I have a way forward! (cervical & lumbar surgery with Dr. Pimenta, Brazil)

[Katie]

Thanks for the reminder Carson! LOL, you have a much better memory than I do. :-)

Before Fuzzy chimes in, I'll give my experience. Every surgeon I have spoken to said that the cervical trumps the lumbar in cases like this, mainly because of the importance of the nerves in the upper levels. I didn't have a choice in which order the surgeries would go. They gave me the impression that it didn't matter how severe the cervical was (unless it was a very minor thing, and then I would wonder why they would be operating in the first place.)

But then Fuzzy did have his lumbar done first...maybe it depends on the surgeons you see (I was diagnosed by six international ones, not including the ones here who really don't count

Your turn, Fuzzy!

[Katie]

So putting the 'mom' stuff aside, the big news is that we are tentatively booked for March 17 for surgery. We are going to try and book flights for the 15th, which means we won't get there till the 16th, and have a day to rest, then go for tests, etc. With that long flight, it might stretch into an extra day of organization down there, but I'll leave that in their hands.

And two of my bestest friends may be coming down with us, for at least part of the trip, just as a vacation (and support as well). They will probably try for the last week we are there. I'm supposed to be out of the hospital in three days, and in recovery in the hotel for almost a week, then I'm free to travel around and enjoy myself! I'm stunned that it may be that easy...that I will be up and about that soon. They did say that I won't be moving much the first week, having my showers in a bed or wheelchair, but after that I should be able to go to Rio, etc.

They are as obliging and helpful as Stenum was to me, trying very hard to accommodate all my questions and concerns. This may not be so bad after all!

Sorry, this should probably go on my surgery thread, but it is just the awesomest part right now too !!!

[ajj1001]

... the big news is that we are tentatively booked for March 17 for surgery.

Brilliant news .Thats a really good day as I have tentatively booked to go away with hubbie to celebrate his 50th and our 25th anniversary. I'll get praying that we both get our plans confirmed.

On the baby side one of my best friends had her baby the same day as my fusion surgery and came with him on the day I was discharged and regularly after that. Snuggling him was one my highlights in a very dark period. Even if you can't do anything just having a baby around is ace.

[Katie]

Alison, thanks so much for that. I can't wait for that very special baby smell....the good one ;-)

[Justin]

So putting the 'mom' stuff aside, the big news is that we are tentatively booked for March 17 for surgery. We are going to try and book flights for the 15th, which means we won't get there till the 16th, and have a day to rest, then go for tests, etc. With that long flight, it might stretch into an extra day of organization down there, but I'll leave that in their hands.

And two of my bestest friends may be coming down with us, for at least part of the trip, just as a vacation (and support as well). They will probably try for the last week we are there. I'm supposed to be out of the hospital in three days, and in recovery in the hotel for almost a week, then I'm free to travel around and enjoy myself! I'm stunned that it may be that easy...that I will be up and about that soon. They did say that I won't be moving much the first week, having my showers in a bed or wheelchair, but after that I should be able to go to Rio, etc.

They are as obliging and helpful as Stenum was to me, trying very hard to accommodate all my questions and concerns. This may not be so bad after all!

Sorry, this should probably go on my surgery thread, but it is just the awesomest part right now too !!!

Yeah! I'm so glad that you have a date. One. step. closer.

[scduggan]

Dear Katie,
This is AWESOME news! This will bring you so much PEACE. If you are anything like me (just a little bit of a control freak) you will feel better to finally have a plan and not be SWINGING IN THE BREEZE! Will you be trying to learn some conversational Portuguese? Go ahead and put that on your list of 8,000 things to do.
CD

[sd59]

HI Katie

As I am fairly new to the board, I was wondering which Dr's you spoke to besides Stenum?

Did you get to meet with the Dr's from Stenum, or did you send them your back pics?

Is there a link to see what Dr. Pimenta has done?

Hope everything works out well for you, and it looks like the euro is getting a little closer to the U.S. dollar.

I hope you will be able to give updates as you go.

I too hope to be able to get my back fixed one of these days.

Doug

[KBear]

AWESOME! I had surgery on March 17, 2009.... so we will have the same "new life" anniversary! How cool is that? It doesn't seem like a year has went by already, time flies! So happy for you!

[Katie]

Hey KB, that would be awesome! Our own 're-birth'day together It still seems like a bit of a fairy tale, to be truthful, and until I have a plane ticket in my hand, it won't start to feel real. I'm the type that can ignore things until they are right in front of me though...for good or for bad ;-)

Doug, I have spoken to several surgeons, all over the world really. Apart from most of the staff at Stenum, with whom I've corresponded (but not met) for over a year, I've had a full in person consult in NYC with Dr. Bitan. Three surgeons in India, (the ones that Rosie just had surgery with), Dr. Kulkarni and two others from his hospital have given their diagnosis from my MRIs, other images & reports.

On top of that, I've had a discogram and other procedures with an out of province surgeon who almost did four level surgery last fall until the allergy issue surfaced. I've seen four other Ontario surgeons whose opinons went from 'no problem except for carpal tunnel (no!)' to my condition being too risky for surgery. ???? But if I was in a wheelchair and was a quad, he would then operate. Go figure. Only the first Canadian surgeon above would consider operating to relieve pain. None of the others thought it was 'just cause'.

There were several links in the Dr. Pimenta thread that Mark-Perth posted in the International travel forum, but I mainly went from the information that he and several others here on the site gave me. His reputation seems to be stellar, and frankly, he's the only one I've found that can help me...he has the non-metal devices and is willing to work on me. There's just something about him that I trust, the same feeling I had with Dr. Bitan. Sometimes that is all you have to go on.

There have been so many times over the past five years that this has seemed hopeless. The great support I've gotten here has been the one thing, other than my husband, that has carried me through. To be honest, the information I have been given here is what has solved this puzzle. Without it, I would still be at square one.

Your time will come.

[Maverick]

Hi Katie:

So good to get your most recent update. I'm excited for you. I will put you on my Reiki Grid for healing energy to be sent to you.

Hello to all. I am still trying to figure out how to use this site. I seem to get lost and then get tired and give up. I'll figure it out one day.

Maverick