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About Doug

U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy Veteran
Served aboard USS Von Steuben SSBN 632

Medical

I am currently in the process of applying for disability and it's one of the most frustrating, aggravating things in the whole world. It's as if it's designed for you to fail and fall through the cracks. There are no financial safety nets if you can't work. There is no temporary financial assistance if you hadn't chosen long term disability insurance, which most cant afford. You can't collect unemployment because you have to be able to, or be ready to work. Without family, an injured person such as myself, would be literally on the street. Please donate and help take the burden off my family.

Diagnosis'

Prior Surgery - ACDF c5-6 w/hardware and donor bone - 4-23-02 - Residual pain
Moderate herniated disk (ruptured disk): c4-5 - w/canal encroachment
Large herniated disk (ruptured disk): c6-7 w/ cord compression and nerve root impingement
Bulging disk: c3-4
Compression fracture (wedge) t12 (thoracic) which causes moderate pain on physical exertion, especially bending and twisting.
Bulging disks L3-4 and L4-5 - Proper body mechanics is a must to avoid sharp, shooting pain
Facet Hypertrophy - Multiple Lumbar Levels
Foraminal Narrowing L3-4
Spondylosis/bone spurs - multiple cervical levels
Degenerative Disk Disease - multiple spinal levels
Facet Disease - multiple spinal levels
Schmorl's Node(s) T10-L1, L5
Functional Hallux Limitus / DJD / R-Foot / Makes a cane necessary, aggravates L3 and L5
Chronic Pain Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Clinical Chronic Depression

The Doctors

June '03 - Dr. Inez Bland: Ft. Pierce, FL
The previous Neurosurgeon, Dr. Bland, whom I'd been seeing since January 2003, has now chosen not to perform surgery in the state of florida due to the cost of malpractice insurance. Can't blame her, I guess, but damn sure puts me in a bind, eh. More lengthy pain, and more pain drugs, that's for sure!

These are the procedures that Dr, Bland wanted to do:

Remove the existing fixation hardware from the ACDF at my c5-6 level, done in April '02, and do c3-c7. That's a 4 level ACDF, with hardware!
Laminectomy - An anterior incision to remove extensive bone spurs from c3-7. Also, fusion and installation of another fixation device.

I looked into another procedure, but I'm not qualified. - "Cervical Endoscopic Discectomy" - It's less invasive, but I don't know if I'm a candidate for it yet because of the spurs and nerve roots that requires decompression. Also, there's spinal cord compression at c6-7 so that one is definitely out.

Dr. Jonothon Paine, M.D. F.A.C.S.

His first order of business was to have another myelogram to get a better look at the neck. Shit, I need my whole spine done, but I can't seem to convince them. I hurt all over from other areas of my spine, just not my neck, but the all want to focus on the neck because it's so fucking bad.

I hope I can get all things figured our before the Cobra runs out in January. After that, I'm shit out of luck.

I go to find out about the Myelogram on July 29th and I'm not too overly optimistic about surgery. Well with the significant cord compression, and other symptomology associated with it, it's almost a shoe it.

All I ask is that if there is surgery, it help the the nearly 24/7 migraine-like headaches from the neck pain. It's difficult to control even with the Methadone and 30-45mg of MSIR and Phenergan for the nausea.