Brand new here looking for advice, please?

[dshobbies]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push so hard. You do not walk alone. It once took 6 months to receive a return phone call from a doctor and by then, I was so frustrated, I moved on.

Most of us who own homes in high priced areas like L.A., S.F., N.Y., etc. were able to tap into our homes equity - but those in areas like my nephew - my surgery was the same price as his whole house. Even then, we have to pay it back but can do so over a long period of time. There are also medical loans which carry high interest rates. From what I've read, those with limited financial circumstances don't have options other than fusion and even then, it's still up to the discretion of the insurance co.

It's sad but that's the way it is. I still wish you the best and hope it comes sooner rather than later.

Dale

[jsewell]

Wendriful

i so understand the spouse getting nauseated with the thought of the money involved. I never can even consider going out of the country. I have found that i have an awesome surgeon here near my home in Ca. He did send me out to DrRegan when he thought DrRegan was the better man for performing the surgery. DrRegan did take care of the pain in part of my thoracic spine but i have to now live with a devistating accident during surgery which has left me with only 45% lung capacity.
My spouse can't even handle the copayments on a PPO plan with a surgeon, that just accepts what the plan pays even though he is not a provider on the plan. He has my best interests at heart and has treated me well.

I do understand what you are feeling as when my insurance co, denied 3 times my most recent surgery to correct severe kyphosis and a broken neck!! THe thought of having to pay myself was very scary as we are in LA and do not even own a house! I had to go to my parents and them turning in some of their retirement income . Not a good choice.

Good Luck with this difficult decision. Unfortunately money does play an important part in it all.
judy

[wendriful]

Did I just read that correctly? Dr. Regan did a surgery on you and you woke up and couldn't breathe? (45% lung capacity) Are you on oxygen? Wow, my head is swimming over your prognosis. I am sorry to even mention my 'very' small issue after reading your post.

Well, it looks like I will be staying in the U.S. for surgery. I can get a line of credit out of our house but just think it would not be wise to pay upfront. If there is a complication and insurance does not pay (I have a friend this happened to for another surgery and she was in Mayo for 14 months, do the math on that). And I just had BCBS rescind payment for a different issue all together for my son which means I am paying the other $9,000 owed to them this week. go me. ha ha.

Thanks so much for ALL of your support. SO nice to be amongst people who get the whole "I have fallen but I can't get up" crowd. lol. Hey, humor has taken me many places in life. I believe I will be getting my hybrid (1 level fusion @ S1/L5 plus ADR at L4/L5 in New York City. If ya'll don't mind, I will hang out on this forum to get me through this process; and then, maybe I can be of help to others.

Funny, I thought my DH (darling husband) was gonna pass out when Mark called from Germany yesterday on my cell phone. He said that is $10 minute! I said he used skype...not sure if that matters, but he told me it was only 4 cents a minute...Thanks for all of you who get the whole: "I feel like a very large Greenback" concept. My best to all of you and no hard feelings to anyone; I don't feel like anyone came down hard on me at all.

[jsewell]

Wendriful
No issue is small, if you have not experienced something bigger , it is all big!! Yes i actually was put on a respirator for a while and in intensive care.
the really bad part was that DrRegan ignored the whole situation, never came to see me or even called my husband after the long surgery. He called my cell at the time i was on a respirator (wrong cell) and said everything was ok. My husband got any info from a volunteer in the waiting room. Once they got me stable (after many hours) he was only allowed to see me for 10 minutes.

The low lung function sucks as i am an avid exercisor.
Good Luck to you wherever you go for your surgery.
judy

[dshobbies]

Wendriful,

Agree with Judy, no issue is too small. I'm amazed at the small issues accumulating in my mind and find solace that others experience the same thing.

On BCBS rescinding payment - I know of another. He got a lawyer. Decisions were based on payment - BCBS backed down. They're counting on you doing nothing. He won very quickly. Can't afford an attorney - can you afford the 9k?

Dale

[wendriful]

Maybe I should just start a new thread? MY head is swimming with information, just when I think I get it; and I research discs til I am blue in the face ...I am told by the world's leading surgeon something I don't understand at all. Maybe it's the language barrier. I should just write them back and ask for clarification, but don't feel that would be right since I told them before they responded that I was not going to use their facility, and I just don't want to tie up their time.

I think I am reading his message to say, we have relooked at your case, and it's way too risky to do anterior procedure unless you have a VERY, VERY skilled surgeon, so second best choice would be to get a dorsal fusion only, ie. PLIF or TLIF only. Maybe I will just write back and see if they meant 2 fusions or a fusion and an ADR.

My abdomen is full of fun titanium and mesching, etc. so it would be like a minefield; but everyone originally told me that I was a candidate for 2 ADR. Until the doc from New York said: I am 100% positive that can't happen...then they changed it to: you can get a one level ADR and a fusion. Today I went to our local neuro/ortho surgeon and he doesn't do ADR's but offered me an ALIF with cadaver disc and then will flip me over for some percutaneous pedicle screws, etc. in my back to finish minimally invasively. I now have to do 3 more weeks of studying all of those initials I guess. (I get the jest of them, just am SO unsure of who, what, when, where and how for ME.) And I know that noone can decide but me...

On the ventilator dialogue, that must have been a horrifying ordeal for you and your husband and then to not feel cared for after, must have felt like betrayal! I think I could use a breathing apparatus right about now; oh wait, I think a brown bag will do. On the law suit, it's been 16 mos. and DH's company attorney's have already decided that I would lose apparently (at least if suit was filed against provider; they were deceptive to me and didn't tell me BCBS called them and said they wouldn't pay for his stay, and then proceeded to bill us (unknowingly) for residential treatment while telling me it was inpatient! And because I signed something when I checked him in, it makes it impossible for me to win (apparently) Course, DH never signed anything!...whatever...It will AT least be a tax write off! I need air...

[Maria]

Ask for further clarification. The worse that can happen is that you don't get it and the best is that you do to get it so that you fully understand what was meant by the reply. You've got nothing to lose. If the implant to be used w/ADR has to have anterior placement then I guess it's being suggested that if you cannot go to someone that is as highly skilled as this surgeon you would have either a posterior or transforaminal approach to your surgery and this might limit what type of hardware/implant device is utilized.