[Katie]

Thanks Karin! I first read your response yesterday, but could not get logged into this site last night. I finally had success this morning.

As I said in my PM, you gave me such reassurance with the post here, but scared the c*#$ out of me with your other posts about complications. I was just about in tears last night before going to bed, as I read what I thought was very conflicting information....great feedback about Dr. Bitan himself, but lots of problems with pain control, etc. And that was with one level of fusion, and I am facing five levels over just a few days...two one day, then three more within a week.

AND, I know just enough about fusion to be afraid...I researched hard against it to force the insurance to approve ADR for me. Then came the conflicting information and here I sit...with an awesome doctor whom I have personally met and trust, who wants to do exactly what I didn't want...partly anyway.

I do believe that the fusion at the lowest levels of the lumbar will not be a bad thing, but I think I would rather have two levels of ADR and one fusion instead of one ADR and two fusion. What would be the reasoning for two fusion? I have no leg pain, but do have spinal stenosis, bone spurs and compressed flaval ligament in the lumbar. I understand the cervical more...because of the damage already done.

Would it be reasonable to ask for two lumbar ADR + one fusion? My problem is that I don't know what the indications are for that. How do they decide how many levels of which they are going to do, is my main question, I guess. Any answers out there? My MRI images, both cervical and lumbar, are posted on Pg 3 of this thread.