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From George, 2
level ADR
Nov
28th 2003
Background: My
lower back pain started in July 2002. I switched to Emory Spine Center in Jan.
2003, and was told that they could fix my problem. It was such a relief just to
hear those words. I was beginning to think that I was going to have to live in
pain the rest of my life or be on narcotics while life went by me.
In April of last year, I had a "non-invasive" procedure called an IDET. At
the six-week follow-up I was still in pain. The problem was that I was told
nothing else could be done for SIX MONTHS. The summer months were spent having
different injections into my facet joints in attemp to get some pain relief.
Finally, the six months post IDET had passed. On Oct 14, I was able to
meet with a surgeon, Dr. John Heller, to get my problem resolved. Tina and Iwere
expecting to go the route of spinal fusion. He refused me the surgery because
he didn't feel I would get relief. He said I needed artificial disc replacement
(ADR). This was only in trial stages in U.S. , but available in Europe.
Medically, we were basically on our own at that point. Little did we know that
God was beginning to work fast in our lives and this was just the start of a
life changing journey for both of us.
We came home devestated thinking that we had struck out. We started doing
research on ADR's and found out quickly that I did not qualify for the clinical
trials in the U.S. It was either go to Europe or having to wait possibly years
to get the surgery here. There was really no choice...we had to go.
Tina got information from an internet support group and I found mine
through search engines and sites where I had researched some of my earlier
procedures. I found The Special Clinic for Orthopedics in Stenum, Germany. Tina
also found that one along with a few others that had performed ADR on Americans.
I sent my information to three different facilities. Stenum replied immediatley,
gave me a surgery date and answered all of our questions. We decided to go there
before the others answered our initial inquiry. However, we did hear from them
before we left and they thought I was a candidate for 2 level also.
God was beginning to really show us his hand at work in our life. He gave me
a doctor who refused to do the wrong surgery, a contact in Germany who made the
process easy, a family that could look after our kids, and a church that would
pray for us.
The trip: We left Atlanta November 23 for Bremen, ( Germany via
Philadelphia and Paris). At the airport we were met by a member of the hospital
staff who took us to the hotel next to the hospital. That is when we found out
that I would have an American roommate- Lee Williams. The hospital brings
Americans in pairs or larger groups so they someone they can talk to and relate
to.
The hospital: My surgery was on Nov. 28 and all went as planned. I had two
disks replaced and could finally begin the road to recovery. Four days after my
surgery, the morphine epidural was removed. I was given the choice of staying on
the pain medicines I had been on and begin tapering off at home or come off the
meds then, and let them help me through the withdrawals while I was still in the
hospital. Three days later, I left the hospital with only incision pain and
taking only Vioxx and a non-narcotic pain medicine.
God put me in a place where I was physically healed and I was able to break
the bonds of strong opiate pain medicine. I had been on these for nearly a year
around the clock. These medicines had dulled my physical and mental senses to
the point I could not work, or drive, much less be a husband or a dad. One of
the biggest benefits to being in Germany was all distractions of normal life
were gone. No kids. No television. Telephones were not convenient or cheap. All
we had were each other and God.The year and a half of my being in pain had taken
a lot our of our marriage. Tina was doing more than her share. She was
exhausted. We finally had some real quality time. We were able to refocus and
reconnect. We have a plan, and at least now I am able to particiapte.
Since we were seperated by language, with most of the people we were
around, we talked to each other and to God. We also knew that we were being
prayed for at home. Everything seemed to just fall into place, but we know that
it was not just random. We thank God everyday for what He did for us.
Since we have returned home, both of us have been involved trying to help
people who need this surgery find answers to their questions. We do this by
participation in internet support groups, people I deal with at work, and the
Stenum Hosptial uses us a references to potential candidates. This has been very
rewarding and we hope we can give back some of what was given to us.back
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