It May Be Over

some good advice in the face of tragedy, GW...

"The other option is to drop your income to your states level of Medicaid (usually under $10,000 for an individual) and see if they can find you someone willing to do the surgery"

"I would also suggest you speak to a social worker at a hospital clinic as to what your options are with paying small amounts monthly over the rest of your lifetime."

good luck, bear...

hurry up and wait. the lists for available free services are quite long.

I'm not asking for free.... just payment arrangements.

That is so cool.

always cool... no matter what.... that's how I roll

Bear, I couldn't find any document that had the name of the procedure. But I found the cost for the treatment. Medicare covered all of the bill except for a co-pay of $175.

Surgical service - $1,517.oo

Radiology service - $700.00

Total - $2217.00

BBB

does this ring a bell?

chemonucleolysis"

No, this is not the treatment I received. It's a chemonucleolysis laser treatment. Mine was drug injections into my discs.

I looked in google I found what I think is the procedure I had. Keep in mind that my spine diagnoses is very much like yours. I, too, had spurs protruding from three of my discs. I also had severe arthritis over my entire spine. It even helped reduce the arthritis pain in my right hip.

I had the one treatment in October 1009 by a spine specialist and one year later, I still have great pain relief. I can stand straight and walk and do things around the house and back yard that I couldn't do before. If necessary, you should asked your surgeon for a second opinion with the spine specialist. It's better to try this first before you select surgery, which is expensive and often a failure.

Site:
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&
expIds=17259,18168,24683,26637,27059,27144&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=medicine+injection+into+spinal+disc&cp=35&pf=p&sclient=psy&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=medicine+injection+into+spinal+disc&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=24caab9999a5d8d0

Google has several sites for this treatment:

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=17259,18168,24683,26637,27059,27144&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=medicine+injeion+into&cp=20&pf=p&sclient=psy&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=medicine+injeion+int&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=24caab9999a5d8d0

Good luck for pain relief.

BBB

Bear, neither of those google url sites are not printing the complete url correctly. Go to google and post Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections for Low Back Pain and Sciatica. You should find the treatment I received. For more information, post in google BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Medical Policy Manual.

BBB

Click here for BBB's link

The other is HERE

Thanks OB, I've never had that happen before. How did you get it to print correctly?

BBB

Surgical consult at UNC this Thursday am. Looks like I may be going in as early as next week.

Lots of good luck, Bear.
I hope that the pain is not as bad.

Hey Bear - how were you over the weekend? Did you manage the gig?

Glad you are getting urgent-ish treatment

You take care, OK (((Bear))) <------gentle hug

x

well went to the spine and surgery clinic at UNC. The spur from the ruptured disc is actually broken off the disc and is floating free, so thy don't want to go in after it because it's too tricky so I will use PT, Nutrional and Supplement therapy to deal with the degerative arthritis in my spine and the compressed discs, and just live with the fact that the disc spur, not unlike the adhesion problems I permanently have from my 2006 surgeries could pop up and put me down at any time, and carry my pain meds with me at all times. The pain went away as fast as it came the other day, when I assume the spur settled down although I'm still stiff and inflexible. that we can work on.

As far as how this will effect my career, I'm going to assume that most of the time I'll be okay and keep on keeping on, against the advice of the docs. they don't want me to perform anymore. I compromised. I won't play any more this year and I'll hire someone to move my dj gear around, but in 2011, after regular PT, I'm already booking gigs. I'm a tough old bastard and I'll quit when

A: either God takes me or my body shuts down completely or

B: I damn well feel like it.... and I don't feel like it.

Whoa.

What is the worst-case scenario then? The "pop up and put you down" part. Pain or paralyzation?

Glad the pain is gone.

well last week when it hit me hard I couldn't move at all for a little while but then I could move enough to get to the ER... but squinney wheeled me in. I could have walked in bent over, but there's this thing called triage and wheelchair people get seen before walking people. Yu gotta know how to work the system. I usually overdo the moaning and groaning so they'll give me pain meds right away to shut me up.

I'm so glad you went to the spine specialist instead of going for surgery first.

BBB

BBB people only THINK I'm stupid

You made the right decision.

BBB