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Leaving for Europe tomorrow...
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| iSpine Discuss Leaving for Europe tomorrow... in the Main forums forums; ...and I'm absolutely terrified... I know treefrog (Cathy) is already on her way... Mark...are you still there? I ... |
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05-22-2009, 04:52 AM
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Leaving for Europe tomorrow...
...and I'm absolutely terrified...
I know treefrog (Cathy) is already on her way... Mark...are you still there? I think I have everything all packed and ready, but I just KNOW that I'll forget something important! I haven't been sleeping well lately, and I'm just EXHAUSTED!!! I guess I'm just looking for encouragement that I'm doing the right thing by going to Germany and Dr. B for a 2-level lumbar ADR... Jess 
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36 year old mom of 7 in SC. MRI 4/2008 shows bulging disc with annular tear @ 4/L5 and and complete herniation at L5/S1. 9/11/08 Laminectomy , successful to a point...relieved nerve pain, but after 4 months was still having severe disc pain. Treatments tried: epidural shots, oral pain killers, NSAID's, TENS massage, chiropractic care, deep tissue massage. Oh, and plenty of our homemade wine!  May 26 2009, 2 level ADR, L4-S1, Dr. Bertagnoli, Straubing, Germany 
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05-22-2009, 12:50 PM
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Good luck Jess!
I know you will feel better afterwards! I'm so jealous. But I'm happy for you, you are doing the right thing. I'm looking at it this way for myself. I'm going to do it, and even if it goes wrong for me, at least I tried before going on to more permenant, less "forgiving" procedures like fusion.
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Herniated L4/L5 May 2004 (Bed ridden) Discsectemy June L4/L5 2004 Discssectemy L4/L5 January 2007 MRI May 5th - showed "moderate sizd protruding disk in the the left paracentral location at the L4-5 level which appears to a more porminent comparison to the prior examination" and "appears to impinge upon the exiting nerve root" May 11th Dr Apptment - Told that another Discsectemy could be done. Looking for Surgeon for second Opinion
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05-22-2009, 06:16 PM
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Jess,
Of course you're terrified. We all were and we all lived through it Don't worry about forgetting anything, you can buy whatever you need over there.Good luck, the other side is waiting Dale
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3 level Prodisc adr S1-L3, Oct 12, 2005 Dr. B in Bogen, Germany Severe nerve damage in left leg, still working on it
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05-23-2009, 12:08 AM
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Best wishes!
Hi Jess,
It is perfectly normal to be nervous. Having surgery is a huge event in your life.....and going to another country for it adds to the excitement. You will be in good hands and good company. You have done your research and know that this is the best choice for your circumstances. Before you know it, you will be posting to let us all know how well everything went and how much your pain is reduced. We will be looking forward to hearing from you! Hugs, Melody
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Melody 12/29/08- 3 level ADR Prodisc C in Seattle 12/21/07-Revision surgery, fusion L4/5 L5-S1 1975-scoliosis surgery,Harrington Rods, fused T2 to L4 Felt great in 20's and 30's....late 30's started having chronic neck and lower back pain. By 40 pain worsened enough to begin seeking surgical solutions. ADR surgery much easier recovery than fusion! This site has been a great source of information for me! I would be happy to help anyone who has questions. 
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05-23-2009, 04:06 AM
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Godspeed Jess. I will be thinking of you all the way, and watching for your messages, giving us the good news of your recovery.
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DDD Herniated discs C4/5 & 5/6, L3/4, L4/5, L5/S1 Severe compression of spinal cord in two levels All conventional therapy exhausted, including spinal injections, PT, massage, etc. In appeal with Gov't Insurance for Out-of-country coverage for ADR hybrid surgery of above discs. Recently discovered that I am severely allergic to all common metals used in surgical hardware except for Titanium.
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05-24-2009, 02:09 AM
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We're here...
...and all I can say is WOW! My husband, the seasoned world traveler of 25+ years, just laughs and says, "You have this shell-shocked look in your face". But the fact of the matter is, I've never been outside of the United States (unless you count the time I crossed over into Nogalas, Mexico for about an hour, just to say I did). It's astonoshing be driving around and have no clue what the signs mean. Or that when the speedomoter on the taxi says 180, its not MILES per hour. Oh, and you can FORGET nutrition contents on packaging in the grocery store!!! Even if it was there, unless you're fluent in German, you'd have no clue what the heck it meant!
