Spine update: What the first surgeon said
Went to Concord Orthopaedics today & spoke to a surgeon there about the MRI they did earlier this month. Guy clearly didn't know I hadn't been told the outcome of the MRI, the results, nothing. He was pretty, well, a hot-dog. But one likes that in some surgeons, so I didn't pay much nevermind to that at the time.
Upshot is this:
I need surgery. Bigtime. (But we knew that.)
Issues that need addressing in said spinal surgery:
1. L4-5, Spondylithisthesis correction and stabilization
2. L4-5, L5-S1 Stenosis correction & stabilization
3. L5-S1 cyst removed from where it is pressing on the nerve
3a. Maybe, maybe addressing a torn disc at L4-5 (which the guy at Concord poo-poo'ed, but see my commentary about him below)
3b. Maybe, maybe addressing torn discs at L2-3, 3-4 (ditto)
All of which will, one hopes, help the incredibly inflamed facet joints, inflamed nerve bundles, and other nasty inflammations showing on the MRI as well.
What the guy at Concord could not address:
1. X-stop procedure for stenosis -- he says he not only doesn't do this, but doesn't "know anyone who does." He waved his hands and made noises about how it's being shown that it "doesn't work." Which is, frankly, the exact opposite of everything I've been researching and other friends of mine have seen in research papers lately.
2. He is an orthopedic surgeon, not a neurosurgeon, and he's not board certified. Strike a big one against him there.
3. He wants to do a procedure that "takes the roof off" the two vertebrae, remove the disc at L4-5, do a fusion technique that's, from what I can tell, a bit dated in its procedure, and then screw titanium rods through the vertebrae & screw them in place permanently. He also wants to "open up" the stenosis by hollowing out the lamia surgically -- yes, actually carving it out and leaving it as is, with the already inflamed nerve bundles running through it.
And of course he refused to address 3a & 3b, even when I pointed to it on the MRI. Sigh. And it was written up (and noted) on the MRI's reading from the radiologist.
Um ... now that I've thought about it: IS HE HIGH ON DRUGS?!
Okay, so they then RAILROADED ME really fast into making a snap decision to book the surgery RIGHT AWAY or I could possibly have to wait a long time and in pain and etc. etc. and ... THIS WAS NOT A GOOD THING. Looking back at it, these guys didn't play fair with me at all.
So right now I'm looking at a pre-op appointment with anesthesiology on May 3, and a surgical date on May 10.
But .... I don't think I want to go through with this at Concord at all anyway (see my notes above -- I was frakking railroaded).
What I am doing:
Tomorrow I am calling my PCP again (already left a message) and asking for a referral to the neurosurgeon, Dr. Nathan Simmons, who does x-stop procedure (I called -- I researched this over the phone after leaving Concord!) up at Hanover's Dartmouth Medical Center (part of the Dartmouth Medical School) -- a guy who is board certified and is a neurosurgeon.
I want a consult with him.
And I am calling Concord and telling them they're sending up my MRI and its readings to Dartmouth ASAP or I'll raise a stink. And that I'm getting a second opinion. And if their reaction is: "Oh, well, we'll have to cancel your surgery if so, and you'll lose your place in line and you'll be in pain and we can't be responsible for that" (yeah, lay on the blame, try to -- cause it won't work twice on me, guys), then so be it. Have them cancel. I think I'd rather go up to Dartmouth anyway.
Because if this orthopedist at Concord is such a hotshot, then why isn't he board certified, why isn't he a neurosurgeon, and why is he at a small regional hospital in New Hampshire, for god's sake? Huh? Yeah.
I hate waiting more time, but if I have to to get this done right, I'm going to wait, by golly. Because I TOTALLY FREAKED OUT THIS AFTERNOON BECAUSE THIS IS BIG BIG BIG SCARY FUCKING STUFF. And I don't want to wake up after surgery to find out they fucked up my spine. That can't be easily fixed. I should know.
Don't mind me, but I'm going to go try another Atavan (or two) and try to catnap again. I didn't sleep all last night, and only napped a bit this afternoon after drugging myself up. I'm that freaked out about this, guys.
ETA: OMG YOU GUYS! I just did some research, and not only is the x-stop probably far better, and more effective long-term (I'm not even 50 yet -- what was that guy thinking about the screws and full lamenectomy and fusion and OMFG?!) but the local guy at Concord Orthopedics who was all "Oh, I don't even know anyone who does it -- it's not very good, doesn't work very well" -- IT WAS RESEARCHED AND TRIALLED AND CONTINUES TO BE THE MAINSTAY OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL'S SPINE CENTER AT DARTMOUTH!
Dartmouth Medical Center = Concord ("we think we're a real hospital") Orthopaedic's main rival for business. Yeah.
Holy shit. That guy not only railroaded me, but lied to me.
