Re: Question about fusion

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

I am currently fused to the sacrum, but in 2000 I had a Decompression/Lami surgery hoping to buy me some time before I needed to be fused to the sacrum. I only got a year from that surgery, and then went on to fusion to the sacrum. You will have to weigh the two doc's reasons, fusion to the sacrum versus not, and see what feels appropriate to you. In the past there has been much discussion on this subject, go to the site, click on messages, there will be a box at the top of the page, enter" Decompression/Lami" into it and read the 30 some messages on this subject, you will find it helpful. Why does your doc not want to fuse you to the sacrum? You must realize that if you go with a decompression you will eventually have to be fused to the sacrum, decompression is only a stop gap measure, I got a lot of relief from it, it ended my horrible leg pain, but alas did nothing for the flatback, and with the hip and leg pain gone I realized just how bad my back hurt, and went onto revision. In the Group Edie and I went that route, and there are a couple more I believe that are not yet fused to the sacrum. Edie is having revision next month, and got a couple of years out of her decompression/lami. Hope this helps, any questions just ask!

[ ] Question about fusion

Hi, I wanted to find out how many people are not fused to the sacrum?I know alot of people chined in when I said I want to Dr Reing In fairfax, but I had to go see him again yesterday because I have a bladder issue I am going for a MRI thursday. He says that if I do have bladder problems it may be unreversible, so we have to be real careful.I showed him my letter from dr. LaGrone and asked him what he thought, he said the only differnce would be not fusing me to sacrum. Of course the decision may change wants I am on the operating table. So anyways I want to hear some advice on not be fused to the sacrum, I know I run the risk of having to be operated again in the future.Thanks

[Guest guest]

, Thanks you for the information, He says he does not want to fuse me to sacrum because of my age and mobility. He does plan on removing harrington rods and doing a ostemosis (cant spell) fixing my flat back and giving me the curve back in lower spine. He feels he can accomplish what Dr LaGrone is suggesting just not fusing me to sacrum. Now that you are fused to sacrum do you feel you can do alot of things? I am just scared of qualtiy of life.......... Kirkaldie <.Kirkaldie@...> wrote: Dear , I am currently fused to the sacrum, but in 2000 I had a Decompression/Lami surgery hoping to buy me some time before I needed to be fused to the sacrum. I only got a year from that surgery, and then went on to fusion to the sacrum. You will have to weigh the two doc's reasons, fusion to the sacrum versus not, and see what feels appropriate to you. In the past there has been much discussion on this subject, go to the site, click on messages, there will be a box at the top of the page, enter" Decompression/Lami" into it and read the 30 some messages on this subject, you will find it helpful. Why does your doc not want to fuse you to the sacrum? You must realize that if you go with a decompression you will eventually have to be fused to the sacrum, decompression is

only a stop gap measure, I got a lot of relief from it, it ended my horrible leg pain, but alas did nothing for the flatback, and with the hip and leg pain gone I realized just how bad my back hurt, and went onto revision. In the Group Edie and I went that route, and there are a couple more I believe that are not yet fused to the sacrum. Edie is having revision next month, and got a couple of years out of her decompression/lami. Hope this helps, any questions just ask! [ ] Question about fusion Hi, I wanted to find out how many people are not fused to the sacrum?I know alot of people chined in when I said I want to Dr Reing In fairfax, but I had to go see him again yesterday because I have a bladder issue I am going for a MRI thursday. He says that if I do have bladder problems it may be unreversible, so we have to be real careful.I showed him my letter from dr. LaGrone and asked him what he thought, he said the only differnce would be not fusing me to sacrum. Of course the decision may change wants I am on the operating table. So anyways I want to hear some advice on not be fused to the sacrum, I know I

run the risk of having to be operated again in the future.Thanks

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[Guest guest]

Dear ,

I was 41 when I finally got diagnosised with Flatback, and Dr. Kumar said since I was young, we would try the decompression and hopefully give me a few years till I would need to fused to the sacrum, that I could keep my ability to bend for awhile longer. The decompression only gave me a year till it was apparent to him and me that my fusion needed to be extended to the sacrum. I have no regrets, gave it a shot, didn't work out, and so we moved onto fusion to the sacrum. I ended up needing two revisions( Cracked my Harrington Rod fusion mass after my first, above where my revision work had been done). I have A LOT of hardware, and have had a lot of surgical time, but am lucky, I am painfree, level, and upright, and feel good. You can see my X-rays post revision in the Photo's section, under Misc, I'm K.

