HI EVERYONE! HEY I CAN FINALLY FINISH MY SENTANCE!!!!!
WELL, MUNICH ENDED UP BEING AN 8 WEEK, 3 OPERATION JOURNEY FOR ME AND I HAVE TO SAY IT WAS A WILD RIDE!!
I GOT TO MUNICH WITH SOME APPREHENSION I DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE THERE AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE ALPHAKLINIK, ALTHOUGH MY FINGERS WERE CROSSED! ARRIVING ON DR BAUMBACHS DOOR FOR MY PRE-OP NEURO EXAM I WAS AMAZED AT HOW GENUINE THIS GUY WAS AND AS FOR THE NEURO EXAM..... "OH MY GOD''....!!!
IN AUSTRALIA NEURO EXAMS CONSISTED OF BEING ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS AND THEN HAVING PLANTER AND KNEE REFLEXES TESTED. THAT WAS IT.
DR BAUMBACH ON THE OTHER HAND BELIEVES IN DOING THINGS RIGHT!!!I HAD ABOUT A 3 HOUR CONSULT WITH DR BAUMBACH IN WHICH HE LISTENED TO AND DOCUMENTED MY HISTORY AND SYMPTOMS, EXAMINED
EVERY REFLEX,THE STRENGTH OF MY LEGS, ARMS,HANDS FEET, TOES ,FINGERS, BALANCE, GAIT (AND ANYTHING ELSE I FORGOT!!).
THIS IS A DOCTOR WHO REALLY LISTENS HAS A WONDERFUL BEDSIDE MANNER AND IS AN ABSOLOUTE GENIUS DIAGNOSTICIAN!! (GERMANY IS WORTH THE EXPENSE JUST TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS FROM THIS GUY).
ANYWAY, TURNS OUT THAT AFTER 3 1/2 YEARS OF OZ DRS TELLING ME TO ACCEPT AND GET ON WITH MY DISABILITY I GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF L5-S1 NERVE ROOT IRRITATION ( from maverick) AND CERVICAL MYELOPATHY. MY FIRST OPERATION, THE EX-PLANTATION OF THE MAVERICK DISC WAS DONE ON THE 20TH APRIL
BY THE AMAZING DR WILLEM ZEEGERS. DOCTORS IN AUSTRALIA WOULD NOT TOUCH THIS ONE DECLARING IT TOO HARD AND TOO RISKY BUT AS SOON AS I MET DR ZEEGERS I KNEW HE COULD TACKLE THE PROBLEM. DR Z IS A PERFECTIONIST, A PERSON WHO DOES NOT ACCEPT A DEGREE OF IMPROVEMENT BUT RATHER ONLY IMPROVEMENT THAT WILL CHANGE A SPINEYS LIFE FOR THE BETTER! I WOKE UP FROM THE OP FEELING PRETTY GOOD ,CONSIDERING! DR ZEEGERS NOT ONLY TOOK OUT THE DREADED MAVERICK BUT SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT A FUSION WITH A STALIF CAGE AND REMOVED MY IMPLANTED NEUROSTIMULATOR (WHICH HAD BEEN TOTALLY USELESS)!
MUCH TO MY DISMAY, 6 DAYS POST-OP MY LEG SYMPTOMS CAME BACK SO IT WAS BACK TO DR Z. THE MAVERICK DISC HAD TO COME OUT BECAUSE IT WAS TOO BIG BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON. I HAD AN EXTENSIVE POSTERIOR DECOMPRESSION AND ALL LOOKED GOOD UNTIL 5 DAYS LATER LEG SYMPTOMS BACK AGAIN!!! I THINK I ALMOST HAD THE DRS STUMPED BUT THE THING ABOUT DR BAUMBACH AND DR ZEEGERS IS THAT THEY JUST DON'T GIVE UP!! THEY WANTED SUCCESSS AS MUCH AS ME!
I HAD A LUMBER PUNCTURE TO EXCLUDE ANY NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE (WHICH COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN THE CAUSE OF MY SYMPTOMS)BUT THEN SPENT 2 WEEKS WITH SEVERE MIGRANES AND VOMITING IN THE KLINIK. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS A REAL BUMMER, DR B AND DR Z WERE THERE ENSURING I HAD IV FLUIDS AND THAT I REMAINED FLAT IN BED IN MY DARKENED ROOM. ( i was also photophobic). DR BAUMBACH VISITED ME ALMOST NIGHTLY TO CHECK NEUROS AND TOUCH BASE + DR Z THEN SAID THE MAGIC WORDS " why don't we try a blood patch?" I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROCEDURE BEFORE, I HADN'T BUT IT WORKED! IN THEATRE A BLOOD SAMPLE WAS TAKEN AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE ANEAETHETIST ACCESSED THE LUMBER PUNCTURE SITE AND THIS BLOOD WAS THEN PUT AROUND THE EPIDURAL HOLE TO PATCH THE LEAK. PRESTO, NO MORE CSF LEAK NO MORE HEADACHES!!!
