Appt with surgeon April 1st, need some advice. Harrison-I hope you chime in!

[Maddie]

Jeff, I am so sorry that you are going through this. Maybe my experience might help you.

I have been trying for three years to get some kind of treatment, any kind, for severe lower back pain, and it turns out, also for severe compression of the spinal cord at C4/5 & 5/6. I have been fighting with insurance and waiting for an appeal for a year and a half.

Now comes the good part....through desperation, I also contacted Dr. Fabien Bitan in NYC. I was afraid of what would happen if my appeal failed, and wanted another opinion, or three.

I sent my MRIs to several doctors throughout the US, and Dr. Bitan called me the day he received my package and asked if he could see me ASAP. That was on a Friday and we saw him Monday afternoon, just two weeks ago.

My original plan was for two ADRs at the cervical levels mentioned above, and two more at L4/5 & L5/S1, as diagnosed in Germany. Dr. Bitan wants to do two hybrids, fusion at C4/5 and ADR at 5/6, then a few days later, do fusion at L5/S1, and L4/5, then ADR at L3/4. Things have apparently deteriorated over the past year and a half.

This doctor has given me a great feeling of faith, and also outlined the reasons behind the hybrids. My C4/5 is so badly inflammed and compressed that he thinks a fusion will allow it to heal better, and then the ADR will of course allow movement. Same sort of story in the lumbar.

I trust this doctor like no other and would recommend him to my friends. He carried on a lengthy conversation over the phone before we travelled there to see him, so you might have the same luck. He is full of compassion and humour, and I don't think you would go wrong with asking him for help. You don't know till you try.

I believe that my insurance will be much happier with the hybrid than with multi-level ADR, as that was their reason for denying my application. There also is a precident for a case of spinal cord compression that was successful in the appeal process, which bodes well for me.

Just Google his name and review his CV. He is rated as one of the top 5 doctors in his field. Feel free to PM me if you have more questions. I truly understand your frustration and pain level, and am glad to help if I can.

[Harrison]

J,

For what it’s worth, I think you are smart to make a decision – something I had a hard time with back in 2003. This excerpt is from my “10 Lessons” on the .org side of the site:

"...Second Lesson: Being in chronic pain and doing your best work are usually incompatible. Know when to call it quits to preserve your health, sanity and reputation..."

http://www.adrsupport.org/harrison.html

If you addressed this in your earlier post, I missed it: do you not have disability benefits?!