Re: one health issue after the next

[Guest guest]

,

Thaks for taking the time to reply! I have to admit that I have

lived in FL for almost 12 yrs now and the medical community doesn't

come close to those on LI where I was born and raised. I think that

geography has something to do with it. On LI if you turned in any

direction you could find 10 specialists in any area you needed. Here

in FL you are lucky if there are one or two to chose from and it is

even worse for Ped Docs.

The doc who is preforming my surgery is an Ortho Spine Surgeon. My

PCP who has taken care of my Mito Care for the last 9 yrs made sure I

was seeing the best of the best. My doc's name is Devin Datta. So

far, I am pleased with the care he has provided to me, the way he

dealt with my husband post surgery after my discography, and the way

the office is run. That seems to be the problem I run into quite a

bit! If the doc is good then the office is awful or vs versa!!

, are you in FL too? If you are and need any help in finding

doc I run the UMDF's Central FL support group and I have a list of

docs here in FL who see Mito pts.

Thanks again for the info on the table. I'm going to ask about it.

> Hello Friends,

>

> Sorry I have been pout of touch for so long. I have been dealing

> with one thing after another with myself and the boys. My oldest

has

> been home at least once a week for at least 2 months now with awful

> headaches and my younger son has been having break thru seizures

that

> we can't seem to control.

>

> I have been to what seems like a gizillion pain docs and FINALLY I

> got an appt with a Neuro Spine Surgeon. After countless blocks and

> attempts of one med after another to no avail, I am recoverying

from

> a discogram done last week. A severally herniated cervical disc at

> C4-C5 was seen. I am scheduled for a cervical spinal fusion with a

> donor bone graft w/ plates and screws on May 18th. I tried to get

> the surgery scheduled asap because we are in FL and school gets out

> on the 23rd and they start half days on the 19th. Just my luck!

> Three kids home right after surgery!

>

> I would appreciate any input from any of you who may have had

spinal

> surgeries or suffer with disc problems.

>

> I have been keeping up with the posts but have been running from

one

> appt to the next,and this has been my first chance to sit down long

> enough to post.

>

> Hope you all are well,

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements

contained herein are not necessarily those of the list moderators.

The author of this e mail is entirely responsible for its content.

List members are reminded of their responsibility to evaluate the

content of the postings and consult with their physicians regarding

changes in their own treatment.

>

> Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who sends

one is automatically moderated or removed depending on the severity

of the attack.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'd at least get a second, and maybe a third opinion (insurance

companies usually pay for that if the first two doctors don't

agree). I had an exploded disk ( " sequestered " ), with a bullet-sized

piece that left the disk. It was L5/S1, lower back. They took out

the piece of disk, left the degenerated disk in, and removed the

lamina (bones alongside the spine near that disk). It worked really

well for me - I went from having to kneel at work instead of sit

(kind of embarassing, couldn't bend my spine) to playing volleyball

in 8 weeks (I couldn't believe once the pain was gone what level of

pain I had had). Lots of morphine in the hospital though, even with

just some bone removal and the removal of the exploded piece of disk.

Now I take a supplement to minimize the spinal arthritis from the

surgery.

Unfortunately, I've heard nothing but bad news about fusions. I live

in NJ, and I've been warned against moving to FL or the south in

general because of poor schools and medical professionals (unless you

live near a BIG city). At least I'd go for a second opinion - maybe

at Mayo in ville if it's not too far (or a university medical

center)?

Also some people go to a neurosurgeon for disk issues, since symptoms

tend to have a neuro component. Good luck and I hope you hear about

other options. I actually looked up my condition in medical school

textbooks and it said I had to have surgery unless I was " over 80

years old and in poor health " .

Take care,

RH

> > Hello Friends,

> >

> > Sorry I have been pout of touch for so long. I have been dealing

> > with one thing after another with myself and the boys. My oldest

> has

> > been home at least once a week for at least 2 months now with

awful

> > headaches and my younger son has been having break thru seizures

> that

> > we can't seem to control.

> >

> > I have been to what seems like a gizillion pain docs and FINALLY

I

> > got an appt with a Neuro Spine Surgeon. After countless blocks

and

> > attempts of one med after another to no avail, I am recoverying

> from

> > a discogram done last week. A severally herniated cervical disc

at

> > C4-C5 was seen. I am scheduled for a cervical spinal fusion with

a

> > donor bone graft w/ plates and screws on May 18th. I tried to

get

> > the surgery scheduled asap because we are in FL and school gets

out

> > on the 23rd and they start half days on the 19th. Just my luck!

> > Three kids home right after surgery!

> >

> > I would appreciate any input from any of you who may have had

> spinal

> > surgeries or suffer with disc problems.

> >

> > I have been keeping up with the posts but have been running from

> one

> > appt to the next,and this has been my first chance to sit down

long

> > enough to post.

> >

> > Hope you all are well,

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements

> contained herein are not necessarily those of the list moderators.

> The author of this e mail is entirely responsible for its content.

> List members are reminded of their responsibility to evaluate the

> content of the postings and consult with their physicians regarding

> changes in their own treatment.

> >

> > Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who

sends

> one is automatically moderated or removed depending on the severity

> of the attack.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info! This doc who is doing the suegery is my second

opinion and I had 3 other professionals read the MRI and review my

med history beforeI decided to " go for the big guns " :-D The doc

works with a Nuero Surgeon, who is his partner, so I will have them

both in the OR.

I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better since your surgery!

