Re: Impressed with Dr. Mont - to Martha

[Guest guest]

> > I sent my X-rays to Dr. Mont a couple of weeks ago and finally

> > received a call from him. I was very impressed. He called

me at

> > home at 6pm on Labor Day. You should have seen the look

on my

> wife's

> > face when she saw his name/number on the caller ID. He

told me I

> was

> > an excellent candidate for metal-on-metal surface

replacement which

> > made me happy. Now if I can just get my insurance co. to be

happy

> > to pay. Hope to give them a cost comparison of C+ vs. THR.

I

> > already know that the recovery time is much less for C+. At

age

> 35

> > (10+ years suffering from severe AVN), I think I have waited

long

> > enough. THR just plain scares me. My wife is a PT and has

seen

> > people with 2 - 3 inch leg length descrepancies. Who wants

to wear

> a

> > shoe lift for the rest of your life.

> >

> >

> > 10-year AVN left hip

[Guest guest]

I agree with you. Making money is the name of the game for insurance

companies!

However, after 3 denials for appeals from Dr. Gross, I was at the

point that I could not literally walk across the room. Dr. Gross and

Lee Webb both told me that I would have been in a wheelchair within

months, because the bone-on-bone grinding was destroying my bones

rapidly. In fact, had I waited much longer, I probably would have

NOT have been a candidate for resurfacing - there would not have been

enough bone left on the femur.

So, what was I to do? Continue in great pain, unable to walk, to

take care of my home, enjoy the company of my husband and my family,

all because of the $$$ signs flashed before me by the actions of the

insurance company? Should I have waited another 2 years for the

device to be approved? I talked to a rep at Corin today, they tell

me that they expect FDA approval in late 2004 or 2005. Too late for

me with this hip, that's what I say.

I guess you just have to say that I called the shots as I saw them.

My quality of life had deteriorated so rapidly, and my overall health

was declining to the point that I felt I had to act quickly. I was

blessed to have funds availiable to make such a decision, I realize

not everyone is in such a position. I realize that I should be

thankful and I am. I am not sorry at all for my decision. I did not

bow to the insurance company and let them dictate a THR and destroy

my leg bone which was still (at that time) intact and healthy. I

chose the other path, and 9+ weeks later I am exercising, have been

dancing with my husband and am enjoying taking care of my home

again. Life is too precious to put $$$ signs on the quality of

life. And, at age 49, I don't have that many years to waste hobbling

around waiting for the good graces of an insurance company to make

the best decisions for ME!

I wish the very, very best for everyone either contemplating or

undergoing, or recovering from, hip surgery. My heart goes out to

those I see in rehab that are suffering from hip pain and disease.

And, when I saw the resurfacing special on Discovery Channel with Dr.

Vail, I broke down in tears when I saw the young girl walk across the

room. After all, that had also been ME for the past 5 or 6 years.

Martha (now a real hippie!)

-- In surfacehippy@y..., " susianopavarotti " <tomsuegood@t...> wrote:

>

> > > I sent my X-rays to Dr. Mont a couple of weeks ago and finally

> > > received a call from him. I was very impressed. He called

> me at

> > > home at 6pm on Labor Day. You should have seen the look

> on my

> > wife's

> > > face when she saw his name/number on the caller ID. He

> told me I

> > was

> > > an excellent candidate for metal-on-metal surface

> replacement which

> > > made me happy. Now if I can just get my insurance co. to be

> happy

> > > to pay. Hope to give them a cost comparison of C+ vs. THR.

> I

> > > already know that the recovery time is much less for C+. At

> age

> > 35

> > > (10+ years suffering from severe AVN), I think I have waited

> long

> > > enough. THR just plain scares me. My wife is a PT and has

> seen

> > > people with 2 - 3 inch leg length descrepancies. Who wants

> to wear

> > a

> > > shoe lift for the rest of your life.

> > >

> > >

> > > 10-year AVN left hip

[Guest guest]

> > > > I sent my X-rays to Dr. Mont a couple of weeks ago and

finally

> > > > received a call from him. I was very impressed. He

called

> > me at

> > > > home at 6pm on Labor Day. You should have seen the

look

> > on my

> > > wife's

> > > > face when she saw his name/number on the caller ID.

He

> > told me I

> > > was

> > > > an excellent candidate for metal-on-metal surface

> > replacement which

> > > > made me happy. Now if I can just get my insurance co.

to be

> > happy

> > > > to pay. Hope to give them a cost comparison of C+ vs.

THR.

> > I

> > > > already know that the recovery time is much less for C+.

At

> > age

> > > 35

> > > > (10+ years suffering from severe AVN), I think I have

waited

> > long

> > > > enough. THR just plain scares me. My wife is a PT and

has

> > seen

> > > > people with 2 - 3 inch leg length descrepancies. Who

wants

> > to wear

> > > a

> > > > shoe lift for the rest of your life.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > 10-year AVN left hip

[Guest guest]

Martha: When was the resurfacing special on the Discovery Channel. Am so

sorry I missed it.....

Maureen

[Guest guest]

For myself, I need

> two of these and can't afford to pay for them if I get denied. I

will

> have to fight until I get a yes. I'm not setting for two THRs.

,

Don't give up!! I had 4 denials and finally won after 6 months.

