WOW.
__________________
Multiple traumas to spine starting age 13. 1st American to have 6 ADR's in one surgery. C3-4 - C/7, & L5-S1 - L3-4. Surgery w/ Dr. Clavel, 3/18/13, M6. Before surgery: severe spinal stenosis C5/C6 (cord "flattened" per stateside doc), + for Hoffman's & Babinsky's. At time of surgery: 5 yrs MAX before ending up in wheelchair. Clavel found L5-S1 partially fused. Had to cut it apart to put in M6. Please excuse brevity - SEVERE carpel tunnel. |
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