My whole story is here in my livejournal
Cervical Disc Replacement Surgery
SURGERY DATE: 11/18/08
AGE AT SURGERY DATE:34
SURGEON: David Raskas
SURGERY LOCATION/CLINIC: Frontenac Spine Care and Surgery Center, St. Louis, MO
DEVICE(s), LEVEL(s): Prodisc-c, 1 level, c5/6
COST =
AMOUNT BILLED: ~$49,000
INSURANCE ALLOWED:~$18,000
OUT OF POCKET: ~$350.00
TRAVEL: none
EXPLANATIONS?
ONSET OF LUMBAR PROBLEMS, DATE OF INJURY, CAUSE, ETC...: 1988:sprained neck roller skating
1989:dislocated neck in a freak accident
1993:MVA
1995:diagnosed with bulging disc C5/6
2000:disk herniated
PRIOR SPINE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES (IDET, ESI, etc...): 2000-2004:multiple treatments including nerve root block, trigger point injections, epidural steroid injections, pt
2005-2008: pain meds and muscle relaxers only
PRE-OP MEDICATIONS:non
PRE-OP DIAGNOSTICS (discogram, nerve root blocks, etc...): many
PRE-OP NEUROPATHIES (what, where, & degree of pain, numbness, tingling, sexual/bladder/bowel symptoms, etc.): right arm numbness and tingling, down outside to two outside fngers, pain ranging from 1-7, buurning muscles, headaches...
PRE-OP CONDITION (Please include %leg pain/% back pain, pain levels, type of pain, ability to work and function, disability status, etc.... be direct, but be as verbose as you need to): not able to lift, work over my head, no yard work, couldn't even carry my camera around my neck
TIME POST-OP AT ORIGINAL POST HERE: 3 months
DESCRIBE YOUR SURGICAL EXPERIENCE: see journal