Tomorrow is Sunday, (well, actually, today is Sunday as it's going on 3 am and ~ BIG SURPRISE ~ I can't sleep) and I really have no desire to leave the safety of this room. Even when I finally managed to get my computer connected to the internet...guess what? My yahoo home page was WHAT?!?!?! IN GERMAN!!! And there was no way around it that I could find! I know that this will probably be very comical one day, and probably is hysterical to those of you that have already been through this, but HOLY CRAP! I planned, I prepared, I made lists, I packed, I asked questions and I read other peoples questions...I only forgot 2 small things, and WHOA! I TOTALLY wasn't prepared for the culture shock! I think it wouldn't be a big deal if I'd ever been out of my home country before, but for a "virgin trip" this is a whammie...having to realize that not only am I traveling to a strange place for a strange surgery by a strange team of doctors that I've never met before, but guess what...I'M GOING TO BE A FOREIGNER! Don't get me wrong, the people are WONDERFUL, it's just a strange sensation...I'm on the flip side of the coin and I don't think that I'll ever be able to look at foreigners in our country again without genuine compassion and admiration for them and how difficult it must be. Anyway...I suppose I should try to get some sleep... I'll keep you posted. Hopefully I won't spend the day tomorrow (well, later today) hiding in the closet sucking my thumb  Hubby and I had a wonderful dinner with Mark M. and he introduced us to another of Dr. B's patients who's 2 weeks post op and doing phenominal. I also met Katherine (she's next door and doing great) and Cathy (treefrog) is just down a couple of flights of stairs. I must admit, I felt quite euphoric after dinner, but the panic monster began setting back in within a couple of hours and now Hubby is sweetly snoring  and I'm...well...I'm not snuggled up to him where I should be.  So, maybe I should just get that way...I do love that man! Good night all... Jess
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36 year old mom of 7 in SC. MRI 4/2008 shows bulging disc with annular tear @ 4/L5 and and complete herniation at L5/S1. 9/11/08 Laminectomy , successful to a point...relieved nerve pain, but after 4 months was still having severe disc pain. Treatments tried: epidural shots, oral pain killers, NSAID's, TENS massage, chiropractic care, deep tissue massage. Oh, and plenty of our homemade wine! May 26 2009, 2 level ADR, L4-S1, Dr. Bertagnoli, Straubing, Germany
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05-24-2009, 02:18 AM
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Your trip
I am thinking of you and wishing you the very best!!!!!
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Chemically sensitive disc/Annular tears, DDD, mild bulging, facet arthritus Dancing accident in 96. tried PT, acupuncture, pilates, pain mgmt. nothing worked. Epidurals, facet blocks, caudal blocks, discogram. Opiates for ten years, oral prednisone, toradol inj. & more. Two level spinal fusion with BMS, cages, hardware. due to bone density problems from chemotherapy, they had to go in front and back. Surgery Nov. 6, 2010. So far no regrets.
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05-24-2009, 06:32 PM
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Jess,
Your post made me smile. I remember feeling everything you're feeling now. It's easy for me to say fear not but that 'shell shock' expression is real. You planned and planned for the unknown. You had all your ducks in a row but forgot to include your brain Yes, when you get home you'll look back and smile too but that's a little ways off right now. Try to take your thumb out of your mouth and relax. Think about all of us who are smiling at the memory. Think about that man you love so much who is there to support the woman he loves. With him you can do anything. Go ahead and cuddle for you won't be able to for awhile. BTW, I agree with you about immigrants. I now look at them differently too. My thoughts are with you, Dale
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3 level Prodisc adr S1-L3, Oct 12, 2005 Dr. B in Bogen, Germany Severe nerve damage in left leg, still working on it
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05-28-2009, 12:41 PM
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Jess, wondering how you are. When you are able to post please do. We are all thinking and praying for you. One nice piece in your favor is having all the Americans around. That can be a huge comfort in a strange land. When I was over there a couple years ago, there was not 1 other American (besides my loving husband) in that hospital. Anita had already left. No Mark. No other American patients to fellowship with, and that is huge. So take advantage of any companionship of your fellow Americans. And know we are also here for you, back home.
