Surgery is not fun!

[Princess Susi]

Well, we went to the Spine Doctor's yesterday.

I found out I have Degenerative Disk Disease. Not the best diagnosis for my back... :( I had hoped it would be as simple as removing the arthritic bone spurs that are crushing the nerve and that would be that! I will be having surgery July 2 to replace the disc in my L5-S1 vertebral area. I am hoping Kaiser pays for disk replacement, otherwise they have an ongoing study that I may be able to get into. It is a clinical trial of a new kind of replacement disk. My spine doc likes both models that are available, the regular one they have been using since disk relacement was first approved on October 26th, 2004 in the US. The Europeans have been doing disk replacements since 1986.

The upshot is, is that the replacement may or may not help! If it does, that does not guarantee that another disk will eventually cause pain like this again. It is lifetime sentence to some sort of pain, but more manageable than what I am currently living through. I cannot live like this. The pain now has me pretty much in the wheelchair 90% of the time. I can walk for about a half hour now.

Yesterday we went to the doc and I was in the wheelchair the whole afternoon. We went out to dinner and then I had to pick up a few things for the trip, so I decided to walk a little. BIG MISTAKE!!!

Within 20 minutes I had to sit down and Ralph had to go get the car and pick me up at a different entrance closer to the mall from where we came in. I could not walk back.

My doctor just added 2 more Morphine tablets to my Rx. I am so thankful that surgery is scheduled, but I am afraid. It will be about 2 and a half hours that I will be under. They have to cut through the front of the abdomen and through muscle and a Vascular Surgeon moves all the blood vessels out of the way. Then my Spine Surgeon goes in and removes all the disk matter that is flat and destroyed (along with the arthritic bone spurs that are crushing the nerve around the disk like I thought) and they put in the replacement disk. It looks like a part that belongs on a automobile! Pretty sturdy.

From the replacement handout:
"The disk is made of two metal endplates that attach to the bone above and below the affected disk space. There is a polyethylene core that allows for movement between the twp endplates. Due top the structure of the spine, they HAVE to surgically placed from the front of the spine."

So, I now have a diagnosis and a prognosis. I could have more problems in the future and probably will. But I will deal with that as it comes. This is not the greatest news for me. I had hoped that I would go in and get some arthritic bone shaved away and be able to return to jogging again. I think jogging may be out. :( This will slow me down a bit, but I should be able to get around great after I recover. So it will in the long run be better than a diagnosis that could not be helped. I am lucky that they can *fix* this. I will be in the hospital for 3-4 days after surgery and must rest for 6 weeks. Then I can slowly start to be active again.

At least now, I have an answer to what has been happening with my back.
I have about a month before the surgery. I am afraid. But I know this could be the end of this excruciating pain. That is something to look forward to! :)

Susi

[Princess Susi]

About the Trial study:

There is an ongoing clinical trial of a new kind of replacement disk. My spine doc likes both models that are available, the regular one they have been using since disk replacement was first approved on October 26th, 2004 in the US and the new one they are doing trials with. I won't know which one they put in my back. It is a blind study to see how the new disc works. But I do trust the Spine Doc. He thinks that the new one they are doing the trial with may be a bit better than the other model. So if Kaiser does not want to cover disk replacement, my docs will try to get me into the trial study. If I am not accepted, then we have to pay out of pocket! The replacement surgery runs around 40 grand! Kaiser may only pay for Laminectomy, fusion of the vetebrae. But my doc says replacement would be better, given how young I am and how much I need to get around. I am crossing my fingers and praying real hard that Kaiser okays Disk Replacement!
Pray for me that Kaiser will cover Disk replacement. Otherwise, it is a crap shoot, if I can get into the study. The docs think I have a real good chance to get in. But is not guaranteed.

I have two great docs, Dr Patel, the Surgeon and Dr Susie Estes who will assist in the surgery. I specifically scheduled the surgery so she could assist. She is phenomenal! What a great doc. And we have a real friendship building. She and I hit it off right away. Hey, anyone named Susie is okay by me. hehehe!
Anyway, I am lucky to have a great team. I just am afraid of being under anesthesia for 2 and half -3 hours. That scares me. I don't want to wake up during surgery! That happened to Ralph once right when they were making the incision into his abdomen! That was one of the times he *left his body* he coded when that happened! Gives me the shudders to think of it. I just don't want it to happen during this surgery!

[DisneyMom]

Well, Susi, it does sound very intense, but I do think it would be worth it to try in order to get back to your previous self. I would love to see you be able to enjoy Disneyland out here someday with no wheelchair and no pain :)
I'm praying for you to have a very successful and safe surgery.