Pre-revision I was in a great deal of pain, could walk only a few feet before I had to sit down to resolve it. I couldn't stand for more than 5 minutes. I was very cast forward in my stance, after revision I kept telling my husband my eyes hurt, till I realized it was from seeing the sunshine, I had been looking at the sidewalk for sooooo long, being upright and seeing the sun hurt my eyes. I used a cane to walk before the surgery, and was looking at a wheelchair to go to functions with my family. I planned my day around my pain, and sat out on a lot of things I wanted to do. I had a friend take my daughter prom dress shopping her junior year, I couldn't manage all the walking the mall required, I cried, it's one of the things in life taken from me by the pain.

After fusion to the sacrum, I can walk as far as I'd like, for as long as I want. I can stand, I stood for two hours at the DMV last summer to register my car, and I did it without pain. I'm upright, and taller by 2 1/2 inches. But most of all I'm painfree, such a gift.

Drawbacks being fused to the sacrum, yeah there are some, but I'd rather have them than the pain, and I'm far more able bodied now than before I had the surgery. I walk, I stand, I'm upright and level, huge, and painfree. Drawbacks are for me, I do feel like my torso is one solid piece, takes some getting used to. I don't bend, have a slight forward lean, so stuff on the floor stays there if I can't get it with my trusty grabbers. I don't attempt to get into cars close to the ground, it hurts me, and they are hard to get into so I don't. Shaving my legs is tough, I do it with my leg up on the toilet with shave creme, and now I can do it without taping the razor to a stick, but still not fun, and truly I don't do it that often. Cutting toenails isn't pretty either, it gets done, pedicures would be better. I still use a sockaid to put on socks, just easier for me. I wear slip on shoes and tennis shoes( which I slip on) as anything with a buckle or ties I have to get help with. Nylons I have to get help with getting them started, but I rarely wear them. What my drawbacks are, are mine. I have a lot of hardware with a different configuration so I'm a little more limited in my forward lean than some of the others. Things do get easier with time, I'm four year out, you figure out coping skills, and muscles streatch.

I do everything I need to do. I garden, do yard work, wash cars, minor home repairs. I keep my house, do laundry, drive all the time( have two teenagers and an active 2 year old Granddaughter who I have eight days a month). I'm able to do all this because I had the surgery. I'm always grateful my Granddaughter Londynn came after I had the surgery. She gets to have an active Grandma who does everything with her, I'm able to do more with her than I did with my own kids. She's nearly 30 pounds now, and I'm able to get her in and out of her car seat, something I had trouble with my own two youngest children.

The limits physically after this surgery sound worse than they have actually have been for me. You just get around whats hard to do with tools, and adjusting your home. I have things up higher that I need all the time, especially in the kitchen, have a lot of bins on the counter. I use Grabbers a lot, have one in all the main rooms in the house. All in all, while it sucks not being able to bend, would I trade it for the pain, @#$% no.

Hope this helps!

[ ] Question about fusion

Hi, I wanted to find out how many people are not fused to the sacrum?I know alot of people chined in when I said I want to Dr Reing In fairfax, but I had to go see him again yesterday because I have a bladder issue I am going for a MRI thursday. He says that if I do have bladder problems it may be unreversible, so we have to be real careful.I showed him my letter from dr. LaGrone and asked him what he thought, he said the only differnce would be not fusing me to sacrum. Of course the decision may change wants I am on the operating table. So anyways I want to hear some advice on not be fused to the sacrum, I know I run the risk of having to be operated again in the future.Thanks

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[Guest guest]

,

I was fused in my original surgery to L5...so I had only 1 lumbar

disc unfused for 32 years. Of course the last year or so I was vrey

debilitated with pain...but until the sagittal balance was off enough

to trigger those problems I led a normally active life.

Today, with the original fusion now extended and two years of healing

under my belt I feel I am pretty much back to the same activity level

as 10 years ago...although there are some things I will never do

again. I will not ride horseback, I will not ski downhill, I will not

parchute out of an airplane or generally do anything that might force

the other joints in my body to take additional stress...in other

words I am mindful that long fusion tends to place extra burdens on

other joints so I don't really want to tax them too too much.

My limitations in my daily bending life today seems minor when

exchanged for the painful life I lived prior to the decompression

surgery, which was part of the revision. My limitations are similar

enough to 's not to list them again, except to say that I have

more unfused vert. above T4 so I may have a bit more movement in

total...for instance ducking my head down to get in a low car is

somewhat more possible for me.

