Hello Hello! - Page 2

Boxer78 · #11 02-11-2013, 03:50 PM

Your symptoms sound very familiar. I also have strange burning in hips groin feet etc but with very little actuall back pain. Do ur legs just feel weak or just not right? This is by far the toughest decision to make in going overseas but I feel like it will eliminate the problem once and for all. How does job feel about surgery overseas?

damanijewels · #12 02-11-2013, 04:10 PM

Boxer,

My legs do not feel weak, I can just feel different sensations in them at different times that are not normal. It is frustrating because I am still very strong, just have a lot of pain.

The job doesn't really say much to do with the surgery either way. Most of the guys in the department who are having bad back problems usually get a hybrid done. I know three people off the top of my head who have had the hybrid procedure with the prodisc/fusion and are still working.

My lawyer has been working on the overseas battle for me. Right now I have to see a QME, who will hopefully recommend surgery. At that point my lawyer will tell my workers comp adjuster I am going overseas for the surgery. They will probably deny the surgery claim but my lawyer thinks I can get the time off to heal covered because I am having surgery, just not the one approved here in the states.

It is a hard decision because I can function at the level I am at. Daily pain is a 1-3 and can be managed but I live a totally different lifestyle now and am not anywhere near as active as I like to be. I am okay with never running again with or without the surgery but after a few days at work I am really hurting bad with pain going anywhere from a 6-11.

All doctors have agreed somewhere down the line I will need surgery; my feeling is I should do it while I am younger, my bones are better, and I can heal faster.

So many decisions and the scariest thing I know we all wonder about is when I wake up will I be better than when they put me out. If I can come out of it structurally better....I'm all for managing the pain.

Boxer78 · #13 02-11-2013, 04:48 PM

I totally hear ya man. Such a tough spot to be stuck in. So the guys w the alif are back full duty?? I feel like u as far as living with it but life is short and I don't wanna deal w worse symptoms later on when fixing it now would mean faster recovery. Have u had phone consult w clavel yet?

damanijewels · #14 02-11-2013, 07:29 PM

Boxer,

Ya all the guys are back to full duty. One was SWAT/TAC for years and is now a Lt. with a hybrid.

I have my skype with Dr. Clavel on Thursday.

Boxer78 · #15 02-11-2013, 07:58 PM

Good stuff I know job is scared to put guys back out with fusions. So ur def pullin trigger in march?

damanijewels · #16 02-11-2013, 08:05 PM

Boxer,

I have to say our department is pretty good about trying to get guys back out there rather than just medically retiring them. We have a year totally off and then two years of light duty before they force you to take a medical....if you are determined on coming back to the job.

You have five years to totally recover from your injury though with the three listed above wrapped into it. So far I have only taken a month off of the job and have gritted through the rest.

I am thinking very soon I will have surgery but when I do not know. I have some facet issues going on and I am going to try to get one more cortisone injection to see if I can last another 4-6 months so I can deal with the workman's comp portion of it. If my facets are gone then they are gone and I will go with a hybrid procedure and then it comes down to do I do it here and have it all paid for as well as any future problems or do I go overseas and pay out of pocket and hope it gives me a better life for the future.

I'm hoping we someday get to the point where they will just give me a bionic spine and let me get back to grinding

.

Stay focused and think positive!!

Boxer78 · #17 02-11-2013, 08:35 PM

That's what I'm sayin bro. Dyin to get back in the shark tank!! But ur right the proper diagnosis and treatment is the most important part sounds like u have top notch docs out there. I tell these guys my symptoms and their like "so things are just unexplainable" wtfffff so frustrating bro. Not to mention working through it and tryin to stay focused. Brutal. Keep me posted bro

damanijewels · #18 02-14-2013, 06:11 PM

So I spoke with Dr. Clavel who was polite enough on Skype although the picture didn't work, the payment wasn't going through and then they changed my time to a few hours earlier even though it was difficult for me to make that time. A lot of money for a 20 min conversation.

Dr. Clavel didn't tell me anything new although he did say I have grade 3 facet degeneration at L5-S1 and he could still do an adr there. I asked him what the chances of having facet degeneration happen in the future and what would be expected and he said well I would be comfortable doing a fusion there as well and then went to talk about a hybrid procedure.

I don't know if I pushed the fusion, but he did say to stay safe fusion is what to do but he thinks I can do a ADR there. Confusing to say the least as I don't care what you give me.....just make me structurally sound and make it so I can do my job safely

.

Yolanda and Dr. Clavel were very nice though and I do feel after speaking with him the M6 is where it is at.

I had questions about my CT scan and what it said about L3-L4 but he stated the CT scan is not the best to look at the discs and even stated the discogram is mostly used stateside and not always needed for surgery.

Evaluating the patient, looking at the films and listening to where the patient is having pain is the most important things as discograms can give false positives or negatives.

Does anyone who had surgery with an M6 know their facet grade prior to surgery? Also Dr. Clavel was amazed I had no back pain and only leg/hip/sciatica pain. Is anyone else like that??

Thanks for help always,

Matt

Lillyth · #19 02-14-2013, 06:36 PM

If you are willing to travel up to San Francisco, my chiro is a QME and he is totally 100% behind me going overseas for this surgery and recognizes it is necessary. I would be surprised if he didn't recommend a two level ADR for you. He wants to preserve as much motion as possible, obviously. Let me know if you want his contact info.

Buckeyeback · #20 02-15-2013, 01:42 AM

Hi Matt,

If I may give my non medical opinion here. First of all, if you are at a grade 3 facet degeneration, I wouldn't chance having to fuse that level after having an M6 installed there. Besides, that level doesn't articulate many degrees anyway typically. Something you should be aware of and make sure is not a problem for you is that there are no bone spurs impinging on the nerve roots in the lateral recess. Since you have leg pain and not much if any back pain you could have some of this degeneration which Dr. Clavel will not be able to address in an anterior ADR surgery. The MRI read will say "lateral recess stenosis" if you are dealing with that also. I was like what you are describing, little back pain, but had leg pain with shooting pains down the leg at times (like when I would step off a curb). I am better, but I believe a lateral recess stenotic spur (osteophyte) is giving me trouble as my L5 nerve root transcends down the L5 recess canal. Interestingly, 3 neurosurgeons (including Dr. Clavel) didn't comment on it when looking at my MRI, so I suppose I could be wrong.

Unfortunately, my leg issues are still there even though they are a little better. My back is great.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Dr. Clavel is a great surgeon.

~Buckeyeback