Update to my car accident injuries from last november

[MaryB]

After going through my doctors conservative treatment route or meds and PT I finally had a neck CT scan done. Ruptured discs from c4-c7(maybe T1, he is looking them over again after spotting something yesterday) and the neurosurgeon is recommending fusion of 3 levels. Spinal cord is compressed(explains loss of strength on my right arm, down to half) and the constant dull neck ache. They are getting it all ran through my car insurance and probably the kids insurance and them probably onto my medicare insurance if it is as expensive as my lower back surgery was. That was $75,000 and they did less.

Right wrist damage is still there too, seeing the wrist specialist April 3 to get his opinion. My doc was thinking torn tendons inside the wrist joint where things are hard to see.

Not going to be a fun summer from the sounds of things, after neck heals they need to do a 4 level lumbar fusion too.

[6bg6ga]

As one that has had back work I would seek a second opinion. Did you go to the Mayo clinic?

[ole 5 hole group]

^^^^^^ What he said - a second opinion is almost a must with that type of diagnosis and since you're in Minnesota the Mayo Clinic is fairly close and is top notch rated - go there.

[jmort]

Wow. The upper extremity weakness is a big concern. Will pray for a quick recovery. You have been through too many trials. Please keep us updated.

[Bloodman14]

Can a chiropractor do anything for you? They got me straightened out a few years ago.

[Doc Highwall]

MaryB. have you had any PT in a pool? The reason I mention it is I have had 8 operations with 3 of them on my spine and 1 on my shoulder, and when I was in the pool the buoyancy took a lot of strain off my skeletal system allowing me to strengthen my muscles with a lot less pain.

[6bg6ga]

Can a chiropractor do anything for you? They got me straightened out a few years ago.

I can answer this. No, not when you have ruptured disks. Most generally when disks rupture they do so inside near the spinal cord which puts pressure on it. The result is extreme pain and swelling. The movement done by chiropractors generally will rupture the disk even further.

I blew my disks in 1986 and they removed one and fused two of them. The fused disks unfortunately didn't stay fused. I have a 8-10" scar on my lower back from where they operated. Today they generally can do the same thing with a 1"-1.5" incision. Now days they use laser for a lot of the work.

Like I mentioned I would obtain a second opinion and one that won't be swayed by an insurance company. As a matter of fact I highly recommend getting an attorney since an insurance company is involved. They have a habbit of getting someone to work on you that may not be the best in the field and they wan't you to sign off on it. Once you sign off they are off the hook.

You need to see if you can sign yourself into the Mayo clinic and get the process going. Now, I am by no means talking doom and gloom. I've mentioned a few things in an effort to try to help a fellow gun nut. I've also suffered my share and know how you feel. I've also been worked on and am almost as good as I was before my accident. There is no 100% and I'm not going to try to tell you there is. I am sure however that they will fix you and you will have relief again.

Best to you,
Joe

[Doc Highwall]

Look up the Laser Spine Institute.

http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/

[leeggen]

MaryB emember contrary to what the ins. group tells you you do have the right to select the dr of your choice as a second opinion, and the ins. still has to pay. Good advice to get att., ins. co. change their tune real quick at the mention of such. Being as it is your back and neck go to one of the top three dr in your area that specializes in the back and neck sugery. been there done that, one fussion and 8 ruptured disc, and one fractured vert. Error to the side of caution with those injuries.yrs down the road things will happen.
CD

[MaryB]

I am going through my normal doctors not anyone picked by the insurance company and one of the best neurosurgeons in Minnesota. The mayo is out of network for medicare so not an option. Same surgeon who did my lumbar decompression, that gained me 6 years of much less pain before it started to deteriorate more. I have to stay in network or I can get stuck with 20% of any costs the car insurance won't cover. At least stuck until the lawyer gets done suing them which could be another year or two.

Car insurance wants an independent medical exam, those are a joke and waste of time and my lawyer is trying to get them to cancel considering i am scheduling surgery. I have looked at the laser stuff and not a valid treatment for badly blown discs like I have. Even I could see the disc flattening the spinal cord on the CT scan without the doc pointing it out so it is not minor. Plates and added bone are in my future. You can see the disc wrapping around the spinal cord from the back side it is that bad.

