Yes, he said he would like to do a consult in person, not just over the phone & with my MRIs. I gave him my symptoms and he was very efficient and kind at the same time. I was more concerned with my lumbar, as that is where almost all my severe pain is....there are days when my neck throbs badly, but only if I am at the computer too much or looking up too much...don't ask...swatting flies...
He said my lumbar is the least of my worries...he wouldn't even discuss it actually, spending all his time on my cervical issues. He said he could do either fusion or ADR, with fusion giving the inflamed tissue more chance to heal, in his opinion, but the ADR giving more movement.
His fees would be way out of my league, I think. Fortunately, I think I can get it paid for with our provincial medical. With tons of research, I found a past case similar to mine, where the Ontario patient could not get treatment at home within 52 months (I've been waiting almost three years), and went to see a surgeon in the States. That doctor said his cervical level was critical because of the severe compression of the spinal cord & the flava ligament.
The patient applied for funding, was denied, but went ahead with the surgery anyway. He appealed, and won the case and was reimbursed, because he faced permanent tissue damage or death because he couldn't get treatment here within a reasonable length of time. Ding, ding!
So Dr. Bitan said that he would need to see me in person to write a letter of necessity so I can get this paid for. A precedent has been set, so I am hoping for the best. If nothing else, that letter would also let me release the locked in pension funds I mentioned in another thread to get this done elsewhere, if it turns out to cost too much with him. I'm trying to cover all bases.
It feels like a golden day, somehow.