I know you are feeling like your recent bladder matters are making

you feel very pressed to make a decision and I completely understand

that. I was looking though past posts and another spine site for

other names closer to you so you could perhaps get another opinion

which would clarify the apparant clarity with which DrLaGrone sees

you as needing fusion to the sacrum as contrasted with DrReing

seeming somewhat differently.

On this site you can go back and read posts from Annette Baker who

had surgery last fall with DrLauerman at town and Judy

who had surgery with DrKebaish at Hopkins. Just type their names

in the search box and you should see old posts pop up. Annette also

kept a journal and has posted it in the Files section. I am sure they

would both speak to you if you contact them by email, or will chime

in if they are still reading here.

Lastly, while on a spine-health site I noticed Dr.Moshifar is down in

Virginia. He was a fellow at NE Baptist when I first saw DrRand, and

I just verified that he was the doctor that did my initial " uptake "

by looking back at my copies of office notes. Checking out his

credentials you will see that he was an engineer initially and one of

his main clinical interests/research areas is spinal deformity and

pelvic fixation. Please understand that I don't know enough to say I

would recommend him as a surgeon (although I would be willing to

check further) but I would say that having worked with DrRand he

would be well equippped to give you an opinion and help you sort

through your current dilemma. He was very kindly when he examined me.

Here is a link to his site:

http://understandingspinesurgery.com/template2/nav.asp?page=about

Please let us know how the MRI went today.

Take Care, Cam

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My experiences with loss of mobility/bending is very similar to 's. I've adjusted to it and would much rather use a sock helper, a grabber, wear pants instead of dresses and skirts to avoid putting on panty hose, etc., than have to deal with the pain. Besides, whatever pain you have now, is not going to get better over time without the surgery. It will only get worse. I think most people decide to have surgery when the pain is at the point that it interferes too much with your life. The pain interfered with my life more than the lack of mobility afterwards ever has. Do I wish I wasn't fused to the sacrum? Sure. But, for me, I felt there was no choice. Personally, I would never have chosen the decompression route first with fusion to the sacrum at a later date. I wouldn't have been able to put myself through two miserable recovery periods on purpose. But that's a very personal decision. I would have found it very, very difficult to live with the knowledge that I had another surgery coming. Again, very personal. You need to know yourself.

Bonnie

[ ] Question about fusion

Hi, I wanted to find out how many people are not fused to the sacrum?I know alot of people chined in when I said I want to Dr Reing In fairfax, but I had to go see him again yesterday because I have a bladder issue I am going for a MRI thursday. He says that if I do have bladder problems it may be unreversible, so we have to be real careful.I showed him my letter from dr. LaGrone and asked him what he thought, he said the only differnce would be not fusing me to sacrum. Of course the decision may change wants I am on the operating table. So anyways I want to hear some advice on not be fused to the sacrum, I know I run the risk of having to be operated again in the future.Thanks

Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check.Try the Beta.

[Guest guest]

Cam, I just sent you an email please disregard, you just answered my questions. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me, you have alot of knowledge. I had the MRI done today, I will get the report tomorrow and I see Dr Reing Tuesday to see what he says about the bladder issue, Its funny that you mention Dr Laureman I do have an appointment with him on April 13 I called today and talked to the nurse and she gave me some information about him, he pratices at town University in Washington D.C. which is well know for being a good hospital. So now I feel better that I am getting a third opinion. Thank you again for all the information you have giving me. You have made me really think, and I thank you for that. I know that in my heart I will not go with Dr Reing, I know that what he is telling me is not going to be possible, its just so nice to dream of

having the perfect body. cammaltby <cammaltby@...> wrote: ,I was fused in my original surgery to L5...so I had only 1 lumbar disc unfused for 32 years. Of course the last year or so I was vrey debilitated with pain...but until the sagittal balance was off enough to trigger those problems I led a normally active life.Today, with the original fusion now extended and two years of healing under my belt I

feel I am pretty much back to the same activity level as 10 years ago...although there are some things I will never do again. I will not ride horseback, I will not ski downhill, I will not parchute out of an airplane or generally do anything that might force the other joints in my body to take additional stress...in other words I am mindful that long fusion tends to place extra burdens on other joints so I don't really want to tax them too too much.My limitations in my daily bending life today seems minor when exchanged for the painful life I lived prior to the decompression surgery, which was part of the revision. My limitations are similar enough to 's not to list them again, except to say that I have more unfused vert. above T4 so I may have a bit more movement in total...for instance ducking my head down to get in a low car is somewhat more possible for me.I know you are feeling like your recent