I am only supose to say overnight, how long were you in the hospital

recovering? I know we " Mitos " usually aren't classic patients when

it comes to healing and recovering time either. I plan to see my PCP

a few days before the surgery even tho it's not required just to get

him up on what is going on " in case " he gets that panic call he has

gotten before======LOL! Even tho the Supgeon has discussed my Mito

with him, I figure I'd see him just to be up on everything and bring

the surgeon any extra info he may need.

Thanks again,

> > > Hello Friends,

> > >

> > > Sorry I have been pout of touch for so long. I have been

dealing

> > > with one thing after another with myself and the boys. My

oldest

> > has

> > > been home at least once a week for at least 2 months now with

> awful

> > > headaches and my younger son has been having break thru

seizures

> > that

> > > we can't seem to control.

> > >

> > > I have been to what seems like a gizillion pain docs and

FINALLY

> I

> > > got an appt with a Neuro Spine Surgeon. After countless blocks

> and

> > > attempts of one med after another to no avail, I am recoverying

> > from

> > > a discogram done last week. A severally herniated cervical

disc

> at

> > > C4-C5 was seen. I am scheduled for a cervical spinal fusion

with

> a

> > > donor bone graft w/ plates and screws on May 18th. I tried to

> get

> > > the surgery scheduled asap because we are in FL and school gets

> out

> > > on the 23rd and they start half days on the 19th. Just my

luck!

> > > Three kids home right after surgery!

> > >

> > > I would appreciate any input from any of you who may have had

> > spinal

> > > surgeries or suffer with disc problems.

> > >

> > > I have been keeping up with the posts but have been running

from

> > one

> > > appt to the next,and this has been my first chance to sit down

> long

> > > enough to post.

> > >

> > > Hope you all are well,

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements

> > contained herein are not necessarily those of the list

moderators.

> > The author of this e mail is entirely responsible for its

content.

> > List members are reminded of their responsibility to evaluate the

> > content of the postings and consult with their physicians

regarding

> > changes in their own treatment.

> > >

> > > Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who

> sends

> > one is automatically moderated or removed depending on the

severity

> > of the attack.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

I'm pretty sure I stayed just overnight - again, I didn't have the

fusion either, which I understand can be more complicated. Also I

was in an " orthopedic ward " - nurses were specialized for orthopedic

care and all patients were orthopedic patients, and I think that

speeded my recovery (e.g., they knew to get me walking within a few

hours of my surgery, regardless of my pain level, ow!). I had the

surgery in 1993, and only problems are due to arthritis which often

comes from spinal surgery. I had a big problem " using the potty "

afterwards, as they used lots of fluids because I tend to bleed

during surgeries - lots of catheterizations in a short time (the

nurse was nice enough to not put in a Foley TMI I know).

I like to say " Plan for the worst and hope for the best " - know what

will happen if you stay more than a day, and hope to come home in the

shortest time possible. For example, if you are on any supplements,

you may need to get doctor's scripts for them, as some hospitals are

REALLY annoying about patients not taking ANYTHING that's not given

by them.

It was extremely clear from my MRI that there was a big piece of

disk " broken off " (actually the squishy stuff in the center of the

disk came out). I've mentioned before, but I've played volleyball,

soccer, and hockey since then (just over 13 years), and I regularly

play hockey now. I think as long as your doctor has a good history

(how bad do the people in the waiting room look LOL?), you should be

fine.

But remember arthritis could come back, and for me that was almost as

painful, or possibly more painful, than the original injury. Methyl

sulfonyl methane supplmentation helped that, YMMV, I'm not a medical

doctor, etc.

Take care,

RH

> > > > Hello Friends,

> > > >

> > > > Sorry I have been pout of touch for so long. I have been

> dealing

> > > > with one thing after another with myself and the boys. My

> oldest

> > > has

> > > > been home at least once a week for at least 2 months now with

> > awful

> > > > headaches and my younger son has been having break thru

> seizures

> > > that

> > > > we can't seem to control.

> > > >

> > > > I have been to what seems like a gizillion pain docs and

> FINALLY

> > I

> > > > got an appt with a Neuro Spine Surgeon. After countless

blocks

> > and

> > > > attempts of one med after another to no avail, I am

recoverying

> > > from

> > > > a discogram done last week. A severally herniated cervical

> disc

> > at

> > > > C4-C5 was seen. I am scheduled for a cervical spinal fusion

> with

> > a

> > > > donor bone graft w/ plates and screws on May 18th. I tried

to

> > get

> > > > the surgery scheduled asap because we are in FL and school

gets

> > out

> > > > on the 23rd and they start half days on the 19th. Just my

> luck!

> > > > Three kids home right after surgery!

> > > >

> > > > I would appreciate any input from any of you who may have had

> > > spinal

> > > > surgeries or suffer with disc problems.

> > > >

> > > > I have been keeping up with the posts but have been running

> from

> > > one

> > > > appt to the next,and this has been my first chance to sit

down

> > long

> > > > enough to post.

> > > >

> > > > Hope you all are well,

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements

> > > contained herein are not necessarily those of the list

> moderators.

> > > The author of this e mail is entirely responsible for its

> content.

> > > List members are reminded of their responsibility to evaluate

the

> > > content of the postings and consult with their physicians

> regarding

> > > changes in their own treatment.

> > > >

> > > > Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who

> > sends

> > > one is automatically moderated or removed depending on the

> severity

> > > of the attack.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >