Thanks for that Maria. Unfortunately, money is an issue. I've had too many problems for too long to be covered by insurance. I'm going to be remortgaging my house to pay for this surgery and the hospital costs make it prohibitive to have surgery more than once.
The other (major) point from my perspective is that given spinal surgery is such a major trauma/assault on the body (this will be my 3rd spine surgery - after my first I vowed I would rather be dead than have another op on my back it was such a horrendous experience!), and given I will probably feel pretty dreadful afterwards anyway, I figure it makes sense to have everything to be done at same time. (Obviously if we were talking about non-Invasive procedures I wouldn't be thinking of it, though).
Right from the beginning I was told that it would be important to try and sort my SI out before the rest of the surgery because of the concern of its effect on my recovery otherwise. Having tried excercises, injections, belt, osteopathy, surgery on other levels to no, or negligible effect, no one has come up with any other suggestions (includes opinions from other surgeons over last 2 years).
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1980-2004 50 acute episodes. DDD
Lots of osteopathy, pilates, exercise, injections etc plus:
‘82 Laminectomy + nerve root adhesions removed
‘87 Sclerosant injections
2000 Spinal fusion L4/5 L5/S1 – left with internal nerve damage: permanent leg Pain & impaired mobility.
2/04 Acute episode became new baseline - Housebound & severe pain
6/06 Discogram +ve L3/4,L1/2. + SI joint problem.
10/07 ADR L3/4 (Active L) Dr Zeegers - no impact at all
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