Re: Re: fellows operating/Kathleen

[Guest guest]

Kathy, I have always been horrified by Kathleen's story, too. There is

always a huge risk with this type of surgery. I've been dragging my heels

for about 5 years.

But I also have the example of my father, who had Harrington rod surgery at

age 46 and now, at 79, is very bent over, and walks with great difficulty

and pain. Unfortunately he has other health concerns that preclude revision

surgery for him.

I really hope I make the right decision, and if I opt for surgery that I

find the right surgeon. I think I may be ready to go with Rand, but I plan

to get at least one other opinion. Unlike many flatbackers, I have

controlable pain levels, and am not going into it with urgency. I don't

like the idea of a year or more of recovery, and the disruption of my life

that will cause. But I also realize that, little by little, the flatback

has disrupted my life. I think, and hope I am correct, that surgery may

give me enough of my life back that I will not regret it.

Sharon

[ ] Re: fellows operating/Kathleen

> Kathleen,

>

> After reading your story once again I am even less inclined to seek

> revision surgery of any kind. I hurt very little as long as I don't

> move much. And when I do move, I hurt in so many places I doubt

> surgery would fix it!

>

> I'm sorry for all your pain and the horrible way life as treated

> you.

>

> Kathy

>

>

>

>

>>

>> Unfortunately some surgeons just plain ugly lie about their

> fellowes not

>> operating on your revision surgery and they do. They are instructed

> to say

>> otherwise as well and defer all questions to your dotctor if you

> have

>> concerns about it but i know first hand my surgeon supposedly the

> best in

>> the world told me NO NO NO the two fellows wouldn't be touching my

> insides

>> and after i cold cocked one fellow in his face we talked it out and

> he

>> admitted that both he and the other fellow did do work on my inside

> and do a

>> big part of the surgery. I awoke from surgery with partial spinal

> cord

>> injury which has reuslted in permanent nerve damage to both legs.

> Of course

>> I didn't come out of my comatose pain and depression for 2 1/2

> years and by

>> then it was too late too sue , all the attorneys i asked said they

> needed a

>> year at least and six months was not enough time to prepare for

> filing. SO

>> don't believe everything you are told. As far as your foot getting

> worse.

>> yes i would be concerned and if he does nothing about it after six

> months

>> and you still have the same situation start looking for a second

> opinion

>> from another revision surgeon. That should have given the damaged

> nerve

>> enough time to start regenerating a bit into some recovery. I know

> it stinks

>> to wake up with other problems but this is what it is. Besides

> permanent leg

>> damage i awoke with wacky eye syndrome and double vision which is

> not able

>> to be fixed as it has to due with pressue on the brain and now is

> involved

>> with arachnoiditis I developed from the revision surgery butcher

> job of my

>> L5-S1, but yes I have to Thank God I am walkingevery day on 240mg

> of

>> Oxycontin 3x a day and 8mg of Dilaudid every 6 hours...on a good

> day.....and

>> Seroquel for the needed side effect of extreme sleep so i can sleep

> through

>> the pain each night so i don't wake up twice a night for pain meds

> and i can

>> sleep seven hours straight through.. So I have to dope myslef up so

> I can

>> sleep solid so I can tolerate the pain in order to have a very good

> day

>> which of course it is 7.5 years revision post-op and it took 5.5

> years

>> post-op to finally find the best pain doctors who take the best

> care of me

>> to allow me to live as pain free as possible.. level 2 instead of a

>> suicidal thoughts of level 8 as the previous 5 years of 24 hours

> seven days

>> a week existance. I was told as I searched for a new pain doc that

> I didn't

>> deserve to be on the meds i was on (Mind you then it was much lower

> dposes

>> and I was on a level 8 pain every day because i didn't deserve the

> drugs

>> because i wasn't dying..i was a stuck at home mother disabled with

> two kids

>> and would have to suffer for the next 40 years and the pain doc,

> said yep

>> because I would never give you those meds!!) needless to say I

> never went

>> too him! Its all about more than adequate pain management post-op

> if needed

>> and taking the proper (long) recovery time needed to heal which I

> truly

>> believe is a year. So many people have pushed themselves to fast

> too hard

>> and have unfortunately had problems down the road. Would the

> problems be

>> there if they had taken it easier instead of pushing themselves. I

> don " t

>> know. But I do know the fusion mass takes a long time to fuse and

> one fall

>> even six months later can have permanent nerve damage... how do i

> know i

>> have done it. I walked down my hallway without my walker and just

> fell over

>> for no reason....... so no heroics. use the walkers use the canes

> learn the

>> right way to get around the house, I actually went into a back

> rehab program

>> for two weeks after surgery and that made a big difference and

> taught me

>> allot. But only you can make the difference and only you are the one

>> affected by taking any risks. I say lay down and take it easy, for

> a year

>> with some required walking PT and thats it. Give your body time to

> heal and

>> nurture yourself. well my five cents worth. It pains me to hear so

> many

>> people in pain after all the surgery and more pain. I think I have

> suffered

>> enough for everyone and I pray no one else keeps suffering. enough

>> already... really. Final note if anyone wants great pain docs..

> NYC. Dr.

>> Jan Slomba, and Dr. Marco Pappagallo at Beth Israel Med. Center 10

> Union Sq.

>> East Manhatten, NY

>> Wishing everyone pain less moments and happy days ahead....

>> wishing you many peaceful moments

>> TwistedSister in NJ

>> ps Carla Kay call ME!!

>> 1982 Scoliosis Harrington fusion, 1998 Revision A/P Surgery for

> Flatback

>> Syndrome, 1998 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, 1999 Degenrative SI

> Joints,

>> 2000 Weight Loss Surgery, 2000 Spinal Hardware Removed, 2001 Two

> Cervical

>> bulging discs, 2002 Arachnoiditis, 2002 GERD, 2002 Adhesions, 1993

> Mitral

>> Valve Prolapse, 1996 Fibromyalgia, 2001 Kidney Stones,

>> 2003 Interstitial Cystitis, May 2003 Anterior spine hardware

> removal; May

>> 2005 Abductor Voice Dystonia; Oct 2005 Full blown Disc Degenerative

> Disease

>> neck to tail; April 2005 Osteopenia; 2004 Four Blown cervical discs

> in all;

>> April 2005 Twisted Sacrum, scoliosis of upper thoracic area now.

> (lucky me)

>> ** LIFE IS UNCERTAIN.............EAT DESSERT FIRST **

>> Harrington Rod scoliosis people and other post-op multiple spine

> surgery

>> people may interested in the following website dedicated to Flatback

>> Syndrome and revision/salvage spine surgery... " Salvaged Sisters of

>> Scoliosis " website on Delphi Forums at:

>> http://forums.delphiforums.com/adultscoliosis/messages

>>

>

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>

> scoliosis veterans * flatback sufferers * revision candidates

>