OKAY SO NOW WE KNEW THERE WAS NO NEURO DISEASE BUT I HAD TWO KEY INDICATORS OF A CERVICAL LESION. CLONUS ( an abnormal reflex in the foot) and spasticity. BRAIN DISEASE WAS RULED OUT BY THE LP AND A BRAIN MRI SO AS THESE SYMPTOMS CAN ONLY HAPPEN WITH A SPINAL CORD LESION IT HAD TO BE THE C- SPINE AND IT WAS!!!, I HAD A RUPTURED, C6-7 WHICH WAS CAUSING STENOSIS AND
NOT 1 DR IN OZ PICKED THIS UP EVEN THOUGH MY INITIAL SYMPTOMS FROM MY INJURY WERE NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN!
WHY DIDN'T THE MULTITUDE OF NEUROS THAT I HAVE SEEN PICK THIS UP?THE INABILITY TO WALK PROPERLY OR FOR ANY DISTANCE WAS DUE TO THE LOSS OF STRENGTH IN MY LEGS WHICH IS A DIRECT RESULT OF MY CERVICAL STENOSIS FROM THE RUPTURED DISC!
WITH CORRELATION OF MY SYMPTOMS AND THE MRI WE HAD A DEFINATE DIAGNOSIS, C6-7 HAD TO GO! DR ZEEGERS WAS SO THOROUGH IN EXPLAINING ALL THE POSSIBILITIES TO ME AND
HE IS NOT IN ANY WAY AN ADR SALESMAN LIKE SO MANY THAT I HAVE MET IN AUSTRALIA. IF DR Z THINKS THAT THE SURGERY WILL NOT BENEFIT YOU HE WILL NOT DO IT, HE DOES NOT BELIEVE IN ADR FOR THE SAKE OF ADR NO MATTER HOW MUCH THE COMPANIES FLOG THERE STUFF!!! THE CERVICAL SURGERY WENT OFF WITHOUT A HITCH AND I AM NOW THE PROUD OWNER OF A MOBI-C!
THE DAY BEFORE MY C-SPINE SURGERY I WAS UNABLE TO BALANCE, WALK IN A STRAIGHT LINE, STAND ON MY TOES OR HEELS, AND HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY LIFTING MY LEGS OFF THE TABLE WHEN LYING DOWN IN DR BAUMBACHS EXAM ROOM. I HAD A ROLLING GAIT AND NO STRENGTH IN MY LEGS/ARMS/FINGERS.....12 HOURS POST OP DR B CAME TO SEEE ME AND I PROUDLY JUMPED OUT OF BED TO SHOW THE DRS HOW I COULD TIPTOE ACCROSS THE ROOM SPIN AROUND ON MY HEELS, BALANCE ON ONE FOOT AND WALK IN A STRAIGHT LINE WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE A PENGUIN!!!! IN MY NEURO TEST WITH DR B I HAD REGAINED ARM STRENGTH AND A LOT MORE LEG STRENGTH!
I KNOW HAVE A FUTURE!i have 4 children aged 4-14 and they have had a mum that has been on a lounge moaning in pain for nearly 4 years NOW I CAN FINALLY BE THE MUM THEY SO RICHLY DESERVE!!!!
I CANNOT THANK THE ALPHAKLINIK STAFF ENOUGH THEY GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS WITH YOU. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A REALLY TOUGH TIME HAVING 3 OPERATIONS AND MULTIPLE PROCEDURES IN QUICK SUCCESSION, THE SUPPORT FROM DR BAUMBACH (MY GERMAN ANGEL) AND DR ZEEGERS (THE MAGICIAN) WAS OVERWHELMING.
I HAVE TO SAY A BIG THANKS TO MARK M TOO! MARK GAVE ME A LOT OF SUPPORT IN MUNICH AND EVEN GOT ME OUT OF THE KLINIK FOR A LOVELY DINNER. MARK YOUR'E A LEGEND!!
TO MAKE A LONG-WINDED STORY SHORT, ALL OF YOU SPINEYS OUT THERE, DON'T GIVE UP!
DON'T SETTLE WITH BEING TOLD TO PUT UP AND SHUT UP!YOU HAVE ONE GO AT LIFE, FIGHT FOR IT!if i had listened to the oz drs i would be still enduring the hell that was my life and my future BUT NOW I ACTUALLY HAVE A FUTURE TO LOOK FORWARD TO!!!
IF YOU HAVE BACK, LEG OR ARM PAIN THAT IS SUFFOCATING YOUR LIFE GO TO THE ALPHAKLINIK!!! (NO THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERT!!!0
I HAD TO SPEND THE MONEY THAT WAS MEANT TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR MY FAMILY BUT HEY WE CAN RENT. WHAT GOOD ARE MATERIAL THINGS IF YOU ARE IN SO MUCH PAIN THAT YOU CAN'T EXPERIENCE LIFE AT ALL?
anyway sorry to chew your ears off!!!!!!
ANYONE THAT WANTS TO ASK ME ANYTHING ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE OR THE ALPHAKLINIK PLEASE DO JUST THAT. E-MAIL ME I AM ON A MISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES TO LIVING A LIFE OF CHRONIC PAIN AND OPTING OUT ISN'T ONE OF THEM!!!
THANKS TO ALL THAT HAVE POSTED AND WISHED ME LUCK.
THANKS AGAIN MARK, I HOPE YOUR WIFE IS DOING OK AND THAT GREG IS IMPROVING.
LOTS OF LOVE
LORNA FROM OZ!!