These are the guys I see for my back http://mnspineandbrain.com/

[6bg6ga]

You may want to check with your lawyer again. I think maybe the car insurance can be made to pay the 20% costs after all you didn't cause the accident. Courts don't look favorably on insurance companies that won't own up.

[OBIII]

MaryB, I had disc's C2-C7 removed and replaced with titanium rods and pins 10 years ago. My symptoms from the problem (Spinal Stenosis) were and are taken care of. My Dr. is here in Maryland, which won't help you, but goes to show that there are competent surgeons to be found. Best of luck to you.

OB

[MaryB]

Thanks. Yes the car insurance will pick it up, but I do have limits on my policy of $30, then it goes to the kids no fault of $30k, then to the kids liability. But he has safeco and they are best known for bad faith dealings.

[freebullet]

Hope this all works out for you. My wife still suffers from injuries she received from a careless driver 5years ago. Very frustrating.

[country gent]

Mary, Things get interesting with car accidents real fast. Person that hit my wife had 12,000/25000 coverage 12000 per person 25000 total per accident. There were 3 people involved ( my wife the persons passenger and the person) along with 2 cars and contents. My wifes medicals including life flight was 230,000 alone. Our car insurance policy maxed and went to health ins from work after that. Watch very carefully what goes on and How its being done. Local sheriff and prosecutor were miserable to me. Im from Ohio and each state is diffrent I know. I would recomend talking to an attorney ( a reputable one) that handles these types of cases. In the end our car insurance and health insurance covered close to 85% of her bills. On the plus side You survived the accident and are still here with us. My wifes accident was one of the few in Ohio where fault was 100% other driver. I was over a year and a half getting everything straightened out with an attorney. Wifes estate wasnt a big deal, but the insuances were.

[pretzelxx]

If only the case of "walk it off" actually made things better. That's a long road to recovery by the sound of it, but best of wishes! Hope everything turns out well in the end and you're still able to enjoy your hobbies and life!

[MaryB]

This injury is for life, the concussion alone is causing problems with my sight/light sensitivity/lingering headaches. I bent the door frame above the window with my skull... so yeah my lawyer is going to have loads of fun with them. Add in going for pain and suffering against the kids insurance/moms insurance

[leeggen]

MaryB sounds to me you are in good hands. It is just that time to get it done thing that leaves you depressed. I can suggest that you exercise those back muscles. If you will fix a pulley overhead and setup/lay down you can exercise without putting down presusre on the disc.
I have a fussion at c5-c6, bone graft from cadiver with total disc removal.
That was in 1993 and I have not reggetted it at all. Don't wait too long for sugery or you can have perminant nerve damage. Nerves do heal but only 1mm/month I beleive is the rate. You have mythoughts and prayers cause I know the pain and false pains that go along with the injury.
CD

[MaryB]

Right now wait is on insurance to get back to the nurse so she can setup the appointment. Hope to get this done so I am healed before my annual 4th of July BBQ.

[w5pv]

Dr.William R Francis,Spinal institute Houston TX,He is known widely for his work.When he did my work in 96 there were patients as far away as South Africa.I know of several that he has worked on with no complaints.He is known for correcting other Dr's mistakes also.

[leadman]

MaryB, the vision problem and headaches might be from the spine issues also. I have degenerative disc disease and arthritis in my back with the C vertebrae collapsing and pinching the medial nerves. I get radio frequency nerve ablations for this and it works good for about a year. I have the constant dull headache and vision problems along with a sharp pain at times when the nerves regenerate.
One doctor wanted to fuse my C vertebrae but the doctor that does the nerve ablations said as long as the nerve ablations work the operation can be done later if needed.
Good luck with your treatment.

[MaryB]

With the loss of strength in the right arm and the severity of the discs pressing on the spinal cord doc said anything else would be very temporary and I would be back in months so I may as well get it fixed.

I had a massive concussion on top of things, I was unconscious for about 5 minutes or so. Saw the hood crumple, felt my head hit then next thing I remember is the kid standing next to my car asking over and over if I was okay. So I am sure some of the headache/vision issues are partly from that but one of the headaches is also definitely my neck. If I move wrong I get a band of pain from around the back of my head to the eye socket corners...