NOW I'M ANGRY. Argggg. DID HE REALLY THINK I WAS THAT STUPID? Wait till I call him in the morning. Oh man. He has never heard me angry. OMG. He'll be lucky if he can hear again for a week after I'm done with him.
Upshot is this:
I need surgery. Bigtime. (But we knew that.)
Issues that need addressing in said spinal surgery:
1. L4-5, Spondylithisthesis correction and stabilization
2. L4-5, L5-S1 Stenosis correction & stabilization
3. L5-S1 cyst removed from where it is pressing on the nerve
3a. Maybe, maybe addressing a torn disc at L4-5 (which the guy at Concord poo-poo'ed, but see my commentary about him below)
3b. Maybe, maybe addressing torn discs at L2-3, 3-4 (ditto)
All of which will, one hopes, help the incredibly inflamed facet joints, inflamed nerve bundles, and other nasty inflammations showing on the MRI as well.
What the guy at Concord could not address:
1. X-stop procedure for stenosis -- he says he not only doesn't do this, but doesn't "know anyone who does." He waved his hands and made noises about how it's being shown that it "doesn't work." Which is, frankly, the exact opposite of everything I've been researching and other friends of mine have seen in research papers lately.
2. He is an orthopedic surgeon, not a neurosurgeon, and he's not board certified. Strike a big one against him there.
3. He wants to do a procedure that "takes the roof off" the two vertebrae, remove the disc at L4-5, do a fusion technique that's, from what I can tell, a bit dated in its procedure, and then screw titanium rods through the vertebrae & screw them in place permanently. He also wants to "open up" the stenosis by hollowing out the lamia surgically -- yes, actually carving it out and leaving it as is, with the already inflamed nerve bundles running through it.
And of course he refused to address 3a & 3b, even when I pointed to it on the MRI. Sigh. And it was written up (and noted) on the MRI's reading from the radiologist.
Um ... now that I've thought about it: IS HE HIGH ON DRUGS?!
Okay, so they then RAILROADED ME really fast into making a snap decision to book the surgery RIGHT AWAY or I could possibly have to wait a long time and in pain and etc. etc. and ... THIS WAS NOT A GOOD THING. Looking back at it, these guys didn't play fair with me at all.
So right now I'm looking at a pre-op appointment with anesthesiology on May 3, and a surgical date on May 10.
But .... I don't think I want to go through with this at Concord at all anyway (see my notes above -- I was frakking railroaded).
What I am doing:
Tomorrow I am calling my PCP again (already left a message) and asking for a referral to the neurosurgeon, Dr. Nathan Simmons, who does x-stop procedure (I called -- I researched this over the phone after leaving Concord!) up at Hanover's Dartmouth Medical Center (part of the Dartmouth Medical School) -- a guy who is board certified and is a neurosurgeon.
I want a consult with him.
And I am calling Concord and telling them they're sending up my MRI and its readings to Dartmouth ASAP or I'll raise a stink. And that I'm getting a second opinion. And if their reaction is: "Oh, well, we'll have to cancel your surgery if so, and you'll lose your place in line and you'll be in pain and we can't be responsible for that" (yeah, lay on the blame, try to -- cause it won't work twice on me, guys), then so be it. Have them cancel. I think I'd rather go up to Dartmouth anyway.
Because if this orthopedist at Concord is such a hotshot, then why isn't he board certified, why isn't he a neurosurgeon, and why is he at a small regional hospital in New Hampshire, for god's sake? Huh? Yeah.
I hate waiting more time, but if I have to to get this done right, I'm going to wait, by golly. Because I TOTALLY FREAKED OUT THIS AFTERNOON BECAUSE THIS IS BIG BIG BIG SCARY FUCKING STUFF. And I don't want to wake up after surgery to find out they fucked up my spine. That can't be easily fixed. I should know.
Don't mind me, but I'm going to go try another Atavan (or two) and try to catnap again. I didn't sleep all last night, and only napped a bit this afternoon after drugging myself up. I'm that freaked out about this, guys.
ETA: OMG YOU GUYS! I just did some research, and not only is the x-stop probably far better, and more effective long-term (I'm not even 50 yet -- what was that guy thinking about the screws and full lamenectomy and fusion and OMFG?!) but the local guy at Concord Orthopedics who was all "Oh, I don't even know anyone who does it -- it's not very good, doesn't work very well" -- IT WAS RESEARCHED AND TRIALLED AND CONTINUES TO BE THE MAINSTAY OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL'S SPINE CENTER AT DARTMOUTH!
Dartmouth Medical Center = Concord ("we think we're a real hospital") Orthopaedic's main rival for business. Yeah.
Holy shit. That guy not only railroaded me, but lied to me.
NOW I'M ANGRY. Argggg. DID HE REALLY THINK I WAS THAT STUPID? Wait till I call him in the morning. Oh man. He has never heard me angry. OMG. He'll be lucky if he can hear again for a week after I'm done with him.