Thank you, bwink23, for your experience and continued discussion!
Yes! I sometimes think that our bodies are like finger-prints... no two are alike!
Remember, too, that when the docs say titanium, the metal that is used is really an alloy in which the biggest contributor is titanium. There are other metals also in that alloy. Looking just for a titanium (ion) reaction may not be all that one needs to know, IMHO. In the end, it may be what happens within the person's body.
It is strange how things work. I was just alerted to bwink23's post this morning, and I was also sent the following message about mercury reaction this morning by a friend. While the discussion is not about fusion or ADR, it is about what happens with foreign material (ie, metal) in our bodies.
"Discovery Life Channel aired Diagnose Me: Covered in Bugs.
"The story line was of a teacher who experienced horrifying crawling biting sensations on his skin, leading him to search for answers.The patient Joe, tried self treatment for Scabies, but all the products failed. While calling a company rep, the rep had a thorough knowledge of Scabies and recognized that Scabies will not affect individuals above the neck. After seeing numerous specialists, he was unable to find any answers. He finally stumbled across a Morgellan's site, only to discover it's considered a delusional parisitosis and is considered incurable. He considered ending his life. Out of desperation he did a web search on "crawling sensations" and found articles published by Dr. Omar Amin, a specialist in parasites. Dr. Amin was within driving distance of him and he was able to get an appointment. The doctor describes himself as a last resort for desperate patients. In Joe's case he did not find medical evidence of parasites, but he had asked for dental records and discovered Joe had 9 mercury fillings. Testing revealed high mercury levels, which is common to most of his patients. He performed a Bio-Compatability Test and discovered the patient is allergic to mercury and has NCS (Neuro-Cutaneous Syndrome).
"With NCS, the mercury leaches into the bloodstream and affects the nervous system. Nerve signals are disrupted and the nerves fire at a higher rate, sending phantom sensations to the brain. The doctor mentioned the scalp has a lot of vasculature and nerve innervations and is impacted by the disease process. Some of his other patients had been sent to mental institutions because their spouses decided they were crazy as this disease destroyed their lives prior to finding this doctor. Successful treatment involves taking out the mercury fillings and a lot of heavy detox. Within a few months Joe didn't have any crawling sensations at all. Joe now lives his life with a sauna, and a "toxins out, nutrients in approach" and he describes his health as good."
http://www.discoverylife.com/tv-shows/diagnose-me/videos/dental-work-is-to-blame-for-that-creepy-crawly-feeling/
Wishing All Wellness!!!
Old Codger
P.S. I am recovering very nicely now from my surgery for the explant. But still no sign of the lessening of the neuropathy, which drove me to have the explant. However, some titanium-alloy mesh holding the cadaver bones used in the fusion, still remain on my cervical spine. It is too enmeshed with the bone to remove. The question may be... how much of a metal can be tolerated without symptoms, or how much of a metal will cause symptoms?