We're Losing Doctors Right and Left Here from this Area

Murrmurr said:
I have a rather similar problem. It's a physical defect...every foramen of every vertebrae has one nerve root. I have two nerve roots in the foramen of L4, and one leans against the other, causing relentless pain.

They can't remove or destroy either one because there is no way to trace exactly what each one does. For example, which one controls my legs? If one is destroyed, will I be a paraplegic? Would I be paralyzed on one side?

This might be type of the risk your doc is worried about....nerve damage beyond your spine.

This twinned nerve root was discovered during a major spinal surgery I had in 2016, when I was 61. I survived the surgery just fine, and I'm a pack-a-day smoker (I did not tell my surgeon). The surgery was to straighten a fairly severe spinal curvature. The surgeon implanted titanium rods and anchors.

That was pretty great until a year ago, when my spine began collapsing at the points above and below the rods. Your doc might be worried about a similar type of risk.

I totally sympathize, 911, and I've discovered over the years that spine specialists have a lot to learn. I encourage you to do some research. Like, my award-winning (literally) spinal surgeon told me he'd never ever heard of a twinned nerve root before. I did a little online research when I got home and found out it is rare, but other people do have it. There were even images.
Click to expand...
The surgeon told me that putting in spacers is always considered risky. He doesn’t know if he would be able to locate the spacers advantageously enough that would give me the relief I am looking for. And of course, he added, there is always a risk of detrimental proportions.
 

911 said:
The surgeon told me that putting in spacers is always considered risky. He doesn’t know if he would be able to locate the spacers advantageously enough that would give me the relief I am looking for. And of course, he added, there is always a risk of detrimental proportions.
Click to expand...
And they can't un-do what they did. If a correction or repair causes damage, it's permanent. That's probably more frightening for surgeons than it is for their patients. (surgeons who care, that is)

Mine avoided eye-contact with me at our last appointment. He's done hundreds of these amazing surgeries for about a decade, not knowing that some of them would cause irreparable damage down the road.

I don't mean to discourage you, I'm just saying keep doing the research. (y)
 
I find that on average I’m able to retain a doctor for about three years in semi-rural Pennsylvania. After that point, they seem to want to either retire, move to be closer to their extended families, or are disgusted with working under an “overlord” system that restricts how they may practice. Then I’m assigned to a new MD or PA who knows me not at all, and must begin building a new relationship…
 

Murrmurr said:
And they can't un-do what they did. If a correction or repair causes damage, it's permanent. That's probably more frightening for surgeons than it is for their patients. (surgeons who care, that is)

Mine avoided eye-contact with me at our last appointment. He's done hundreds of these amazing surgeries for about a decade, not knowing that some of them would cause irreparable damage down the road.

I don't mean to discourage you, I'm just saying keep doing the research. (y)
Click to expand...
I sent my MRI to a surgeon in Dallas who is supposed to be one of the best Neurosurgeons in the U.S. and after almost a month, he wrote back and stated in his letter that the surgery needed to correct my issue is very risky, but it is worthy of making an attempt. He further stated that the method he uses limits the risk of further harm.

He suggested I make an appointment and visit his office to undergone a few tests before deciding whether to proceed with the procedure. He told me I should plan on being in Dallas about 10 days.

This surgeon came recommended to me from another Trooper whose wife Is from Dallas and operated on her dad. He is considered one of the best Neurosurgeons in the country. His name is Dr. Kyle Douty. Her dad had rods and 16 back surgeries. He got rid of the rods and did 2 surgeries that gave him about 75% relief. Her dad doesn’t need to use a walker or wheelchair anymore.

I think it depends a lot on the patient. After a patient meets the doctor, they can decide how much confidence they have in the doctor. I am the kind of patient that asks a lot of questions. Maybe that’s just the cop in me, but when those of us that have back problems for an extended period of time, you learn a lot about what’s going on with your back and you also learn what questions to ask.

How many different doctors have you visited. Has your pain level ever reached to the level where you just want to give up?
 
911 said:
I sent my MRI to a surgeon in Dallas who is supposed to be one of the best Neurosurgeons in the U.S. and after almost a month, he wrote back and stated in his letter that the surgery needed to correct my issue is very risky, but it is worthy of making an attempt. He further stated that the method he uses limits the risk of further harm.

He suggested I make an appointment and visit his office to undergone a few tests before deciding whether to proceed with the procedure. He told me I should plan on being in Dallas about 10 days.

This surgeon came recommended to me from another Trooper whose wife Is from Dallas and operated on her dad. He is considered one of the best Neurosurgeons in the country. His name is Dr. Kyle Douty. Her dad had rods and 16 back surgeries. He got rid of the rods and did 2 surgeries that gave him about 75% relief. Her dad doesn’t need to use a walker or wheelchair anymore.

I think it depends a lot on the patient. After a patient meets the doctor, they can decide how much confidence they have in the doctor. I am the kind of patient that asks a lot of questions. Maybe that’s just the cop in me, but when those of us that have back problems for an extended period of time, you learn a lot about what’s going on with your back and you also learn what questions to ask.

How many different doctors have you visited. Has your pain level ever reached to the level where you just want to give up?
Click to expand...
That sounds great! IMO, at your age, you should go for it.

I took a fall of about 60 feet when I was 36....or 34, I can't remember, and that probly has to do with head trauma. That's when I had my first major back surgery, and I've been treated, opened up, and given injection therapies by several spine specialists and neurologists since. I've been with my current pain management doc and back surgeon since 2015, and my last major back surgery was in 2016. The surgeon doesn't want to do another surgery.

"Has your pain level ever reached to the level where you just want to give up?"

