Discogram Appt.

jchebert1979 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-16-2009, 12:14 AM

I have my discogram scheduled for July 1st (earlier if someone cancels). This doctor is out of network for me but since I have to have a thoracic discogram, I cannot go to anyone else. He is the best.

There is a silver lining to this though. I spoke with the office manager and after hearing my story he agreed to a payment of $700 and whatever the insurance pays. Everything else will be written off. With as many levels as I am having the cost would be $4500-5000. After insurance I would have to pay half of that. Not only are they accepting less, but as far as the insurance is concerned I am paying what they are billing, so all of the money that I am not being charged is going toward my deductible and out of pocket expenses.

Dr. Regan is definately out of network for me, so this will help me if I end up having to see him.

dridobits · #2 (**permalink**) 06-16-2009, 12:37 AM

I'm so glad you'll be able to do the test without a ton of $$$. I paid out of pocket for mine as I was so afraid and wanted the best guy to do it.

I hope the test goes well. I put mine off for way too long. Let us know how things work out.

jchebert1979 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-22-2009, 07:58 PM

Through shear persistance I was able to get the discogram moved up a week to Wednesday the 24th.

I have also gotten in touch with Dr. Henry at The Texas Back Institute who performs VATS endoscopic thoracic spine surgery. I was able to make an appointment with him for next Tuesday. It will be a tortuous 7 hour drive to see him, but I have no other choice.

dshobbies · #4 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 02:14 AM

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. Your pain, your journey puts so much into perspective. I've been fighting with my pharmacy all afternoon, they can't do anything right. I was so aggravated I couldn't even eat dinner. In the end, it will all work out. I so wish you could say the same thing.

My thoughts are with you, Dale

jchebert1979 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 04:18 PM

"Your pain, your journey puts so much into perspective"

It really does, even for me. It has made me a much more compassionate person and I know if I can just come out on the other side, I will be a better person for it.

Even though it is hard and it doesn't feel genuine all the time, I still try to be thankfull for everything that I do have. I know that there are others who are going through the same thing that are much less fortunate.

jchebert1979 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 09:38 PM

Well my appt has been moved up by a couple of hours to 11:30 tomorrow. As it nears I am getting extremely nervous. I am not particularly worried about the pain I might face more so of the extreme heart palpitations that I get when my upper back hurts. This is the most terrifying symptom that I have and nothing I can do alleviates it.

Who knows, they may not happen at all. I hope not.

jchebert1979 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-25-2009, 01:15 AM

Had the discogram. T3-4 caused pain and leaked, T6-7 caused pain but did not leak. This doctor was an even bigger ass than the pain management doctor. He bitched me out for refusing the sedative and then refused to do the levels with the most pain. He said that the approach is different for those levels which is understandable, but he will not make another appointment until I see the referring doctor. He will be on vacation until July 22nd. So I can not even schedule the rest of the discogram until then. I will not make it that long. I desperately need help and I am on the verge of ending this pain myself.

dshobbies · #8 (**permalink**) 06-25-2009, 03:51 AM

JC,

I wish there was something I could say that would take your pain away. First, how did the heart palpatations go? And then, why wouldn't he finish the disco if that's what you wanted? Was anesthesia necessary because of this other approach?

The other thing, if the levels are known to be pain generators, why is the discogram necessary in the first place? That's what the disco is supposed to reveal.

I am sorry, Dale

jchebert1979 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-25-2009, 04:30 PM

DS, I call them heart palps, but nothing has been recorded on any event or holter monitor. I believe they are spasms in my chest wall that make every heartbeat painfull. Can you even imagine pain with every heartbeat 75 times a minute 24 hours a day for two years?

The doctor got upset because he thought I was challenging his authority. I simply do not like the way either versed or benadryl make me feel. His exact words were "I want you to have it, maybe you should stop trying to control you medical care." What can one do in my situation. I am in severe pain and I need this man's help. If it were seeing him for a headache I would not have put up with it but this is for life destroying pain.

I know the levels are pain generators, but every doctor is saying that they aren't. No one will believe me that I know what I'm talking about and I know where my pain is coming from, not even Mark Mintzer. I have been telling doctors for two years that C5-6, T3-4 and T6-7 were problems. I have been proven right on all accounts, but without that proof, no one will take me seriously. I know that either T1-2 and possibly C7-T1 are causing very serious pain, but I will never find a doctor to listen to me without that discogram.

