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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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  #1  
Old 01-20-2006, 04:01 PM
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Hi,
My name is MaryLou and my husband, Roger, had a three-level ADR in January 2004. I didn't find this forum until yesterday. It's nice to know there is a forum where people can share their experiences with ADR and I expect I will be posting from time to time. I will look around and then post our story shortly.

MaryLou
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  #2  
Old 01-20-2006, 04:27 PM
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welcome to adr support family marylou and roger
looking forward to hearing your story
there a great bunch here
best wishes
chuck
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  #3  
Old 01-20-2006, 05:42 PM
Mariaa Mariaa is offline
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Marylou,
Welcome to you and your husband~
It will be interesting to hear what your husband's experience was with the 3 level ADR~
I do hope he is recovering well. Please let us know, thanks Maria
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  #4  
Old 01-20-2006, 06:48 PM
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Harrison Harrison is offline
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Welcome, MaryLou! Wow...3 level...hope your hubby is well! We have a few 3 levels here that are doing well...

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"Harrison" - info (at) adrsupport.org
Fell on my ***winter 2003, Canceled fusion April 6 2004
Reborn June 25th, 2004, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Boston
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  #5  
Old 01-21-2006, 09:31 PM
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I posted to tell our ADR story but I am not sure where it went. It was a long post too. I wonder what happened to it? I'm new here so maybe I did something wrong.

MaryLou
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  #6  
Old 01-23-2006, 09:12 PM
Justin Justin is offline
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MaryLou--welcome to the forum! I hope your husband is doing well.

Justin
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  #7  
Old 01-24-2006, 04:51 AM
Judy Judy is offline
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Welcome Marylou, glad you find this site. I am also from Connecticut, Is Dr. Yue your husband's doctor?
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Surgery Vienna by Dr. Bertagnoli Oct. 16, 2004
ADR L3/4
Fusion L4/5
ADR L5/S1
Diagnosed with Arachnoiditis 11/06
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  #8  
Old 01-24-2006, 10:09 AM
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Hi Judy,

Yes, he is a patient of Dr. Yue's. He helped my husband when nobody else would. We have the highest respect for him.

MaryLou
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  #9  
Old 01-24-2006, 11:48 AM
mmglobal mmglobal is offline
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MaryLou,

WELCOME!!!

I looked for your posts and found where you put it.

http://www.adrsupport.org/private-cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cg...pic;f=2;t=000136;p=1
_________________________________________
I'm pasting it here for you:

Quote:
Originally posted by mlrpgaud:
[qb] Thanks for the nice welcome. Here is our story which I tried to make as brief as possible.

My husband had a 3-level ADR done in Vienna, Austria on January 8, 2004. Years ago he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and had calcifications removed from his spine. I don't remember the exact year on that. Everything seemed to be going fairly well until April of 2003 when he had a bout of Shingles. During that time he developed severe back pain which continued long after the shingles were gone. We made the rounds of doctors, MRI's, injections, physical thereapy, and all sorts of tests were run. Along with the spinal stenosis, he also had a herniated disc.

All the doctors recommended a spinal fusion or just plain told us there was nothing more they could do for him. Out of desparation I called my Endochrinologist at Yale asking him to recommend the best Orthopedic Surgeon he knew of. He put us in touch with Dr. Yue.

Dr. Yue gave us hope that ADR would work for my husband. What a relief to talk to a doctor that really understood what we were going through. Arrangements were made for us to go to Rudolfinerhaus in Vienna for surgery.

The care my husband received from Dr. Bertagnoli, Dr. Fenk-Meyer, and numerous other doctors, physical therapists, nurses was top-notch. Two days after the ADR there were some complications which required some more surgery but everything did turn out ok, although it was a very scary time for us.

The one real problem he developed afterwards was numbness in his right leg, Therefore he needed (and still needs) two canes to get around. We were told that the reason for the numbness was probably from scar tissue. The numbness goes from his toes to just below the knee. He has feeling on the bottom of his foot, but not the top. This also causes his foot to drop unexpectedly which makes it impossible for him to drive without a leg brace.

When we returned he went through months of physical thereapy, but there was not a lot of improvement in his mobility. His job was physically demanding so he was not able to return to work.

So, do we think the surgery and the expense of all this was worth it? We have talked about it and without a doubt feel it was a good decision. Despite some difficulties he is virtually pain-free and that makes our lives so much easier. As far as we are concerned the surgery was successful. He was in agony and there was no other alternative. He was 62 at the time so he was pretty close to retirement anyway. "Bottom line" if there is something he wants to do, we manage to find a way to get it done.

I have to say that Dr. Bertagnoli and Dr. James Yue (our doctor in New Haven, CT) are two of the finest doctors we have ever had to deal with. They treated us with the utmost respect and actually cared about our opinion (which is more than I can say about some doctors).

MaryLou [/qb]
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  #10  
Old 01-24-2006, 07:22 PM
ans ans is offline
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Best of luck MaryLou to you and your husband. I'm tempted to go cross-country to see Dr. Yue as I hear he's so good.

Allan
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Severe, extensive DDD, considered inoperable by Dr. Regan, Lauressen, & some guy at UCLA. Severe foraminal stenosis (guess they can't operate!) and some spinal cord compression that Lauryssen would fix if gets outta hand.
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