bladder matters are making you feel very pressed to make a decision and I completely understand that. I was looking though past posts and another spine site for other names closer to you so you could perhaps get another opinion which would clarify the apparant clarity with which DrLaGrone sees you as needing fusion to the sacrum as contrasted with DrReing seeming somewhat differently.On this site you can go back and read posts from Annette Baker who had surgery last fall with DrLauerman at town and Judy who had surgery with DrKebaish at Hopkins. Just type their names in the search box and you should see old posts pop up. Annette also kept a journal and has posted it in the Files section. I am sure they would both speak to you if you contact them by email, or will chime in if they are still reading here.Lastly, while on a spine-health site I noticed Dr.Moshifar is down in Virginia. He was

a fellow at NE Baptist when I first saw DrRand, and I just verified that he was the doctor that did my initial "uptake" by looking back at my copies of office notes. Checking out his credentials you will see that he was an engineer initially and one of his main clinical interests/research areas is spinal deformity and pelvic fixation. Please understand that I don't know enough to say I would recommend him as a surgeon (although I would be willing to check further) but I would say that having worked with DrRand he would be well equippped to give you an opinion and help you sort through your current dilemma. He was very kindly when he examined me.Here is a link to his site:http://understandingspinesurgery.com/template2/nav.asp?page=aboutPlease let us know how the MRI went today.Take Care,

Cam

Looking for earth-friendly autos? Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Autos' Green Center.

[Guest guest]

Cam, I just sent you an email please disregard, you just answered my questions. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me, you have alot of knowledge. I had the MRI done today, I will get the report tomorrow and I see Dr Reing Tuesday to see what he says about the bladder issue, Its funny that you mention Dr Laureman I do have an appointment with him on April 13 I called today and talked to the nurse and she gave me some information about him, he pratices at town University in Washington D.C. which is well know for being a good hospital. So now I feel better that I am getting a third opinion. Thank you again for all the information you have giving me. You have made me really think, and I thank you for that. I know that in my heart I will not go with Dr Reing, I know that what he is telling me is not going to be possible, its just so nice to dream of

having the perfect body. cammaltby <cammaltby@...> wrote: ,I was fused in my original surgery to L5...so I had only 1 lumbar disc unfused for 32 years. Of course the last year or so I was vrey debilitated with pain...but until the sagittal balance was off enough to trigger those problems I led a normally active life.Today, with the original fusion now extended and two years of healing under my belt I

feel I am pretty much back to the same activity level as 10 years ago...although there are some things I will never do again. I will not ride horseback, I will not ski downhill, I will not parchute out of an airplane or generally do anything that might force the other joints in my body to take additional stress...in other words I am mindful that long fusion tends to place extra burdens on other joints so I don't really want to tax them too too much.My limitations in my daily bending life today seems minor when exchanged for the painful life I lived prior to the decompression surgery, which was part of the revision. My limitations are similar enough to 's not to list them again, except to say that I have more unfused vert. above T4 so I may have a bit more movement in total...for instance ducking my head down to get in a low car is somewhat more possible for me.I know you are feeling like your recent

bladder matters are making you feel very pressed to make a decision and I completely understand that. I was looking though past posts and another spine site for other names closer to you so you could perhaps get another opinion which would clarify the apparant clarity with which DrLaGrone sees you as needing fusion to the sacrum as contrasted with DrReing seeming somewhat differently.On this site you can go back and read posts from Annette Baker who had surgery last fall with DrLauerman at town and Judy who had surgery with DrKebaish at Hopkins. Just type their names in the search box and you should see old posts pop up. Annette also kept a journal and has posted it in the Files section. I am sure they would both speak to you if you contact them by email, or will chime in if they are still reading here.Lastly, while on a spine-health site I noticed Dr.Moshifar is down in Virginia. He was

a fellow at NE Baptist when I first saw DrRand, and I just verified that he was the doctor that did my initial "uptake" by looking back at my copies of office notes. Checking out his credentials you will see that he was an engineer initially and one of his main clinical interests/research areas is spinal deformity and pelvic fixation. Please understand that I don't know enough to say I would recommend him as a surgeon (although I would be willing to check further) but I would say that having worked with DrRand he would be well equippped to give you an opinion and help you sort through your current dilemma. He was very kindly when he examined me.Here is a link to his site:http://understandingspinesurgery.com/template2/nav.asp?page=aboutPlease let us know how the MRI went today.Take Care,

Cam

Looking for earth-friendly autos? Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Autos' Green Center.