Some of it was plain hard work and guile. I had lots of help from

people on this board. They answered innumerable questions, critiqued

my letters and gave ideas. I owe my new life to these people, some

who still post regularly. A lot of it was luck and finally talking

to the right person. It's really hard to get through the force field

at insurance companies.

Good luck!! You found this board so you're persistent.

Trudy

C2K bilat 1/02

[Guest guest]

Hi Edith,

Absolutely. It is infuriating that US insurance companies are giving

people hassles, in some cases forcing them to decide between self-pay

and an operation that is wrong for them. It is SO dumb on their part

when the strong likelihood is they will SAVE their precious (wait a

minute, I do pay premiums don't I?) $$$$ by covering the resurfacing and

avoiding a costly revision later. We sure hope they wake up, and we'll

just have to keep slugging it out with them until they do.

What is a coy ( as in your insurance coy)?

Hope every day is getting better for you.

Gwen (tandemskater)

ecrow wrote:

>Hi,

>

>I am completely amazed that the US insurance coys have this thing going

>about BHRs........... There is no problem here in Australia and even my

>insurance coy seems to have a much nicer attitude when dealing with them.

>It must be so hard for you all to deal with the illogical, crazy stance when

>other countries with equally good health expectations are happily covering

>them insurance wise.

>

>Edith

>

>

>>I agree with you. Making money is the name of the game for insurance

>>companies!

>>

>>However, after 3 denials for appeals from Dr. Gross, I was at the

>>point that I could not literally walk across the room. Dr. Gross and

>>Lee Webb both told me that I would have been in a wheelchair within

>>months, because the bone-on-bone grinding was destroying my bones

>>rapidly. In fact, had I waited much longer, I probably would have

>>NOT have been a candidate for resurfacing - there would not have been

>>enough bone left on the femur.

>>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Maureen, I have been off-line for a day or so, my cable signal

disintegrated and they have to re-dig the entire line next week. My

husband did a quick PATCH this evening, so the bits and bytes are

flowing on a tenuous line, but they are flowing......

The resurfacing story on discovery channel was called " bionic parts "

or something like that - it was on Discovery Health, and featured,

hips, knees and necks.

It was shown a LOT about 6 weeks ago.

> Martha: When was the resurfacing special on the Discovery

Channel. Am so

> sorry I missed it.....

>

> Maureen

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Martha. I'll check the Discovery Web site to see if they are going

to run it again.

Request to all: Please notify the group if you see anything coming up like

this in the future!

Maureen

[Guest guest]

Hi , sorry I have been off-line for a day or so and could not

respond. No offense taken by your reply at all. I just meant that

when you have to weigh the factors and are up against the wall, you

have to decide what is more important. If you can afford to wait and

fight, great. But, some folks, like myself, don't have that option

and have to decide what is more important. I feel blessed and lucky

that I could make the decision to go ahead, I am so happy now. Today

we worked almost all day together, moving stuff out of my husband's

former home, dismanteling the water bed, etc. and now I still feel

well enough to cook supper. 3 months ago, I could not have even

walked up the steps in his split-foyer. So, thank goodness for

miracles!

martha

> > > > > I sent my X-rays to Dr. Mont a couple of weeks ago and

> finally

> > > > > received a call from him. I was very impressed. He

> called

> > > me at

> > > > > home at 6pm on Labor Day. You should have seen the

> look

> > > on my

> > > > wife's

> > > > > face when she saw his name/number on the caller ID.

> He

> > > told me I

> > > > was

> > > > > an excellent candidate for metal-on-metal surface

> > > replacement which

> > > > > made me happy. Now if I can just get my insurance co.

> to be

> > > happy

> > > > > to pay. Hope to give them a cost comparison of C+ vs.

> THR.

> > > I

> > > > > already know that the recovery time is much less for C+.

> At

> > > age

> > > > 35

> > > > > (10+ years suffering from severe AVN), I think I have

> waited

> > > long

> > > > > enough. THR just plain scares me. My wife is a PT and

> has

> > > seen

> > > > > people with 2 - 3 inch leg length descrepancies. Who

> wants

> > > to wear

> > > > a

> > > > > shoe lift for the rest of your life.

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > 10-year AVN left hip

[Guest guest]

> > > > > > I sent my X-rays to Dr. Mont a couple of weeks ago

and

> > finally

> > > > > > received a call from him. I was very impressed. He

> > called

> > > > me at

> > > > > > home at 6pm on Labor Day. You should have seen

the

> > look

> > > > on my

> > > > > wife's

> > > > > > face when she saw his name/number on the caller

ID.

> > He

> > > > told me I

> > > > > was

> > > > > > an excellent candidate for metal-on-metal surface

> > > > replacement which

> > > > > > made me happy. Now if I can just get my insurance

co.

> > to be

> > > > happy

> > > > > > to pay. Hope to give them a cost comparison of C+

vs.

> > THR.

> > > > I

> > > > > > already know that the recovery time is much less for

C+.

> > At

> > > > age

> > > > > 35

> > > > > > (10+ years suffering from severe AVN), I think I have

> > waited

> > > > long

> > > > > > enough. THR just plain scares me. My wife is a PT

and

> > has

> > > > seen

> > > > > > people with 2 - 3 inch leg length descrepancies. Who

> > wants

> > > > to wear

> > > > > a

> > > > > > shoe lift for the rest of your life.

> > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > > > 10-year AVN left hip