SAS Blog and Charite 22 year follow-up!!!

[mmglobal]

Greetings from Berlin. It's almost 3am and I need some sleep. Thursday was day 3 of 4 of the Spine Arthroplasty Society's 7th annual congress. (My fifth.) It's been an incredible road that brought me here. I'm trying to blog the concress, but struggling to keep up.

Today, I attended a celebration of 22 years of Charite' artificial disc replacements. I was honored to meet the very first ADR recipient... implanted with a VERY early version of the Charite in 1984!

Read about it on the blog linked on the GPN site or go directly there by clicking here.

I wish I could write more now... gotta sleep!

Mark

PS... I'll catch up on posts and email this weekend... SAS is non-stop, if I blink, I miss something important.

[sahuaro]

Sounds like an incredibly emotional and intellectually-stimulating time for you, Mark. I'm looking forward to hearing more!

[Tim]

Hi Mark
Great blog, really appreciated.. Looking forward to hearing more about the Globus' new lateral and posterior approach lumbar discs (these sound like a huge leap forward) and if you get the chance the Nuvasive stuff and XLIF.

Hope you manage to catch up on your sleep and you find some time to enjoy Berlin - I lived in Gemany for four years when my dad was posted there in the 70's (British Army) and visited Berlin several times. At that time the wall was still up. It was an amazing city and at the time the contrast between East and West was huge.
The Olympich Stadium is well worth a visit..

Man U. crashed out against Milan in the Champions league. Liverpool / Milan final should be great - come on you reds...

All the best
Tim

[Maria]

Ok, I sound like some teenager there ~ I'm really thankful for the time spent w/the blog Mark, keeping us informed~

I really get happy hearing about how you feel re your unique opportunity/experience being part of the spine world amongst all these top notch surgeons/other spine related specialists and happier that you're a well person able to keep up with all that!!!

Reading about Berlin in the LA Times recently I would love to visit there sometime as I've only been to Munich and Frankfurt and long ago. Hope you're having some wonderful free time to visit and sightsee~ and rest!!!!

RE the long timers/first Charite implant persons ~ that's just too great!!!!! Rock on Dr.B-J for your incredible contribution to the spinally challenged (as well as all the others)!

[Poncho]

Mark,

I love the blog! I would love to see more about the new stuff coming out even if it doesn't make it to the market place. It is just wonderful to see this movement toward the improvement of spine technology with a goal of improving patient lives. I wish I could go to these meeting and listen in person hanging on every word.

TTYL,
Poncho

[ans]

Thanks Mark - all this is great. I like the first and early Charite' patients!

[mmglobal]

Check out today's blog entry... you won't believe it.... 23 years. I can't wait to get the video online.

I have much to catch up on... gotta pack (no small job) and be up in 2 hours. Gonna fall over!

Mark

[ans]

That's simply great.

Tidbit: "The CHARITE Artificial Disc, manufactured by DePuy Spine, Inc., was co-developed by Dr. Karin Buttner-Janz, a former East German Olympic gymnast who competed against Mary Lou Retton, and Dr. Kurt Schellnack."

[mmglobal]

I don't remember when Mary Lou Retton competed, but I think she came later. K B-J competed in 68 against Olga Korbut and in 72 against Nadia Cominiche (not checking spelling at this late hour.) She has 7 olympic medals including several gold. She was also European All-Around Champion... that's a huge title as well.

Where was that quoted from?

Mark

[chasswen]

great story mark
keep up the great work hey do you need a partner?
chuck

[Maria]

Mark,
I'd swear you've a gift for what you're doing since you went from a computer programmer (or a field closely related) to this incredible once debilitated spine patient to a PA that surgeons and researchers are seeking out for thoughts/opinions re spine all the time~

I love reading about what you're doing, who you're meeting, where you're going and so forth~ It's so inspiring as are the patients that are going thru this experience and coming out on the other side~ (good or bad since at least people are taking a chance at getting better and that takes guts!!).

As a former RN/NP I'd give right nut if I had one to do this type of thing!

These researchers and surgeons have my daily thanks and appreciation for what they are doing ~ I wish I could dig my heels into this stuff and be right there in the ORs (or is it ODs now?)!

[mmglobal]

Sorry I've been silent... Worked all night Saturday night to create the content on the blog... 1 hour sleep on the plane to Munich. Sunday was 10am till 9:30 pm with Dr. Baumbach and 2 clients. The time he takes is amazing and I believe that he made a diagnosis that will make ALL the difference for a patient. More later.

I uploaded some of the tennis video to YouTube...

Here are the 22.7 year films for Charite' patient number 1 and the 4.6 year update for me:

http://www.globalpatientnetwork.com/...#Berlin Tennis

All the huffing and puffing in the audio is me... I'm way out of shape... Wolfgang stayed relaxed and never seemed to be winded. I hit 3 balls and about fell over looking for the O2.

More tomorrow.

Mark

[Maria]

You two guys look like normal people!!! I mean sans artificial discs or ever having spine probs!!! Wow!!! I want to be like that~

[dshobbies]

Mark,
What a testament to technology. It's absolutely amazing to watch these videos, realizing the pain and stolen lives of just a few years ago. If ever I saw a commercial for ADRs, these are it!

A miracle marvel, Dale