[Diane]

7am in Germany, Tuesday morning. Mark here, posting under Diane's ID.

Yesterday was pretty hectic, arriving with little sleep and heading straight for the hospital. I've been running around saying, "I'm glad it's really hurting." It's easier to head into the surgery with all the symptoms lit up and reminding me that I have few options. There is no question in my mind about needing the surgery. I have wracked my brain to think of ways to make the surgery smaller... which levels could we leave out and only do later if needed? The answer is none. So here I go with my 6-level approach and 4-levels of ProDisc-C Nova.

Bertagnoli came by and answered all of our questions. The Nova looks great and while the enhancements are significant, the function of the prosthesis is unchanged, so I don't feel like I'm test flying new equipment.

Emotionally, this has been an interesting process. You want to say the things that one should say before leaving on an uncertain journey, but it seems like saying good bye... so much is left out in the interest of keeping good karma going into the surgery. I hope to write more later, but I guess I should wait until I'm not well into the effects of the 'loopy pill' that everyone who's been through this knows about.

Wish me luck! Hopefully, I'll be back in a day or two. Diane will update when she can.

All the best,

Mark

PS... to everyone on the patient community, new and old... this has been a big part of my life since I discovered Braintalk in 2000. Thanks for all you do to help one another. YOU ROCK!