I'm Hooped...need some prayers or a shoulder now too.

[ajj1001]

As you probably know, very early fusions were all done without instrumentation. It usually required a body cast, months of bed rest, and extreme caution in moving much at all. Success rates were no more than 50% until proper instrumentation was developed.

When I was in hospital for my first spine op there was someone on the ward who had a fusion without instrumentation and was in such a bodycast. They were pretty uncomfy in the bodycast, not sure why couldn't have instrumentation.

[Katie]

Thanks you two. Months of bed rest, hey? I remember in my twenties having a cast on my lower leg, and it being almost unbearable You do what you have to do, I guess, but what torture that would be!

'Pretty uncomfortable' might be an understatement

Pete, I really don't know that much about fusion as all of my research has been done on ADR, what I thought and hoped I would be having earlier on this journey. There have been so many twists and turns on this that I can barely keep up, and I still have so much to learn. I'll be spending my afternoon going through that link, thanks.

And without all of you, I would be so lost and floundering right now. Without the help of Rosie who directed me to my present surgeon, I'd still be struggling with the impossible insurance situation. And without Liz, I would be in surgery in just a couple of weeks, having discs implanted that would ultimately have poisoned me from the inside out. And without all the empathy and shoulders to lean on, I would have collapsed long ago.

What a roller coaster, what a ride. What a wonderful community of friends. Thank you.

[dalhousie]

Sent you a PM Katie but I hope you can find a way though this. It does sound like there are options out there somewhere - recovering in a plaster cast might be quite challenging though. Keep your spirits up.

[KBear]

You know, there is a bright side to all this. If I had gotten my surgery in Germany when I wanted, I would have been in a heap of trouble now. Because of the delay, I discovered this tiny detail, and now can make other arrangements (of course I can, right??!!)

Oh so true, I know it seems like a huge setback right now; but it would have/ could have been a lot worse if you had already had surgery.

[Justin]

Katie, check your email. I'll give you a call this afternoon.