New Member Intro from Florida/Norway

[Monnielr]

Hello,

I am so happy that I found this site. I have only begun to read through the wealth of information here, but it has already provided me with some guidance in choosing a surgeon abroad and has given me hope.

My pain started gradually occuring at first only when I was running high milage until, over a couple years, the pain in my left leg was occuring all the time. At the age of 25, I discovered that I had a severely herniated L5/S1 disc and a bulging L4/L5 disc. At that time, I was living abroad in Norway and their opinion was that it would heal itself. After several opinions and 9 months of hardly being able to walk, I sent my MRI's back home to the US for another opinon. Within a month, I had a discectomy on my L5/S1 in Florida and was able to walk immediately afterwards. I returned back to Norway and improved for a few months; then stagnated and then started to regress.

I moved back to the US in the middle of 2012 to seek help. The continual pain is due to an excess of scar tissue, which should eventually subside. With the help of an excellent chiropractor, massage therapist and personal trainer I am beginning to make gains.

But a few weeks ago, I discovered that the neck pain I had also been experiencing since Jan 2012 was not postural or related to my lower back pain. After being referred to 3 separate doctors, they discovered that I have a large herniated C4/C5 and a bulging C5/C6 with moderate to severe compression of the spinal cord. The pain does not present normally which is why it was not caught sooner. This came as a complete shocked and I devestated at the news. My doctor recommends ADR surgery as soon as possible, though we agreed that I should look abroad due to the fact that they have the M6 disc (not yet available here), have good surgeons and are cheaper for a self pay patient.

Based on what I've read so far, I am considering writing to Clavel, Zeeger and Bertagnoli for an estimate and time frame. I am hoping to get in soon, but have no idea what the wait times generally are. I'd appreciate if anyone has insight into this.

Thanks!
Monnie

[Harrison]

Welcome, Monnie, though I am sorry your are here. When you can, pls set up a signature:

http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f58...-health-11053/

Do you attribute your lumbar problems to high mileage running? What distances and how often were you running? How was the scar tissue identified, MRI with contrast?

[jss]

Monnie,

Condolences on the terrible story; especially considering that you're not yet even 30 years old!

While Dr's Zeegers and Bertagnoli both have stellar reputations and their opinions would be valuable in making a decision, if you're intent on the M6, no one's ever posted on here of them using the M6. Some other European surgeons that are known to use it are Mr Dare in Hampshire, England and Dr Bierstadt (sp?) in Germany. If you want an American surgeon with the M6, it's been posted on here that Dr Lauryssen in Beverly Hills, CA does surgery in Cypress through the AIMIS organization.

In general it seems to take less than a couple of months from first contact to surgery with the European surgeons. I'm guessing that AIMIS would generally take longer.

Good luck, Jeff

[newleaseonlife]

Monnie,

I am sorry that you had to find this board at all. I was under 30 too when all my back and neck issues cropped up. I had my surgery with AIMIS and I can say that they run about as long on the wait times as the other European doctors. I had spoke with a surgeon and was scheduled to have surgery, but had to delay it for another 3 months. It had to do with the lawyers and insurance companies fighting.

Feel free to PM me about my experience.

[Monnielr]

Hi Harrison,

I was training for a half marathon at the time, and the pain started to occur around the 10 mile mark. But over time the pain came with less mileage, and then even when I didn't exercise. But I don't contribute the lumbar pain to high mileage running. When I finally got an MRI a couple years later, the doctor said that my L4-S1 discs were degenerating and have been for some time. So my guess is that I first started feeling the results of the degeneration when I was 22 and just happened to be running long distance.

My scar tissue was identified by an MRI taken with and without contrast about 1 year after surgery due to the fact that I was still have pain in my lower back/left buttock/left leg. I guess I am prone to excessive scarring, which concerns me even more now that I need cervical adr surgery.

[Monnielr]

Thanks JSS and newleaseonlife for such a quick response. I will research the doctor and hospital options you gave me!