Yes, and I would have given up a while back except I obtained a foster-parent license and certification in 2019 - out of boredom, basically - and CPS surprised me with a baby boy just a few days later. He lived with me for almost 3 years, and I had him almost every weekend for a couple years after that. Meanwhile, I met my current wife, and we got married a few years ago.

My foster son turned 6 in June and was officially adopted by a pretty decent family this month. We haven't been in contact for about a year, but I know for sure he's doing alright. My wife just earned a 2-year degree and is going for more, she's chosen a solid career path, and the house will be paid off by Christmas. So I feel like my work is done, know what I mean?
 
I am not sure what you mean, but it sounds like you are pretty well set going forward. I wish you the best of luck.

I have to make a decision as to whether I want to make the trip to Dallas or not. At this point, I am interested and would at the very least get his opinion.
 
911 said:
I am not sure what you mean, but it sounds like you are pretty well set going forward. I wish you the best of luck.

I have to make a decision as to whether I want to make the trip to Dallas or not. At this point, I am interested and would at the very least get his opinion.
Click to expand...
Extreme pain can be very motivating. I hope you find a doctor who can bring you some relief.
 
911 said:
I am not sure what you mean, but it sounds like you are pretty well set going forward. I wish you the best of luck.

I have to make a decision as to whether I want to make the trip to Dallas or not. At this point, I am interested and would at the very least get his opinion.
Click to expand...
Maybe traveling won't seem so bad in the spring. Meanwhile, you might consider asking the Dallas surgeon if he can recommend an equally capable surgeon at a medical uni that's closer to you, one who's familiar with his less risky method. (my surgeon is also associated with a university)

In any case, Good Luck back at you.
 
Murrmurr said:
Maybe traveling won't seem so bad in the spring. Meanwhile, you might consider asking the Dallas surgeon if he can recommend an equally capable surgeon at a medical unit that's closer to you, one who's familiar with his less risky method. (my surgeon is also associated with a university)

In any case, Good Luck back at you.
Click to expand...
He did recommend a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Chang, but when I call, I only get his answering machine. I am in Florida right now, but when I get back to PA, I am going to contact the Neurosurgery Department and ask if they can send his office a message to please contact me.

Thanks for the conversation. One thing I have learned is that unless you suffer from severe back pain, you don't realize how debilitating it is. It really limits what you are able to do from day to day. I was at the range all day not long ago and I shot maybe 50 rounds. When I shot my friend's S&W 9mm Carbine, I actually felt a sharp pain in my lower back. I never expected that to happen.
 
911 said:
He did recommend a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Chang, but when I call, I only get his answering machine. I am in Florida right now, but when I get back to PA, I am going to contact the Neurosurgery Department and ask if they can send his office a message to please contact me.

Thanks for the conversation. One thing I have learned is that unless you suffer from severe back pain, you don't realize how debilitating it is. It really limits what you are able to do from day to day. I was at the range all day not long ago and I shot maybe 50 rounds. When I shot my friend's S&W 9mm Carbine, I actually felt a sharp pain in my lower back. I never expected that to happen.
Click to expand...
"equally capable surgeon at a medical uni that's closer to you" ...By "uni" I meant university. Doctors and surgeons who are associated with medical universities have access to the most advanced equipment and most current information, and they generally attend more seminars and lectures than doctors who aren't.

Anyway, yes, it's been a good conversation. It's always good to talk to someone who's in pretty much the same boat. It's hard for people who don't have back problems to understand that it effects your whole life, that for freaking years or decades it wears you down physically and mentally, effects your ability to concentrate, your relationships, your self-worth...

To accurately describe my back pain to my grandson (because he asked), I said: Do you remember that time you had a really bad toothache, and you couldn't go to school on Friday, and you had to suffer all weekend because you couldn't be seen until Monday? Imagine that bad tooth is your whole spine, and Monday isn't coming. That's what my back pain is like. My whole torso feels like a giant bad tooth, decayed to the nerve, and I have to function as well as I can ev-e-r-y single day with exactly that kind of pain going on nonstop. And spinal dentistry isn't a thing.

He's been taking the trash out for me ever since. :p
Seriously, though, whenever he comes over, he always asks if there's anything he can do for me.
 
officerripley said:
This is so frustrating: Huzz has been going to a pain management specialist for several months, jumping through all the hoops that insurance company requires so he can get an ablation therapy treatment on his neck (in a lot of pain), He's jumped through several hoops and was due to see the dr. next week about finally getting the treatment, but! The dr. has suddenly retired!

They did refer him to a different pain management doc here in town who's taking the previous doc's patients. But the neurologist who referred him to the first pain management doc told us that there were only 2 pain management docs here in town who are worth a darn, this guy who just retired and another one whose name I can't remember but I know it's not the one who's taking the retiree's patients.

So I get on the phone to call that neurologist and ask him the name of the other good doc. Welp, the neurologist has either retired or just left the area. (He did tell us that this state is awful to be a medical professional in due to all the regulations.) So I guess Huzz is stuck with this one.

Thanks for listening.
Click to expand...
I think there are lots of places that are losing health professionals. We're dealing with it too, all over Canada. I've heard that some reasons are that they're either retiring or quitting because they got so burned out and disrespected during covid. We finally got connected to a doctor's office last year and last month found out that our doctor was leaving that office and we're back to square one, hoping that they can find someone else to take his place.
 
Last edited:
dilettante said:
Study after study shows that 90% of the women sleep around with 10% of the men, and typically they're the abusive ones and ones who get "bored" quickly and dump them.

Don't try to make promiscuity a men's issue. It isn't.
Click to expand...
When you make comments like that, it behooves you to supply at least one link to a study. Otherwise it sounds like misoginy on your part.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top