need help with decision making!

I really appreciate your warm welcome.I suffer from leg pain more than my back pain. I am in my forties and I am kind of semi disabled right now. I need to do my Statistics about my back. I am looking for ADR details.
I found this site through Pro-spine web site. I live bay area, 50 miles from San Francisco. I had SED on 2 levels lsat Jan in Arizona.

Thank you so much for your welcome message. I will make an introduction e mail to ever one shortly. At this point I am in lot of pain. I saw your contributions to the sites, it seems like you have done a tremendous work. Take care

Girija
Idet/1997
Nucleoplasty/2004
endoscopy/ Jan 2005/L3& L4
Considering ADR


thank you so much. I will make a introduction e mail to everone shortly. At this point i am in lot of pain. i saw your contributions to the sites, it seems like like you have done a tremendos work. take care

Girija
Idet/1997
Nucleoplasty/2004
endoscopy/ Jan 2005/L3& L4
considering ADR

Hi I am new to this board . I am in my mid forties and have back problems for 10 years. I have fibomylagia and mayo facial pain syndrome for 15 years. Last 4 years have been bad years. It is really great to see wealth of information and caring in this site.
1. Dr Anthony Yeung in Arizona suggests I need ADR for two levels. I had an appointment with Neurosurgeon locally.
2. I saw Dr. Raul A Vernal MD in Los Gatos, He said I need triple fusion and all my facet joints have become big and not that much room for nerves. He needs to go inside and make space for nerves. He is going to do that by shaving the bones. I believe he has recently done an ADR and I am not a candidate for that.
3. I saw a Stanford Ortho spine specialist, who said, I am depressed. I have Fibromylagia for many years. It is acting up and get treated for depression. He doesn�t think I will be better with these huge surgeries.
4. I live near San Francisco and left messages to Dr. James F. Zucherman MD, haven�t have reply yet for last two months
5. My MRI pathology doesn�t show or diagnose for in a clear way. My L3 is pinching, disk are desiccated.
6. I have choice between not doing anything to getting a huge surgeries from two 360 view point. I will seek one or two more opinions. I do not mind having the huge surgery, as long I do not want to get worst than now. I am not sure of anything anymore, so confused.
Any help and suggestions are appreciated.


Girija
Idet/1997 �felt good for 3-4 years
Nucleoplasty/2004�good for 6 months
endoscopy/ Jan 2005/L3& L4�able to walk better. Pain improved for 9 months and came back/ DR Yeung, Arizona
Considering fusion

[Fortitudine]

Welcome, Girija,
You will find lots of useful info and helpful and supportive people here.

It is really confusing when you get totally different opinions, isn't it? With ADR being so new, that will probably be the case for some time to come. Many doctors are not interested in it, and will therefore recommend against it.

You are doing the right thing in getting several opinions.
Good luck.

[ans]

Hi G:

There's quite a few A-rated ADR surgeons in LA. Some have had multiple appointments for opinions during their stay. Yes, this is difficult but knowlege is power (and confusion!) and I think it's worth it. Good luck, ans

[Alastair]

Hi Girija,
We have had patients with Fibromylagia in the UK who wanted ADR to ease the spinal pains -- - they were in too much pain with the spine injections prior to surgery to see which discs were required to be replaced, so couldn`t do it -- -the surgeon called it off.That patient is going to have another try when her Fibro is not too bad.

Dr Yeung seems to be really respected and although I live in the UK his name has been mentioned here many times.

Get as much info as you can from here and then its "Your Decision".
Best
Alastair

[Harrison]

Girija, welcome to the board!

I�ve had the joy of dealing with trigger points, and the onset is still a bit of a mystery. I created a helpful FAQ on what they are all about, including treatment. BTW, if you don�t have the Trigger Point workbook, it�s a must read, see http://www.triggerpointbook.com/ By careful management, massage and exercise, trigger points are no longer an issue for me!

I�ve read some research that hormone levels can be related to many (if not all symptoms) of fibromyalgia. Check out this article:

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of growth hormone in the treatment of fibromyalgia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retri...552084&dopt=Citation

Girija, you say that you are semi-disabled. Are you able to exercise at all? What can you do to stay active?

You spinal situation sounds a bit tricky, I urge you to get as many opinions from experienced spine surgeons as possible. There a locator service here:

http://www.adrsupport.org/content.asp?cid=182

[letteski]

Giri,

Welcome and you will find lots of info here. I grew up in the Bay Area and saw Dr Zucherman a year ago and he was pushing the Flexicore disc. Personally I did not like that disc and he was not for me. However he was just one of my 9 doctors opinions I got. I ended up in LA.

Ask lots of questions, get lots of opinions you will know when you have found your Doc and your procedure it's a feeling words don�t describe.

Good Luck

welcome to the group you are going to be surprised at the info and support you will recieve. i to suffer from extereme leg and back pain, along with muscle spasms that burn down your leg the worst for me is at night. i have had two lamenctomies at l4l5 with little success i am only 32 and have had a rough time. currently i am looking into disc replacement but of course insurance companies have a say so in that, i am looking at a fusion now but havent decided. maybe we can help eachother make our decision.
Tina Young

It is such warm feeling with all of your replies. I really appreciate your input and support. At this point I have quit my part time job, not able to drive and waiting to make a decision to go for surgery or not
My back story:
1. I had discatomy by dr. Yeung one year ago( L3-4, L4-5) and had a relief from my leg pain. I do not have that much back pain, mostly hip and leg pain. Dr yeng thinks I need artificial discs and also says there are other problems in the back. He was not very clear what kind! Sent me vaguely back from phoenix with injections. I had partial relief only two weeks from injection.
2. I saw to Dr. Raul Vernol, a neurosurgeon, board certified, who takes my insurance. He is old fashioned gentlemen, slow and methodical. He thinks I need fusion and some other things where they carve facet joints and make room for nerves. Felt comfortable with this doc
3. I saw dr. carrageen in Stanford ortho, he talked to me vaguely. He said go treat your depression and fibromylagia. He knew opinion of the other doc and said, your surgery will not fix your pain and walking without support. Came back very sad and hurt.
4. I went back to Dr. vernal and told him to convince me whether this is is the right surgey for my problems.
5. He put me on kind of back brace which has a flexible metal and plastic , he says if I feel less pain with belt, then fusion is going to help me. I am wearing the belt when I am vertical. It seems to be helping. He said he might do cat�s scan and procedure with anesthesiologist where all facet joints will put numbing medication to see the source of pain.
6. I have another appointment from another neurosurgeon who works for same hospital and know each other. I hope dr Meda zadi will think like dr. Vernon. So I can get some help.
7. I might get appointment with UCSF doc, I do not know whether I should even go??

I am in the process of making decision with proof. I do not want to get worst than before the surgery. It looks like we all with have to take chance and take the risk of back surgery not working for us. It is a scary spot to live there!
take care everyone!!
girija

[spotty14]

UCSF is another logical place to get a consultation.

[ans]

Another incentive for LA; two hrs. away:

http://www.pstramway.com/