[Artificial Disc Replacement / Lumbar] Lumbar L4/L5 ADR, Lumbar L5/S1 ADR/ALIF

[treefrog]

Runagain, I am so sorry you are going through this. I wish there was something I could do to help.

I am so mad on your behalf, and that of so many others too. Our health care system needs some changes. It is criminal that your insurance company is making the decision on your treatment.

[Justin]

Runagain, I am so sorry you are going through this. I wish there was something I could do to help.

I am so mad on your behalf, and that of so many others too. Our health care system needs some changes. It is criminal that your insurance company is making the decision on your treatment.

It's unbelievable: the care one ultimately gets (in many cases) is dictated by what insurance will cover, not what is agreed upon as the best intervention for the patient. Insurance companies need to step aside and let physicians actually practice medicine again.

[KBear]

It's unbelievable: the care one ultimately gets (in many cases) is dictated by what insurance will cover, not what is agreed upon as the best intervention for the patient. Insurance companies need to step aside and let physicians actually practice medicine again.

No joke, total b/s.

[runagain]

Yup, that is for sure.

[Justin]

Yup, that is for sure.

Hey Runagain,

I hope you got my PM. I just wanted to pop in and wish you well. I know what a huge disappointment the insurance nonsense was, but I know good things are around the corner for you! Keep your head up and we are here if you need anything.

[runagain]

thanks Justin,

I got your PM.
It is hard to describe how I feel. I feel extremely disappointed.
And I don't like back pain.
that about wraps it up in a nutshell.
I think I did the right thing and time will tell.
But for right now, I am not happy but I am hopeful this will work out ok in the end.

[Justin]

thanks Justin,

I got your PM.
It is hard to describe how I feel. I feel extremely disappointed.
And I don't like back pain.
that about wraps it up in a nutshell.
I think I did the right thing and time will tell.
But for right now, I am not happy but I am hopeful this will work out ok in the end.

I'm so sorry Runagain. I am hopeful for your situation as well. If you need anything, don't hesitate... you got my number.

[runagain]

Okay,

I'm checking in, having already spoken to Justin. I guess I have been silent for too many days.
I have just been trying to hold it together as I wait for some news as to when i can have ADR surgery.
I have had an increase in pain meds which has helped. Most of my family sort of understands what I am going through. I wake up every morning barely able to get out of bed because of super tight, sore achilles tendons and feet, besides the back pain and sciatica, and then the feet are usually ok by the time I get downstairs and walk a little bit.

Last night, couldn't sleep much because I was up (sitting in bed) and then I started getting really sharp, ouchy, back pains on the low-back right which kind of come and go and that kept me up until 1-2 am.
Morning time my husband is asking me to get up and get the kids ready for their vacation bible study day. I want to throw a frying pan at his head when he wakes me up and asks me to help.
But I grumble that I am in pain and get the kids ready.
I didn't get much accomplished today as the oxycontin ER I am on seems to make me want to fall asleep all the time. I can be reading something on the internet and I will drop off to sleep, thinking about something weird and then I startle back awake. And that is how it goes.

It is weird.

It does not make for a productive day to say the least.

It is more than 80 degrees today and I am sweating. Not working, just sweating. Of course, a hot computer on your lap does not help that.

I am getting little things done each day as I take at least 1-2 naps a day. Not driving anymore so rely on my eldest to chauffeur me around when she is available. She has been great and probably understands how I feel more than anyone in my household.

I still want surgery despite my physician's graphic details of all the things that can happen when they go through anteriorally again. Okay...that is enough. He was just concerned about the financial hit we could take if I did have significant consequences and that stuff was not covered.

Knowing that I may have to spend time in rehab or there is the possibility of spending two months in the hospital or time in ICU prison does make me a bit more anxious, but those are the facts. I won't go into the specific things that could happen that he told me (I don't want anyone to lose their lunch), but hey I am in the medical profession and I know all that. Now, I just know exactly what can happen.

I don't really blame him for me having to cancel surgery because he was right and after I got over being totally pissed at him, I understand that waiting a few months is probably best.
I think waiting for ADR is worth it.
My hope is by early October or so, maybe Sept., that I will know something. I have to go through steps of the appeal and that will not take that long but if that doesn't work, there is something else that might come up and take care of the roadblock to surgery.

I'll have to see. I am working on the appeal and some other stuff too and it is slow going as I want to do it right. I have some time but would like to have appeal done in the next two weeks.
What is slowing things down are the back pain and my narcolepsy.

I am not even sure if I can handle waiting because I feel not so good and I am having pain that is at least equal or maybe more than before my first adr surgery.
I am taking it: ONE DAY AT A TIME.
That is my moto or my matra.

People at my church have helped. Knowing that several people are praying for you each and every day is awesome. Like my pastor told me, it wasn't the right time to have surgery and we don't know why this stuff happened but there is a reason and we need to have faith.
I do have faith that everything will turn out all right and I will continue to do the things I need to do to try to get the best surgery for me.

That's it for now.

[KBear]

Run- I feel your pain and am so sorry you are going through this again. We all go into this hoping and praying that this is the end of our spinal issues and unfortunately, sometimes it isn't (we obviously all have the bad gene, eh?) It sucks being like this for so long, to see other people get hurt and better and we are just still here. When I was excluded from the first clinical trial, I was knocked down. I was ready to give up, contemplating suicide, it really seemed like a better option than living this way. Then, I found the other clinical trial and it all worked out. I believe that this was God's plan and for whatever reason, I was not meant to be in the first trial (who knows, maybe the device will not be a good one? anything really?)
I know through all of this God has taught me many important lessons, patience being the big one. Before, I was so impatient, always on the go, never stopping to smell the roses or enjoy a moment. It took, me having life as I knew being taken away, to stop and enjoy the small stuff. Now, when I'm hurting and my baby (ok, she's 3, so not really a baby; but my baby... you're a mommy, you get it) crawling on my lap to cuddle me, I just soak it up and know all too soon it will be gone.
Some days, I'm like "ok God, so let's make a deal....." or "I've learned my lessons God, now can you just make me better! Please" On those days, my favorite verse is: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5 It's easier said than done; but I just remind myself over and over that God has a bigger plan, even though I don't get it and can't understand it, His plans are way bigger and better than anything I could come up with on my own.

[Justin]

Runagain,

It was great catching up. If you need anything, feel free to call anytime. Hang in there.