[Guest guest]

Yes that helped alot, thank you. When I was reading I realized that before I really started having pain and have been limited to what I can do like walk and stand. I forgot about the many years I have really lived with some limitations, yes granted I could take a long walk, mow the lawn or do gardening but at the end of the day I would have pain in my back. could never really stand for long periods of time (last 20 yrs) Its funny how I kind of forgetting those things. Thank you Kirkaldie <.Kirkaldie@...> wrote: Dear , I was 41 when I finally got diagnosised with Flatback, and Dr. Kumar said since I was young, we would try the decompression and hopefully give me a few years till I would need to fused to the sacrum, that I could keep my ability to bend for awhile longer. The decompression only gave me a year till it was apparent to him and me that my fusion needed to be extended to the sacrum. I have no regrets, gave it a shot, didn't work out, and so we moved onto fusion to the sacrum. I ended up needing two revisions( Cracked my Harrington Rod fusion mass after my first, above where my revision work had been done). I have A LOT of hardware, and have had a lot of surgical time, but am lucky, I am painfree, level, and upright, and feel good. You can see my X-rays post revision in the Photo's

section, under Misc, I'm K. Pre-revision I was in a great deal of pain, could walk only a few feet before I had to sit down to resolve it. I couldn't stand for more than 5 minutes. I was very cast forward in my stance, after revision I kept telling my husband my eyes hurt, till I realized it was from seeing the sunshine, I had been looking at the sidewalk for sooooo long, being upright and seeing the sun hurt my eyes. I used a cane to walk before the surgery, and was looking at a wheelchair to go to functions with my family. I planned my day around my pain, and sat out on a lot of things I wanted to do. I had a friend take my daughter prom dress shopping her junior year, I couldn't manage all the walking the mall required, I cried, it's one of the things in life taken from me by the pain. After fusion to the sacrum, I can walk as far as I'd like, for as long as I want. I can stand, I stood for two hours at the DMV last summer to register my car, and I did it without pain. I'm upright, and taller by 2 1/2 inches. But most of all I'm painfree, such a gift. Drawbacks being fused to the sacrum, yeah there are some, but I'd rather have them than the pain, and I'm far more able bodied now than before I had the surgery. I walk, I stand, I'm upright and level, huge, and painfree. Drawbacks are for me, I do feel like my torso is one solid piece, takes some getting used to. I don't bend, have a slight forward lean, so stuff on the floor stays there if I can't get it with my trusty grabbers. I don't attempt to get into cars close to the ground, it hurts me, and they are hard to get into so I don't. Shaving my legs is tough, I do it with my leg up on the

toilet with shave creme, and now I can do it without taping the razor to a stick, but still not fun, and truly I don't do it that often. Cutting toenails isn't pretty either, it gets done, pedicures would be better. I still use a sockaid to put on socks, just easier for me. I wear slip on shoes and tennis shoes( which I slip on) as anything with a buckle or ties I have to get help with. Nylons I have to get help with getting them started, but I rarely wear them. What my drawbacks are, are mine. I have a lot of hardware with a different configuration so I'm a little more limited in my forward lean than some of the others. Things do get easier with time, I'm four year out, you figure out coping skills, and muscles streatch. I do everything I need to do. I garden, do yard work, wash cars, minor home repairs. I keep my house, do laundry, drive all the time( have two teenagers and

an active 2 year old Granddaughter who I have eight days a month). I'm able to do all this because I had the surgery. I'm always grateful my Granddaughter Londynn came after I had the surgery. She gets to have an active Grandma who does everything with her, I'm able to do more with her than I did with my own kids. She's nearly 30 pounds now, and I'm able to get her in and out of her car seat, something I had trouble with my own two youngest children. The limits physically after this surgery sound worse than they have actually have been for me. You just get around whats hard to do with tools, and adjusting your home. I have things up higher that I need all the time, especially in the kitchen, have a lot of bins on the counter. I use Grabbers a lot, have one in all the main rooms in the house. All in all, while it sucks not being able to bend, would I trade it for the pain, @#$%

no. Hope this helps! [ ] Question about fusion Hi, I wanted to find out how many people are not fused to the sacrum?I know alot of people chined in when I said I want to Dr Reing In

fairfax, but I had to go see him again yesterday because I have a bladder issue I am going for a MRI thursday. He says that if I do have bladder problems it may be unreversible, so we have to be real careful.I showed him my letter from dr. LaGrone and asked him what he thought, he said the only differnce would be not fusing me to sacrum. Of course the decision may change wants I am on the operating table. So anyways I want to hear some advice on not be fused to the sacrum, I know I run the risk of having to be operated again in the future.Thanks Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check.Try the Beta.

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