My best to you, Cindylou
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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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05-28-2009, 12:57 PM
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Hey CL,
I spoke with Cathy (treefrog) yesterday and she said that Jess was having some trouble post-op with the anesthesia and pain medication. Apparently, she was not heavily medicated before surgery and this is probably playing into her symptoms. They both had surgery the same day, May 26th, and are rooming together. They do not have Internet in their room, so that is probably why there are no updates. I thought I would pop in and give everyone an update.
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-Justin 1994 Football Injury 1997 Snow Skiing Injury Laminotomy L4/L5 (3.7.97--17 years old) 1999 & 2003 MVA (not at fault both times) Grade V Tears L4/L5 & L5/L6 2-Level ProDisc® L4/L5 & L5/L6* *lumbosacral transitional vertebra (11.15.03--23 years old) Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli -- dr-bertagnoli.com Pain-free for the last 4.5 yrs. 5.14.09 DSS with Dr. B. I'm here to help. Only checking PMs currently.
Last edited by Justin; 05-28-2009 at 01:08 PM.
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05-28-2009, 01:14 PM
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Thank-you Justin.
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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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05-28-2009, 05:08 PM
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Thanks Justin,
I remember those first few days can be difficult. It turns to fantastic when they become a dim memory. Wishing them both better days and looking forward to updates.
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3 level Prodisc adr S1-L3, Oct 12, 2005 Dr. B in Bogen, Germany Severe nerve damage in left leg, still working on it
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06-01-2009, 01:56 PM
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I made it to the other side!!!
Hi everyone! I made it to Paris but not completely unscathed. My feet an ankles were so swollen by the time I got here that I couln't move them and could barely walk! Even though Marty had set up wheelchair service for me, it was not what we were led to believe.
Anyway, the surgery on Tuesday went fine...Wednesday was a blurr. I got sick a couple of times from the morphine, so once they took me off of that, I got better. Thursday, the stupid birds woke me up at 5:00 am, and I decided that enough was enough...I got up out of that bed, put on my brace and took off. By Friday, I was using the stairs insted of the elevator, and had made arrangements to leave the hospital 2 days early (I was supposed to stay until Tuesday, June 2, but left Sunday, May 31). Aside from the plane ride from Munich to Paris (that little trip wore me out) and Tim V nearly killing us on the Autoban I'm doing great!!!! I had to come to the hotel and put my feet up for a couple of hours, but the swelling is down quite a bit, and Marty is happlily fussing over me and taking EXCELLENT care of me!!!! Here's to all of you from Paris...CHEERS!!!
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36 year old mom of 7 in SC. MRI 4/2008 shows bulging disc with annular tear @ 4/L5 and and complete herniation at L5/S1. 9/11/08 Laminectomy , successful to a point...relieved nerve pain, but after 4 months was still having severe disc pain. Treatments tried: epidural shots, oral pain killers, NSAID's, TENS massage, chiropractic care, deep tissue massage. Oh, and plenty of our homemade wine! May 26 2009, 2 level ADR, L4-S1, Dr. Bertagnoli, Straubing, Germany
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06-01-2009, 03:09 PM
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Wow, Jess... great news! I'm so glad to hear that you made it to Paris! Have a baguette with fresh butter and jam for me. (I don't know why we can't duplicate the taste elsewhere... but there is nothing like breakfast in Paris!)
Sounds like you are on track for an excellent recovery. Please keep us posted. All the best, Mark
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1997 MVA 2000 L4-5 Microdiscectomy/laminotomy 2001 L5-S1 Micro-d/lami 2002 L4-S1 Charite' ADR - SUCCESS! 2009 C3-C4, C5-C6-C7, T1-T2 ProDisc-C Nova Summer 2009, more bad thoracic discs! Life After Surgery Website President: Global Patient Network, Inc. Founder: www.iSpine.org
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06-01-2009, 03:17 PM
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Ha-ha, love it Jess, sipping wine through a straw!!
Take it easy in Paris. But hope you can enjoy some sites. We had our honeymoon in Paris. So romantic.
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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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06-01-2009, 05:47 PM
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Jess,
I guess if you have to recoup somewhere, why not Paris? Plane rides can cause your feet to swell without just having had surgery and glad to hear they're back down. You look happy and rested. Can't wait for further updates. Do you have to go back to Germany for a short term follow-up? or?? Take it slow and keep us posted. Dale
__________________
3 level Prodisc adr S1-L3, Oct 12, 2005 Dr. B in Bogen, Germany Severe nerve damage in left leg, still working on it
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