[Artificial Disc Replacement / Lumbar] My ADR Surgery Story: L3-4, L4-5, L5-6 by Dr. Bertagnoli 4/07

[Cindylou]

I am a middle aged woman who was always extremely active since a kid. Lots of back bends, flips, walking on my hands, a cheerleader from middle school through high school. I started skiing (downhill) when I was a teenager. I have taken nasty falls through the years (one requiring major knee reconstruction at age 19) and this likely contributed to my early DDD in my lumbar and cervical spines. I mostly had only chiropractic and massage intervention up until "the big accident." This accident was my bicycle accident in June of 2001. I had a brand new bike (recumbent) and so did my son, and we took off for our first ride of the summer. Only, very unfortunate for me, my new bike's rear brake failed me on a downhill, causing me to go ass over tea kettle big time. I knew I was in deep trouble when I landed and couldn't move. It took 5 trips to the ER over a course of 6 weeks before I finally got my diagnosis of two compressed fractures in my back at T12 and L1. I immediately was fitted for a body cast but it was probably applied too late, due to the incompetent doctors not taking an MRI or Cat Scan on a middle aged woman who took this horrific fall. On one such trip to the ER a doctor actually accused me of having panic attacks as the cause of my pain. I eventually got the proper diagnosis, had vertebraplasty that September. I got some relief but believe those compressed fractures contributed to the domino effect of my crippled spine. I eventually found ADR Support and Ispine through an internet search, and my own back doctor personally knew Dr. Bertagnoli, so he significantly helped facilitate that encounter, as did Mark. I ended up needing 3 lumbar ADR's. I had an extremely difficult post recovery. My first couple of days of post op pain was not managed properly and I was in stupid, crazy, out of my mind pain. Chuck, Terry, Justin, and Mark were all critical players in helping me navigate my pain management while in the hospital at Bogen. I had to have 2 blood transfusions, and had to be opened up a second time and cleaned out due to a topical infection. My total hospital time was 10 days. No joke, it was a very rough road of recovery as well. I am just a little over 2 years into my recovery and am still not pain free. I do have facet issues so that could be one contributing factor, however, I am also only 11 weeks out from my SI Joint Fusion surgery, so I am still clearly recovering. I should probably put my L6-S1 back fusion and the SI joint fusion recovery story on a different topic tho.

Sorry this is so long folks. I can get a tad long-winded, no?

Cindylou

[Katie]

CindyLou, no one can touch me for long-windedness...even my words are too long

I cannot believe the poor post-op things you had to go through...that is awful. I don't know how you kept going, and thank those who helped you. If your main doctor knew Dr. B, why did he not refer you to him sooner, or am I missing/misunderstanding some details...which is not unusual

I don't understand with all the experience of the doctor(s) involved, why the pain was not managed better...it's not like it was the first time it happened. I think that I, like so many others, have suffered so much with our spines, that I am super sensitive to situations that are preventable.

I guess I don't mince words when it comes to things like this, and I am so sorry that you suffered so much needless pain, not once, but several times.

Bless you for having the strength to carry on.

[Gilbert P]

Hi Cindy Lou

Thanks for sharing your story I think ADR is still not in my future but what is?

I pray you have pain relief and can move on with your life.

All the best

Gilbert p

[Justin]

CL, you've been through a lot. Thank you for sharing your story with the forum and I truly wish you better days in the future. Grandkids have incredible healing powers, so I've heard.

[KBear]

CL- Wow, you have been through so much, unreal. It is amazing how incompetent and inconsiderate some dr's can be (referring to the ER doc you had). The ER doc my daughters and I had, mind you, after being hit by an 18 wheeler, was totally flippant and non-concerned. My then 2 week old daughter, Ava, was on impact side of our car (it was actually double impact, down the passenger side, spinning the car and hitting us in the rear of the vehicle). The only 2 windows that were not shattered/and or blown in were the driver side windows and myself and my children were covered in all the glass. Ava had glass covering her body, in her eyes, ears, mouth, nose, clothes, everywhere and the doc was not the least concerned that she might have swallowed glass. I was told, "If she has swallowed glass, you will see blood in her poop" Like "Oh, ok, let's just wait until glass has ripped through her internal organs, causing massive bleeding, then she will have blood in her poop. That makes sense" Needless to say, we saw our pediatrician later that day, who did further exams and imaging.
Your recovery sounds very rough, I just thought my 2 days of uncontrolled pain was horrible... you went through the ringer. Thanks for sharing and I pray you will once again have pain free days ahead.

[Cindylou]

Katie, in regards to your question, you know the wheels turn slowly and no one immediately jumps on the "time for 3 ADR discs." Docs always wait to see if things will calm down, etc., before recommending such invasive surgery. The other reason is because I was initially seeing a different doc in the same practice, and finally woke up one day and said: I don't like her; I never have; we have no rapport, and I finally made the switch to my current back doc.

OBTW, thx for all the well wishes and prayers folks. I do so appreciate it.