My 3 mo X ray - Discs tilted all over the place

Cindylou · #1 (**permalink**) 07-16-2009, 03:16 AM

Steve, good news that Mark was able to save the day there. I will be anxious to hear what happens after their "conference" about you!! How cool is that? I pray you get this removed soon so you can get on with the job of living your life. God bless.

steve55 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-18-2009, 08:26 AM

Katie , cindylou, thx for your interest & well wishes.It gives me more motivation to post updates : )

JKDE302 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-19-2009, 11:29 PM

Do you wish you chose a diffrent adr then the Prodisc Nova ?

Anyway I hope the fusion gives your neck the extra stability under the 2 ADRs

Since I can only get a 1 level AdR here in Delaware I think my doctor is going to do a prestige at c4-5 and a fusion under it at C5-6.

If I had the money I would go to Germany and get the new M6 disc at both levels...Maybe my mom will take me over there...Idk

best of luck...keep us updated...

steve55 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-27-2009, 03:34 AM

Just got word from Dr Fenk Meyer as follows:

Quote:

Dr. Bertagnoli did communicate to Dr. Guyer and Dr. Ziglar – they are more than willing to have you in their unit at Texas Back Institute for the revision/fusion of your c67.

More so: Dr. Bertagnoli would like to and is welcome to be present in this surgery.

And as your pain did not come close to zero (in a spontaneous fusion this would have cut the need to re-operate), we recommend this to be done timely.

And I will support from over here with any medical issue open. Wishing you best success!

So, as Mark said, sometimes it takes an act of congress, and Dr Bertagnoli is the congress. LOL

I cant say enough about Dr Bertagnoli's concern in my case. Not to mention that not too many people get a free 45 minute follow up consult at the airport with the greatest surgeon in the world. And the fact he wants to be at my surgery is awesome too. Though, I wonder if he is just darn curious to see the disc for himself and see why it may have subsided? Im told Im the first case of cervical subsidence he has had. It probably also gives TBI more experience with ADR removal perhaps? I dont know, I would imagine TBI has done quite a few of those. Dr B seems to be traveling to TBI quite alot anyways, so I guess he figured why not since he goes there so often.

Either way, it means alot to me what he is doing for me and that counts for something. NOw I just want to get a MRI, a new X ray, and get Dr Guyer's opinion as to whether I should fuse now or hold off and wait and see just a little longer. I dont know what to do, I have improved in nerve pain but developed new pain in different areas along the way. I dont know if thats good or bad. I imagine a MRI and new X ray will really make the decison far easier for the docs and myself.

Cindylou · #5 (**permalink**) 07-27-2009, 06:17 PM

Steve55, you are getting closer and closer to your goal. Way to advocate for yourself.

Hang in there.

dshobbies · #6 (**permalink**) 07-27-2009, 07:02 PM

Steve,

After your new set of films, If TBI agrees on a quick resolution as opposed to waiting, you'll have an even clearer idea of what needs to be done.

Without any negative context, sometimes when doctors of varying opinions consult together, they come to a single consensus.

Regardless, glad it's finally coming together. Maybe, perhaps... your long journey may finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. One can only hope.

My best to you, Dale

steve55 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-04-2009, 05:13 AM

After giving the TX back Institute a week to get back with me on scheduling an appointment, I called them again today to see what was taking so long to schedule me. Well, they said that Dr Guyer and Dr Ziglar did not come to any understanding with Dr Bertagnoli while in Vienna and that they still wont take me on after all. My call must have triggered something because right after that I also got the following email today from Dr Fenk Meyer

"we just learned that cooperation in your issue with Dr. Guyer TBI is regrettably no longer feasible. Dr. Bertagnoli wishes to re-address Dr. Glen O'Sullivan, M.D., whom he has contacted before."

(Sigh) I just cant see how we went from ......

"Dr. Bertagnoli did communicate to Dr. Guyer and Dr. Ziglar – they are more than willing to have you in their unit at Texas Back Institute for the revision/fusion of your c6/7.More so: Dr. Bertagnoli would like to, and is welcome to be present in this surgery. Yes, fully confirmed, Dr. Guyer will expect contact to be made"

to.....

"we just learned that cooperation in your issue with Dr. Guyer TBI is regrettably no longer feasible."

This situation is beyond words. Im not blaming Dr B as I feel confident he is doing all he can to help me, and Im sure he did have confirmation from Dr Guyer and Ziglar while in Vienna, why else would I get such a strong and solid email confirming the handoff?? I just cant imagine how and why this went from a solidly confirmed handoff, even to the point of Dr B being welcome by them to be present in the surgury, to now once again, TBI wont take me on. That sucks cause TBI is 5 minutes down the road from me and they are under my insurance carrier Humana also. So if I do still end up having revision surgery, its back to having to travel again to Dr Regan in Los Angeles with limited insurance coverage (would be out of network).

Anyone have any guesses? Maybe Dr ZIg and Guyer read this forum and the ADR support forum where I posted how Dr Ziglar's secretary said to me "he remembers you, your the guy who went to Germany, and Dr Ziglar doesnt see other patients from other doctors surgeries" . I also posted/complained about their extensive psych tesing where their Psyche lady threatens to deny your sugury telling you that you may not pschologically qualify for surgury. Ive learned that she does that to most of the patients and so I posted about my frustration with that obstacle. Kathy Earhardt, a member here that many of you may know, said she was actually brought to tears by this lady and her TBI doc cause they said she was too psychologically depressed to have surgury. They have a strong belief at the TBI that if you are depressed or not psychologically well adjusted(based on this lady's evaluation) that you will not get pain relief from surgury and so they either turn you away (as they initially did turn Kathy away over this issue) or they end up making you have extensive psyche sessions of meditation or psychotherapy before eventually getting cleared for surgury. So, I posted about this experience at the TBI and now I wonder if they read it and somehow put 2 and 2 together and realized it was me. Mark already told me he doesnt think they do read these boards, as they dont have time for that and have no interest in perusing these types of spine boards. But I wonder. I guess Im grabbing at straws here as to how this could have changed so dramatically. I dont owe them any money or anything like that. I just dont get it. Just out of sheer curiosity, I hope that next time Mark speaks with Dr Bertagnoli, he can clarify with Dr B whether Dr B really did have a crystal clear confirmation of my handoff in Vienna or not.This is such a mystery to me.

And lastly, given that Dr B travels to the TBI so often, and seems to be so close to them as collegaues(even to the point of suggesting he would be allowed to be present at the surgury), I cant imagine that even if they do read these forums, that they would let something so trivial as a few fussy posts (which were very factual frustrations by the way), get in the way of a patient handoff request by someone so prestigious as Dr B. Wouldnt that be a "slight" of sorts to Dr B??? Truly Amazing.

Anyways, while meeting with Dr B at the airport, I did warn him about the comments that Dr Zig made to his secretary about me as "the guy who went to germany". But Dr B didnt seem concerned and was insisitent he could get me in. He wasnt the least bit doubtful about that. Oh well, I guess that shit happens. : (