This discogram was not all for nothing, I finally got the proof that I needed, but he refused to do the remaining levels that I needed because he thought I was challenging his authority. He is now forcing me to wait in uncontrollable pain until I see my doctor who specifically asked for the T1-2 levels to be done.

cavalier · #10 (**permalink**) 06-28-2009, 09:29 PM

JC - forgive me but i am not clear which place did your disco - At TBI or out in Calif ? Do you have to wait for the other 1/2 of the disc to be completed at a different place than the 1st ? I feel stupid asking these questions but perhaps my own lack of sleep is making me foggy - if you dont feel up to it I get that too in answering. Just that I care is why i am asking. Some doc's get miffed if you dont do it their standard way - i refused to do a Steroid Injection in my neck as i have osteopenia & if i did get any relief at best it would be temporary he said for diagnostics but I said I would rather wait for that from a discogram than a general steroid that if I got relief maybe not as specific since I have more than one level going on. Point being that doc is now not the same congenial doc I was very nice in my saying why - but he has no longer been interested in helping not that a physical Med doc can do surgery but he could have helped with Referals etc - I can get them on my own but not what i wanted or expected to have happen. But if they honeslty believe in something some of them have a ego - funny as some of the best doc's in the world should & could have a ego but they dont need too as they are confident & know their abilities but are more open to discussion & welcomed patient involvement & input - I never boss a doc around & never would intend too - but I do want to be involved as I have to live with the outcome & so I want that decision to be at least made with full information so I can say i took the risk etc. At any rate, I am sorry things blew up. IT is VERY diffcult to be patient & hang in there when you are in pain & it is hard to be clear in communication at times for me when pain makes it hard.
There has to be another side - I am worried on your saying you will end this - I have given it some thought but I believe we dont have that right & if you have any belief in a higher power cling even harder as for me only Faith & God has gotten me this far & we perserve thru hard times there are other people who suffer with high pain with cancer & other things as well. I have to remind myself I am not the only one & what is suffering to one & another who suffers is still suffering - I dont compare or try too- no one can imagine our own skin and I cant explain the why's but cling to that at some point there will be light at the end of a very dark tunnel - the journey is hard and we do run out of gas and it is natural to be dissapointed but this is not the 1st setback & this is the challenge we face - get some rest if you can & then pick yourself up and shake it off the dust, to fight for a answer another day. Answers dont come as fast as we want them but they do come, just not in a time frame we can set or expect. I dunno if i have helped - Best Jill

jchebert1979 · #11 (**permalink**) 06-28-2009, 10:18 PM

The discogram was performed in New Orleans. I made an appt. at TBI for the following Tuesday with the intention of bringing the results. Regardless of what my surgeon who performed my last surgery thinks, he will not be the one touching my thoracic spine. He does not have the expertise. At this point there is no question as to what is causing my pain and suffering. The only thing that needs to be addressed is which levels are causing problems and what we need to do about them.

I could keep my appt at TBI, but the doctor there will not have the information that he needs. The only way that I will let any doctor go forward with any surgery is with confirmation from a discogram. So the 7 hour drive to get there would be worthless.

I know that no one can share another's pain, but I am willing to bet that most people on this board do not experience the levels of pain that I do. My best days are terrible and most days I feel as if the pain itself is going to kill me. I am so sick of trying to convince other people of my suffering. I sound like a broken record over and over again. I can cry out and beg for help endlessly with nothing, yet if I said I was going to kill myself, everyone comes running to the rescue and it's shit.

Nothing about what is wrong with me is a mystery or exceptional. I have pain patterns that are indicative of herniations and I have imaging showing herniations. I have had to endure two years of this torture because this broken piece of shit medical system that is supposed to be the best in the world can't listen to patients. Because of it I have lost everything that I have with absolutely no treatment and nothing to show for it except a huge scar on my head from an unnecessary brain surgery. On top of it I get closer to losing the ability to care for myself every day.

You know when people are thankful, that it could be worse. They're right, you could be me, because at this point I cannot imagine anything worse than what I live through everyday. I can't think of anything that is worse than being in pain that is so severe that you beg for death. That is my morning, noon, evening, and night.

I am so sorry for venting like this and I am not directing it at you Cavalier, I'm just feeling really bad.

fuzzy · #12 (**permalink**) 06-28-2009, 10:32 PM

I believe some third world countries have better medical systems then the USA. More compassion and spendig time with the patient goes a long way. Here it is destroyed by the system. I am not sure that even the current Obama hype can fix that and I doubt they even know what the problem really is.