Well, I can't believe it has basically been three years since I started this thread. I wanted to update you guys on my situation, and selfishly get some more input on you guys. Since I started this thread, and to carry from where I left off:
My physical abilities are pretty much the same as indicated in the first post, despite being 3 years older. The only difference is I lost another 1.5-2" in height (crazy isn't it!?) and my lumbar curve is 65 degrees as of this Wednesday. Pain levels are the same, as are the activities I can engage in. I did end up seeing Dr. Hu in 2012 and while I liked her, I decided to try and schedule my surgery with Dr. Bederman. I had planned on doing it at the end of 2012 - however the insurance approval never came through and I dropped it for a bit of time.
But I kept it in the back of my mind and now I've also seen a few other doctors. I saw Dr. Daubs (2013), Dr. Lonner (2014) and this week finally Dr. Lenke (2015 obviously). Most have pretty much told me the same thing, varying on a level or two on the location of the fusion. Aside from Pashman, it varies from T10-11, and L4-L5. The one variable however was the time of the surgery. Bederman said it would be a two-day surgery if I recall correctly with two entry points, all the way to Lenke saying it was 3-4 hours with entry from the back. While I base this on really nothing other than the surgery time, I am happy I never went through it with Dr. Bederman. Why do a two-day two-entry surgery when I can do one?
Anyway, I liked Lonner a lot, but after seeing Dr. Lenke I figure I may as well go with him if I'm going to go forward with this, since he is what I guess is the best at this surgery. (Right?) Plus, I did feel comfortable with him, he seems to have developed some of the tech being used today, and does a ton of these surgeries. All docs have said I need to do the surgery at some point, but I can probably buy a few years if I wanted to. Lenke would do T11-L4.
So the question now becomes, when should I do the surgery.. I'm leaning towards sooner rather than later, because of the progression of my curve and loss of height. However, I have some random thoughts/questions if anyone wants to chime in:
- Reading a lot of these threads on here has me worried. Seems a lot of people are having complications, random pains and aches they didn't have before, and much longer recovery time. Lenke told me I could be swimming in a month and in 6 months be doing everything I was before. Does that seem right?
- Is there any concern that Lenke is more of an academic than practicalist? I was a little taken aback that 7 doctors came in the room with me. I felt slightly like a case study more than an actual patient. But maybe that is better, I don't know.
- Is there any advantage to waiting? The only things I can think of are 1) better tech in the future, or 2) if I'm worse off than before, I would have delayed that from happening.
Thanks all, as always very appreciated.
My physical abilities are pretty much the same as indicated in the first post, despite being 3 years older. The only difference is I lost another 1.5-2" in height (crazy isn't it!?) and my lumbar curve is 65 degrees as of this Wednesday. Pain levels are the same, as are the activities I can engage in. I did end up seeing Dr. Hu in 2012 and while I liked her, I decided to try and schedule my surgery with Dr. Bederman. I had planned on doing it at the end of 2012 - however the insurance approval never came through and I dropped it for a bit of time.
But I kept it in the back of my mind and now I've also seen a few other doctors. I saw Dr. Daubs (2013), Dr. Lonner (2014) and this week finally Dr. Lenke (2015 obviously). Most have pretty much told me the same thing, varying on a level or two on the location of the fusion. Aside from Pashman, it varies from T10-11, and L4-L5. The one variable however was the time of the surgery. Bederman said it would be a two-day surgery if I recall correctly with two entry points, all the way to Lenke saying it was 3-4 hours with entry from the back. While I base this on really nothing other than the surgery time, I am happy I never went through it with Dr. Bederman. Why do a two-day two-entry surgery when I can do one?
Anyway, I liked Lonner a lot, but after seeing Dr. Lenke I figure I may as well go with him if I'm going to go forward with this, since he is what I guess is the best at this surgery. (Right?) Plus, I did feel comfortable with him, he seems to have developed some of the tech being used today, and does a ton of these surgeries. All docs have said I need to do the surgery at some point, but I can probably buy a few years if I wanted to. Lenke would do T11-L4.
So the question now becomes, when should I do the surgery.. I'm leaning towards sooner rather than later, because of the progression of my curve and loss of height. However, I have some random thoughts/questions if anyone wants to chime in:
- Reading a lot of these threads on here has me worried. Seems a lot of people are having complications, random pains and aches they didn't have before, and much longer recovery time. Lenke told me I could be swimming in a month and in 6 months be doing everything I was before. Does that seem right?
- Is there any concern that Lenke is more of an academic than practicalist? I was a little taken aback that 7 doctors came in the room with me. I felt slightly like a case study more than an actual patient. But maybe that is better, I don't know.
- Is there any advantage to waiting? The only things I can think of are 1) better tech in the future, or 2) if I'm worse off than before, I would have delayed that from happening.
Thanks all, as always very appreciated.
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