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International Assistance Any topics relating to traveling or communicating with international treatment locations are here. |
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#11
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Grant,
Good luck today! From everything I hear the first few days of that lumbar recovery is a son-of-a-gun. I know you're going to do great. Jeff
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C4/5 - ACDF in 2000 C5/6 - ACDF in 2002 C3/4 & C6/7 - M6 ADR, Nov 2009, Barcelona Conceded defeat to a manifestly disingenuous BCBS-TX in my quest for reimbursement, Jan 2011 |
#12
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Thanks
Thanks Jeff. Yeah the first hour after waking up was pretty brutal but mostly because I was on Percocet for almost a year at high dose and my tolerance for pain meds was so high.
My suggestion to those on pain meds before surgery is try the best you can to at least lessen the amount you normally take. I am now at an acceptable pain level but it took some time post op because of my tolerance. They have no problem giving you all the meds you need for pain. Dr showed me an X-ray of the discs and they look perfectly aligned. My leg pain is actually totally gone but not sure if that is a result of the meds I am taking. So the only place I have some pain post op is back pain. Going for a short walk in a minute.
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2006 on duty motorcycle accident, on and off pain. 2011 considerable back and leg pain, foot numb. 2012 microdiscectomy and in more pain. 2013 sent med records to Dr Bierstedt. Suggests M6 ADR on L-4 to S-1. Had to medically retire as a detective which was very hard to do. City I work for will only approve fusion or hybrid under work comp for two level. 2013 Aug 27th surgery date with Bierstedt. (Had to pull the trigger) M-6 disks on L4-S1 |
#13
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dr Bierstedt
As Dr Bierstedt once told me on the phone when I asked about the M6 being approved in Germany and not in the USA; "we are not a banana republic in Germany".
So what are we here in the USA where the FDA cannot muster up the resources to make some forward progress in approving the M6 ? How does one find out where they stand. I think I'll make a few calls and also write to my congressman. That worked for me once in the past; Senator Lieberman got my issue sorted out pronto, but this might be a somewhat bigger challenge Are they some lobbyists in DC working to keep this device out of the hands of the US surgeons? I'll keep you posted on my new project. Mike
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Feb 2011; X-ray + diagnosis; Spinal Stenosis Physical Therapy + Oral Steroids March 2011: MRI April 2011: 2 level laminotomy; L4/L4 & L5/S1 More PT, pain meds and injections. ...and 2014, still researching ADR. February 2014: endoscopic foraminotomy, Dr Bitan |
#14
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Wow, what a trooper, Mike. Good luck with all your efforts!
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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 |
#15
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Recovery
Gman,
Have you had a laminectomy, discectomy, does not say, I did, and it takes 5 or 6 days, really to recover, to the point that you can move around, but in reality, it will take about 10 days to quit 'noticing' the suture. They will teach how to move around a little differently until you adjust to the movement. My first 5 or 6 hours were pretty bad, (the first is the worst, coming out of that anesthesia) finally got into the second day, went home 24 hours later, it is brutal, there is no other way to explain it, like an epidural, work at least part of the way, but there are benefits to these shots. You said 'back' pain, did they do this from the front, anterior? I believe if they have to replace a disc above the L3 level, they have to go in from the side. Emailed Spinal Kinetics, they said this FDA approval, will not take place for several years, I am sure there are lobbyists and people at the FDA playing football with this issue. I emailed a dr, about the auditory nerve implant, (do not hear in one ear) and he said it would take a decade or more before they get approval, to do trials in humans, if it works, let people get the benefits. May email my Congressman as well, this is silly, it is all about the money, I am sure they spend millions to develop this (technology)/these medical devices, but they cannot and should be allowed by law, to let the lobbyists take control of this, should let the people make this decision, there are over 20,000, last I could count, of these put in people over the last 6 or 7 years, in Europe, with no failures (correct me if I am wrong, and I am talking about sublimation, not installation) so there should be no reason for other manufacturers to pay politicians to NOT allow this to be used in the USA. Funny part about this M6, this was developed in the USA, California, by Neurosurgeons, just for this reason, mobility, and they will not allow this to be used here. sorry for the rambling, but this has gone too far. Jerry Last edited by Jerry5; 08-28-2013 at 12:32 PM. Reason: grammar |
#16
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Gone too far.
The FDA is going/ has gone too far, this is not about who gets the most money, this is about providing people with the opportunity to the latest in medical equipment, and the ability to get back movement and mobility.
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