[Mayonnaise]

Hey Susi, do you know the name of the company that makes the Disc replacement system their testing? My company actually makes the computer training simulations for several of the surgical equipment companies that do that, for their newer replacement and fixation options. (Some companies just one or the other.) We're just a contractor, and I'm just a code monkey, so it's not like I could help get you into the Study, I'm just curios to know if it's one of the companies we work with.

I hope your insurance company will cover it for you! My mum had back trouble two years ago, and I've seen how much it can hurt! I hope they can stop the pain for you. Sending good thoughts your way!!!

8^(

[hobie16]

Put all this in the back of your mind. There's nothing you can do about it until the day of the surgery. Go to WDW and have an excellent time.

My bill is in the mail.

Dr. Hobie

[Princess Susi]

Mayonnaise: You know, I don't know the name of the company, but I will try to find out! I just got the usual Patient handout about what to expect from the surgery, before, during and after. I can ask my doc! It had a little blurb about the history of disk replacement. I am going to do more research online about it! The Surgeon would probably know the company. I'll ask him next time I go in after my trip. I won't see the doc again until after May 26th..

Thanks Disneymom, you want to come out and nurse me back to health after surgery? I need my own nurse! ;) I hope it all works as well as the doc says it will. He says it usually gives the patient a LOT of relief in most cases. Then there are the cases that it does not help...I will NOT be one of them. It WILL work for me and I will walk again for long periods of time! I cannot see myself in a chair forever. I know if that were to happen I would learn to be strong and live with it. I can live through anything and if I cannot be helped, so be it. I can still have a great time. If the surgery gives me relief or some relief, that will be great. Then if another disc goes, we will have to take that step then....

It was amazing, I had a about a 60 second instant of being completely pain free when the morphine kicked in yesterday. it was weird, not feeling pain AT ALL! I want that all the time again. It was just like years ago when I had no back problems. Wow. What a difference. I can really tell how much pain I really have comparing it to that.

Thanks doc hobie...I will try not to think about it. Can we get all the SGT members to come to Colorado to the hospital when I have surgery and be waiting to greet me when I come out of recovery? What fun that would be. Except it would probably hurt to laugh! :D:
I will keep you all updated as we get closer after the trip to Florida. It is good I am going now. Maybe by next trip I can walk the Parks again! :) I will be going back to DL in September (hopefully) after I get the all clear to go. I will still have to use a wheelchair part time because it will be only 8-10 weeks after surgery and I won't want to overdo it!
Thanks all for your good wishes! I am scared... :paranoid:
sues

[CMGUY89]

If you are looking for a second opinion from Dr. Hobie, Dr. CMGuy concurs. (I've always wanted to say that!!!)
My Rx:
Have a blast at WDW, take it easy on your back. We will have to meet up when I get down there before you leave. Ride Soarin', front row. Living With The Land, no transfer required from a W/C.


The only time I had surgery I was under for four hours. I woke up high as a kite and started hitting on nurses. Enjoy those pain meds and think how the ends justify the means. ;)

Take two of these and call me in the morning. It always helps me when I have a bad day.

[Whazzup]

Susie - don't worry about waking up during surgery. Ralphie's experience is quite unusual and either he was resistant to the anesthesia or the anesthesiologist wasn't paying attention!

I've had surgery on my upper spine, C4-5-6 disks were replaced with cadaver bone and fused. I was only in the hospital for 23 hours and the surgery was $30K. Luckily my health insurance covered almost all of it. The surgery provided instant relief for my neck pain. Now I've got lower spine deterioration and also problems with my hip bones and will eventually need surgery and hip replacement. I have to get an MRI this summer to see how quickly the deterioration is progressing. No fun!

I'm glad you're going ahead with the surgery - you will be relieved of so much pain. You may still have discomfort, but surely it won't be as debilitating as what you are now experiencing. We'll all be pulling for you when the time comes. You need to get healed and well so you can make that big move to Florida!! :)

[CMGUY89]

I didn't even see that part of the post. Don't worry about waking up in surgery. That RARELY happens. For most people you close your eyes as you go under then open them as you wake up in recovery. There is almost no recognition that time has passed. Be sure to mention to the Anesthesiologist your anxiety regarding waking up and Ralphie's experience. They will reassure you that you it is extremely unlikely.

[DisneyMom]

We Do have vacation time in July.....
We will talk about visiting during your recovery time :)