Pain Management at Teaching Hospital

[Jim M2]

Mark,
Yes, I'm still in Seattle. I'm doing okay. Could be better, could be worse. When I say "give up" I mean I've given up expecting to manage this by my own devices such as exercise, restrictions, over-the-counter remedies (glucosime) and the like. The PM is just to get me through another year or two. I'll re-evaluate then.

Maria,
This is excellent news to see how you've been improving! Do you think your painful discs have given up the ghost? Are you naturally fusing at the painful levels? Most of the doctors I saw pre-ADR told me I would probably get better in a decade or more without surgery.

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Mark and Maria,

Regarding options, I know there's many innovations such as the Coflex that Dr. Bertagnoli showed me last September. At the moment I'm too timid about surgery, even if it's fairly conservative and mostly reversible (like Coflex). I'm doing okay. I just want to do better and wait a little longer.

Thanks so much,
Jim