Re: Upper back pain - to eric

August 25, 2004

A professional patient? I never thought of it that way, lol!

Of course, I wish I didn't have to see these people so much, but from

my experience, I am way healthier now than when I started all of this

in 2001. I'd rather have that than what I would have wasted my $$$

on. The goal is not to need them, of course, but my massage therapist

says that with some jobs, you just need it, some people more than

others.

I'm getting good at finding some of those knots my massage therapist

works on, the ones in my neck, and applying some of her techniques

myself. I'm not as good as her, but it really helps.

How in heck do you blow a disc?

> I agree with you susan. I have a chiro and MT for a blown disc in

my

> lower back. while I couldn't get adjustments to my neck or lie face

> down until the hardware was removed the neck work was great. then

at 8

> weeks a major kink in my neck was removed. while my back is still

AFU

> the trauma to my head and neck from surgery is gone. ps-as of last

> year i think i now qualify a professional patient. eric

August 25, 2004

A professional patient? I never thought of it that way, lol!

Of course, I wish I didn't have to see these people so much, but from

my experience, I am way healthier now than when I started all of this

in 2001. I'd rather have that than what I would have wasted my $$$

on. The goal is not to need them, of course, but my massage therapist

says that with some jobs, you just need it, some people more than

others.

I'm getting good at finding some of those knots my massage therapist

works on, the ones in my neck, and applying some of her techniques

myself. I'm not as good as her, but it really helps.

How in heck do you blow a disc?

> I agree with you susan. I have a chiro and MT for a blown disc in

my

> lower back. while I couldn't get adjustments to my neck or lie face

> down until the hardware was removed the neck work was great. then

at 8

> weeks a major kink in my neck was removed. while my back is still

AFU

> the trauma to my head and neck from surgery is gone. ps-as of last

> year i think i now qualify a professional patient. eric

August 26, 2004

Yuck! sounds awful! It just goes to show how we should take care of

our backs. I did years of improper lifting, not constantly, and I'm

sure part of my back problems are due to that and the long hours

spent at a computer. But it's nothing too severe, and definitely

something that exercise and awareness can take care of, with a little

help from my friends : )

What's the likelihood surgery will help it?

> > > I agree with you susan. I have a chiro and MT for a blown disc

in

> > my

> > > lower back. while I couldn't get adjustments to my neck or lie

> face

> > > down until the hardware was removed the neck work was great.

then

> > at 8

> > > weeks a major kink in my neck was removed. while my back is

still

> > AFU

> > > the trauma to my head and neck from surgery is gone. ps-as of

last

> > > year i think i now qualify a professional patient. eric

August 26, 2004

Yuck! sounds awful! It just goes to show how we should take care of

our backs. I did years of improper lifting, not constantly, and I'm

sure part of my back problems are due to that and the long hours

spent at a computer. But it's nothing too severe, and definitely

something that exercise and awareness can take care of, with a little

help from my friends : )

What's the likelihood surgery will help it?

> > > I agree with you susan. I have a chiro and MT for a blown disc

in

> > my

> > > lower back. while I couldn't get adjustments to my neck or lie

> face

> > > down until the hardware was removed the neck work was great.

then

> > at 8

> > > weeks a major kink in my neck was removed. while my back is

still

> > AFU

> > > the trauma to my head and neck from surgery is gone. ps-as of

last

> > > year i think i now qualify a professional patient. eric

August 26, 2004

Discouraging surgery is not a bad thing, in my books. My therapist

and even my ortho didn't want me to have to have it, but in the end,

my ortho said " you need it. I had to have it as a last option " .

Sounds like the new procedure is quite the thing and relatively non-

invasive! How long would recovery be from something like that? And

would it restore normal function, or would you still have to be

careful of what you did?

> they have a new procedure called microendoscopic disectomy where

the

> incision is only about the size of a dime. they can put a

light,camera

> retractor,and scissors in the tube and snip away the part of the

disc

> thats touching the nerve and best of all done under local. hope it

> doesn't come to that but time will tell. already got my first no

but

> thats standard procedure to discourage surgery and let time try to

> heal it. eric

August 26, 2004

Discouraging surgery is not a bad thing, in my books. My therapist

and even my ortho didn't want me to have to have it, but in the end,

my ortho said " you need it. I had to have it as a last option " .

Sounds like the new procedure is quite the thing and relatively non-

invasive! How long would recovery be from something like that? And

would it restore normal function, or would you still have to be

careful of what you did?

> they have a new procedure called microendoscopic disectomy where

the

> incision is only about the size of a dime. they can put a

light,camera

> retractor,and scissors in the tube and snip away the part of the

disc

> thats touching the nerve and best of all done under local. hope it

> doesn't come to that but time will tell. already got my first no

but

> thats standard procedure to discourage surgery and let time try to

> heal it. eric

August 26, 2004

That's too bad about the insurance side, but it sounds like you'll be

able to get back to work either way. Is there a possibility of family

helping out financially? Aren't there some non-insurance companies

that offer a payment plan? Or is it astronomically expensive? (I

don't know as we have provincial health insurance here that pays for

surgery).

> > > they have a new procedure called microendoscopic disectomy

where

> > the

> > > incision is only about the size of a dime. they can put a

> > light,camera

> > > retractor,and scissors in the tube and snip away the part of

the

> > disc

> > > thats touching the nerve and best of all done under local. hope

it

> > > doesn't come to that but time will tell. already got my first

no

> > but

> > > thats standard procedure to discourage surgery and let time try

to

> > > heal it. eric

August 26, 2004

That's too bad about the insurance side, but it sounds like you'll be

able to get back to work either way. Is there a possibility of family

helping out financially? Aren't there some non-insurance companies

that offer a payment plan? Or is it astronomically expensive? (I

don't know as we have provincial health insurance here that pays for

surgery).

> > > they have a new procedure called microendoscopic disectomy

where

> > the

> > > incision is only about the size of a dime. they can put a

> > light,camera

> > > retractor,and scissors in the tube and snip away the part of

the

> > disc

> > > thats touching the nerve and best of all done under local. hope

it

> > > doesn't come to that but time will tell. already got my first

no

> > but

> > > thats standard procedure to discourage surgery and let time try

to

> > > heal it. eric

August 26, 2004

i've tried to get insurance individually but they have a preexisting

condition clause for 5 years. other than my jaw and the back I don't

usually go to the doc. when i do go back to work though i'll get

insurance regardless of conditions as group plans don't prescreen.

as far as finances go I've been blessed in the past to be able to

afford the time off. however my sister and nephew moved in last year

and it's starting to strain the budget somewhat. I guess i'll just

skimp on the frills for a while and put my fate in the mans' hands.

eric

-- In orthognathicsurgerysupport , fiddlesticks220002

<no_reply@y...> wrote:

> That's too bad about the insurance side, but it sounds like you'll

be

> able to get back to work either way. Is there a possibility of

family

> helping out financially? Aren't there some non-insurance companies

> that offer a payment plan? Or is it astronomically expensive? (I

> don't know as we have provincial health insurance here that pays for

> surgery).

>

> > > > they have a new procedure called microendoscopic disectomy

> where

> > > the

> > > > incision is only about the size of a dime. they can put a

> > > light,camera

> > > > retractor,and scissors in the tube and snip away the part of

> the

> > > disc

> > > > thats touching the nerve and best of all done under local.

hope

> it

> > > > doesn't come to that but time will tell. already got my first

> no

> > > but

> > > > thats standard procedure to discourage surgery and let time

try

> to

> > > > heal it. eric

August 26, 2004