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New Member Introductions If you just joined, please introduce yourself here. Please add a signature describing your spinal history (use the "User CP) and ask us how we can help you get started. |
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#1
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Questions for Doc
Hello everyone!!! I haven't posted for a while but have made some progress. Anthem BCBS denied my ADR & Fusion hybrid surgery. My Doc appeal twice and still was turned down. I switched to Aetna coverage and got approval for the procedure. I am scheduled for surgery on June 12. Have Pre-op appointments this week and am looking for specific questions I should speak with the surgeon about. I would appreciate any suggestions. I did a site search and didn't find much.
Thanks, Bogiewan
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1992 injured lumbar region dx pulled muscles, yet never healed Met with numerous docs for 10 years, ended with dx Ankylosing Spondylitis Treated for AS 8 years, Cleveland Clinic debunked AS Did mri to verify DDD L4-L5 and herniations at L5-S1, C6-C7, T2-T3, & T3-T4 numerous Schmorl’s nodes in Thoracic Fusion of C6-C7 Oct 2010 Current – Trying for hybrid of Fusion at L4-L5 with Prodisc L5-S1 BCBS Anthem Denied! Aetna Approved!!!!! |
#2
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Bogiewankenobie, sorry you are here. Thanks for creating a signature. May I ask how your Ankylosing Spondylitis was diagnosed and treated? In many clinical trials, AS is a contraindication. Why is that?
Many of the questions you could ask are covered in the DVD I created for spine patients. A good primer or "cheat sheet" to help you get to the qualification and risk questions are here: http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f51...ications-9620/ Pls note that this is a multipage topic. Hope this helps. PS: You may recall these past topics on AS: http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f44...disease-11309/ http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f44...neration-5680/ http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f49...ndylitis-9071/ (now six-year old topic)
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"Harrison" - info (at) adrsupport.org Fell on my ***winter 2003, Canceled fusion April 6 2004 Reborn June 25th, 2004, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Boston Founder & moderator of ADRSupport - 2004 Founder Arthroplasty Patient Foundation a 501(c)(3) - 2006 Creator & producer, Why Am I Still Sick? - 2012 Donate www.arthropatient.org/about/donate |
#3
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Harrison,
I have been fighting back pain for 19 years. About 12 years ago my family doc found I had the HLA-B27 genetic marker and sent me to a Rhuematalogist. He treated me for 10 years for AS, but things just didn't add up. I would meet other people with AS and they would continuely say they didn't believe I had it. My PT didn't see it either. I ended up at the Cleveland Clinic and was told I did not have AS. This was supported by many blood tests and spinal x-rays. The Rhuemy at Cleveland showed me and my wife the x-rays and noted how clean my spine was. I was told I did have a problem at L4-L5, L5-S1. That is how I ended up looking at ADRs, my nuerosurgeon doesn't do them but thought I was the perfect candidate for them and encouraged me to follow the ADR path. I would suspect AS in a contraindication because the inflamation throughout the spine creates a stiff spine that eventually self fuses. Bogiewan
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1992 injured lumbar region dx pulled muscles, yet never healed Met with numerous docs for 10 years, ended with dx Ankylosing Spondylitis Treated for AS 8 years, Cleveland Clinic debunked AS Did mri to verify DDD L4-L5 and herniations at L5-S1, C6-C7, T2-T3, & T3-T4 numerous Schmorl’s nodes in Thoracic Fusion of C6-C7 Oct 2010 Current – Trying for hybrid of Fusion at L4-L5 with Prodisc L5-S1 BCBS Anthem Denied! Aetna Approved!!!!! |
#4
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Bogiewan, did you by any chance discuss the AS / Klebsiella / gut-mediated connection with any of your docs? Were you screened or tested for that? Pls see the article on this within this topic:
http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/f44...disease-11309/It's worth digging into, though the research is relatively new, but solid.
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"Harrison" - info (at) adrsupport.org Fell on my ***winter 2003, Canceled fusion April 6 2004 Reborn June 25th, 2004, L5-S1 ADR Charite in Boston Founder & moderator of ADRSupport - 2004 Founder Arthroplasty Patient Foundation a 501(c)(3) - 2006 Creator & producer, Why Am I Still Sick? - 2012 Donate www.arthropatient.org/about/donate |
#5
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Harrison,
I did do some research on it, but I did not speak with my Rhuemy about it, so I was not tested.
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1992 injured lumbar region dx pulled muscles, yet never healed Met with numerous docs for 10 years, ended with dx Ankylosing Spondylitis Treated for AS 8 years, Cleveland Clinic debunked AS Did mri to verify DDD L4-L5 and herniations at L5-S1, C6-C7, T2-T3, & T3-T4 numerous Schmorl’s nodes in Thoracic Fusion of C6-C7 Oct 2010 Current – Trying for hybrid of Fusion at L4-L5 with Prodisc L5-S1 BCBS Anthem Denied! Aetna Approved!!!!! |
#6
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Hello and welcome. This board should be able to give you a lot of different outlooks regarding ADR. Personally I have not had the best of luck so far. I will say I am worse off now than before, but everyone here is different. There is another woman on here round my age same surgery; we also had the same implant. She is doing extremely well. So who knows. All I can say do all the research you can. Best wishes.
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DDD L5-S1 2 1/2 years on/off back pain radiates down both legs, buttocks, groin area Had 3 sets injections October 2010 - no relief PT - no relief MRI - ruptured L5/S1 Pro-disc artificial replacement L5/S1 Surgery November 17, 2011 36 yr old female |
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