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Old 03-06-2009, 04:15 AM
Cindylou Cindylou is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Wayzata, Minnesota
Posts: 238
Default Met w/ my surgeon again today....surgery in 4 days!

Hi all,

I met with my surgeon again today to go over the Cat Scan, have another thorough physical exam, and receive my pre-op forms, which I'll take with me tomorrow a.m. for the pre-op physical. I really do like this doctor. He is so thorough. I guess since most of his patients are obese that he operates on, he said I was a gift for him, and he thought it would make surgery go more smoothly too. Glad I could oblige. He remarked over and over what incredible work "this Dr. Bertagnoli" did to install my 3 lumbar discs, looking at the films. He said impeccable work. And when I was asking him about transfer of load issues, he said it was actually very good that I had the artificial discs already in my spine, and the fusion at L6-S1. These would all work together nicely. He said typically he only has to fuse one SI joint. The most painful side. And that does the trick of making it less mobile. I wish I could explain it as good as he did. I have a few things to pick up for the night before surgery (guess anyone?! ). We have to figure out the bed situation for me still. All of our bedrooms are either upstairs or downstairs, w/ none on main level. And they said they really preferred "no stairs" for those 6 weeks. I hate to have to shell out for a hospital bed rental. Other than that, it's almost all systems go.
I've been doing the Zycam and I think it's helping my sore throat.

Cindylou
__________________
bicycle accident 6/01: 2 compression fractures @ T12-L1; vertibroplasty; 4/06: right hip labral tear & arthroscopic repair; 4/07: lumbar prodiscs @ 3 levels, L3-6 by Dr. Bertagnoli; 7/02/08: ALIF L6-S1; 7/30/08: reopened to remove bone cement, leaked onto S1 nerve root; 8/08: pulmonary embolism, double pneumonia, collapsed left lung, pleurisy, pleural effusion; ALIF fusion complete; 3/10/09: SI Joint Fusion by Dr. Stark; Jury still out.
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