boston tomorrow

[theizzard]

Hi everyone,
I am going up to Boston tomorrow to get my 5th and (hopefully final) consultation with Dr. Rand. We take a 5:45am train to get in at 11:00 and my appointment is at 12 but we will get a cab and go right there. I can't believe the amount of doctors i have seen for my back. They all agree that it's a mess and they all know it has to go through to the pelvis but there has been a difference of opinion of where to begin either T4or5, or T10. I have had 3 suggest front and back and DR. Boachie said just the back which surprised me. I would rather they start around T4/5 than T10. At this point, I am in so much pain and can barely walk so if I could get it done tomorrow i would. It is a grueling process of picking a surgeon because I suppose it is such an extensive surgery. I would have gone with the first surgeon I saw but it was suggested to me to not let this particular surgeon do such an extensive surgery so I didn't. I have been doing this since June, which was when my original fusion surgeon told me I needed the whole back done and told me that he no longer did that kind of surgery. To say I was upset would be an understatement so tomorrow i will be in Boston. I hope I like Dr. Rand or at least don't dislike him.
avis

[debbei]

Good luck tomorrow Avis,

I will be thinking of you. That's quite a grueling day you will be having with the long train ride. Not just physically but emotionally as well. That's quite a big difference beginning between T4/5 and T10.

Let us know how it goes,

[Susie*Bee]

Yes, Avis-- best wishes and fingers crossed for tomorrow-- and of course, many prayers. Hopefully you'll find Dr. Rand to be just what you need at this point-- and especially so since you are pretty much at the end of your rope, pain-wise.

I'll be looking forward to seeing your post that says what was decided. I'll be praying that you have the energy for that long day-- but sometimes when so much is at stake, you find you have some reserves to help you. I hope that's the case for you.

[mariaf]

Best wishes tomorrow, Avis! Hang in there and stay strong (I know you are)!

Best,

[lelc2002@yahoo]

Best to you, Avis for a successful appointment.
I hope you are led to the right surgeon for you, Lynne

[CHRIS WBS]

I can't believe the amount of doctors i have seen for my back.

Avis,

I interviewed six surgeons over two years, all of whom are SRS members. I felt four were qualified to do my surgery. I would not let the other two operate on my cat much less my spine. I remember in particular the one surgeon who spent a total of five minutes with me and did not even examine my back. It was obvious this was way out of his realm. Try not to stress too much over fusion levels. Initially my surgeon recommended A/P but then decided on only posterior. Perhaps I would have gotten a little more correction with an anterior release, but at my age the exposure to more risk for complications from two major surgeries and a much longer recovery was not worth it. The posterior surgery was rough enough and I’m quite satisfied with the results. My surgeon also was considering starting my fusion at T8 or T9 but mentioned that sometimes derotation of the spine can push up one shoulder. I told him that I did not want to find myself back on the operating table two years from now, so he decided to start my fusion at T4. I have a long fusion, but it’s really not as restrictive as I had envisioned.

Good luck with your appointment. Dr. Rand sounds like a top-notch surgeon. Chris

[loves to skate]

Hi Avis,
Sorry I wasn't on the computer yesterday. You have probably already seen Dr. Rand by now and I hope you liked him. He is a very special person to me. You must have taken the Acella train up to Boston. That has to be a great way to travel. I hope you aren't too exhausted when you get home. I will be looking forward to your post after you have rested up some. I hope this ends you long search to find the right Doctor for you. Take care. Sally

[theizzard]

well first off, to answer loves to skate, the acela only provided 10 minute less of travel in one direction and none in the other. the train was fine other than neither myself or my husband thought to bring chargers for our iphones and i wish i had my computer with me but...i had not been on a distance train since Italy in 1978 and things have slightly changed. Anyway first off Dr. Rand does not have the most outgoing personality and it was only towards the end of the visit that I saw him smile actually laugh. He suggested for me t3or4 through the pelvis, a 2 operation procedure with 10 days in between spent at rehab up there. He said this is his standard approach to these type of surgeries. The front being the first surgery (i think) with the back as the 2nd. He was positively confident and capable and certainly did not push me at all. He did not talk about surgery as if he had been chosen to be the surgeon but rather he talked about it in general terms saying that when the surgery is done, it will most likely be done in this fashion. Very generic until we said that i wanted him do the surgery. Then he became more specific and probably a bit more smiley. He described how he would do it and explained that he would not undo my previous 3 level fusion. He said he would leave that as it is unless after having the mylogram w/cat scan test he found something different. Yes, I have to get a mylo with staggered cat scan ( i have no real idea what that means but i can guess) and I will get it up there as they are used to doing his diagnostic tests. Out of the 5 docs I have seen, he seemed confident and not arrogant and did not look at my spine as though it was too challenging, which almost everyone else including Boachie did. The strangest thing happened to me though, when i was on the train returning home, i was just sitting there feeling very tired when i decided that I did not ever want this surgery no matter who would do it. i don't know why i felt like that and still do somewhat. i guess i am just so tired of being in pain and at the same tire i am so worried that the surgery will cause more problems than it fixes. so i will see how i feel tomorrow. I am sorry i went on so long but it seemed necessary at the time