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Help, mri results orthopedic surgeon apt
Spine Health | Last Active: May 26 6:04pm | Replies (10)Comment receiving replies
Jennifer - that was a very thoughtful and kind response to Andrea. Sometimes one isn’t told what exactly constitutes an ‘emergency’, but the fear is that by the time it gets to that point, it may already be too late to regain function in the spinal cord areas affected. That is my case, with two cervical level repairs and a 3rd one upcoming. I was told by a neurosurgeon not to fall off of a ladder or get rear-ended by a car. So far I’ve avoided those both prior to my surgery! It is important to have your surgeon clarify exactly what an emergency would be - for me, it was urinary incontinence and bowel issues. But by then, is it too late while we are waiting for appts? As a person not able to travel to larger surgical sites and limited to rather rural medical care, the prospect of seeing a good neurosurgeon in a timely fashion is also limited so there is a lot of waiting. My second successful surgery was at Mayo in 2018 but I can no longer travel there and any immediate follow-up if there is a problem is almost impossible. So I guess we all must face what we must, when and where we can. Kind and thoughtful words are so welcome especially from Mayo mentors!
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@dorob Thanks for your reply and your kind words. You are correct that incontinence caused by a spine issue is an emergency that needs intervention ASAP. That is what a doctor told me who was doing an epidural injection. I don't know how far you are from Mayo, but there are Mayo trained spine surgeons practicing in other hospitals. Mayo has the Mayo Clinic Health System that are smaller hospitals in rural areas. There is also the Mayo Clinic Care Network where doctors nationwide and in other countries have access to consult with Mayo specialists in the care of their patients.
Don't give up. If you have a chance to get help, you should. Don't talk yourself into accepting something that may become a permanent condition. You need to advocate for yourself and tell doctors that you want to recover from incontinence while you have a chance. Mayo surgeons don't always require you to come back for follow up. That was the case for myself. They had me get X-rays locally and mail them in to my surgeon at Mayo.
I know waiting for appointments can be worrisome. I waited 2 years before my cervical fusion because I couldn't find a doctor to help me until I came to Mayo. My symptoms were confusing them. I was also told about being careful not to be in an accident because of risk of paralysis if another injury would occur with my already compressed spinal cord. That all turned out OK and it has been almost 10 years since my surgery.
Good luck with your upcoming procedure.
Jennifer