Hey Guys, Sorry this took so long to rspond too.

I'll try to keep things short, I saw the NS, he odered a CT/bone scan, I do have some fractures around several screws and the other hardware problems I already I knew I had.

The suregon seemed very willing and eager to redo the entre thing, extend it up 3 more levels and do a global aproach using Bak cages and plates on the back side, He also wanted to use ribs as donor bone for such a long fusion. We didn't see eye to eye on my "patch me up" idea and after some arguing as to why he couldn't just patch the worst of it. I tried dicussing the bracing option and he seemed to think it's just putting off the inevatable and the loss of muscle and strength wouldn't be worth it. Which I somewhat agree with.



I went back to my PM group and spoke with the DO there, he did send me to an prosthetic maker and they designd me a brace that isn't quite as combersome as I had though it would be. I've been trying to adjust to it, but I still feel I'm getting more from my own physical therapy and excercises I devised to stabalize my core muscles, which has made a difference in the amount of crunching and movement going on.

After a couple weeks in the brace, I decided I can't function or live with this thing so I'll keep the brace for bad days when I can't seem to stop the crunching on my own. I'm still open to finding a doc willing to patch rather than butcher me, but I do understand the docs unwillingness to do an incomplete sugery.. I still feel Like I know my body best and recovering from a 9 level fusion would set me so far back it would take years to get back to where I am now if that was even possble.

Obviously lots of cons when considering surgery and I don't see where another roll of the dice with crappy odds is worth all the possible negatives from another monster fusion.

I really don't know if patching things is just an unrealistic request, but I would also like a doc to acknowledge all the risks involved when explaining a surgry, which this guy seemed to think it couldn't make things worse, hah!!, I have had 3 surgeries already that made me worse and the technique he's talkng about has some major risks, like loss of bladder and bowel, paralysis, yada yada, all the same risks I have if I do nothing.

The core stabilization excercises are working, I crunch and squeak less and feel stronger, the brace is hard to adjust too and makes sitting and typeing very difficult. But it does help when I'm having a bad day. It's just hard to get up and down with the brace, I can't get up without a cane or help. I forgot how much fun they were. LOL

Anyway, I'm back to square one, Had another consult, didn't like the options, MY PM group understands the risk and odds for a succesful outcome so The DO was willing to try bracing and wrote the RX/instructions for the brace himself. I think I have been the guinea pig too many times and I want someone else to prove any technique works better than the ones they have already tried or the ones that they need willing patients to test their new techniques and theories on.

The NS I saw has never done a 9 level fusion, other than typical harrington rods with wires and hooks they do for scoliosis, which aren't fusions, just strightening procedures, not exactly a confidence builder, but his theory is, if he can do a 4 level fusion he can do a 9. I can build a bird house but it doesn't mean I can build my own home, I think my comment ticked him off.

Anyway, sorry I haven't been around much, Things are OK on the homefront, MY wife is feeling better and actively looking for work, that would take a bundle of stress of both of us.

Thanks for asking and I'll try to anwer some questions later on although you guys are doing great from the posts I have simply read, no need to reiterate what's been perfectly said. ;)

I hope everyone is doing fine and has a nice sping break.
Take care, Dave