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Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) - Introduce yourself and meet others
Autoimmune Diseases | Last Active: 5 hours ago | Replies (817)Comment receiving replies
Oh my…..I’m so sorry you’ve had to suffer so much. I have had lumbar surgery due to degeneration and disc loss . I have a wonderful surgeon who performed a Transforaminal
lumbar interbody fusion L5-S1. So, I have two rods and 4 screws in my lumbar back. He said when he removed what was left of the disc he was surprised to see it was all gone except for a small amount on either side. The same surgeon recently performed surgery on my cervical spine and the procedure was ANTERIOR CERVICAL
Name
DISCECTOMY WITH FUSION.
C4-5 AND C5-6, USING
ANTERIOR PLATE AND
SCREWS THAT WERE
SEPARATE FROM THE
INTERBODY GRAFTS.
POSTERIOR
DECOMPRESSIVE
LAMINECTOMY OF C4, C5, C6
AND PARTIAL C7. I’m lucky to have found him as my surgeries have gone remarkably well and I have benefited from both of them. I have considered trying to see someone at Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic but have not taken the steps to try to get an appointment yet. Everything seems so overwhelming and to embark on a long trip in unknown territory is something I’ve been putting off but I may have to do so in the near future.
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The original neurosurgeon is very well-respected and one of the best in KC. He refused to fuse any of the three compressed discs including the one outside the curve because my back will collapse "in the near future" if he does. I went for a second opinion and he said, yes he can fuse the one on the outside.
I didn't understand how both docs had opposite opinions so I went to a third consult. Of course, he said they are are both right. He can fuse the one on the outside, but I will most likely need the "big" operation in the near future. That was two years ago. The thought of going into a hospital for a month w/another month upstairs in rehab makes me sick to my stomach. I do not think I would survive it.
After my last shoulder surgery, I told the home health nurse I don't know what my problem is. I start shaking and crying before going under for any type of surgery. It's embarrassing but I can't help it. She said I have PTSD from all the surgeries.