RPOWELL

We are 3 weeks into our post-op of having the Maverick Disc replacement surgery. We were the first in North Carolina, and all the big patent reps were present during the surgery. We had a 4 day hospital stay, and that was mostly just waiting around for the bowels to wake up. We were up and walking the halls the day after surgery. Now walking two miles a day. We go for our first post-op visit the week of Christmas. Pain has been mild to moderate at times, but the walking has improved. No longer do we limp and gimp as we walk. Most of our pain is at night, usually associated with the anxiety and anticipation of wanting to get back into society as soon as possible. Cabin fever and winter weather is the worst time of the year to schedule this kind of surgery. It really limits you exercise outside. All though it is still very very early in our recovery, we have had to learn that you will always have some form of back pain, but the goal is to finish with less pain than you had prior to the surgery. Good luck to everyone out there. It is definately worth it. We wouldn't consider fusion, therefore we were fortunate this came along. I'm curious how everyone else is recovering. Keep me updated. Thanks.

Also, i saw where others are fighting worker's comp... we have been in the middle of this battle since 2001. We decided to go thru with the ADR using private health insurance, with the study hopefully paying the difference (at least that is what they have promised us). Then later, we will try to get worker's comp to go back and pay for everything, surgery, mileage, time loss from work, etc. Basically you have to decide what is best for yourself. And at the time, we had to do what was necessary to get my husband out of pain as quick as possible. He has already suffered 3 years. Another 2 years for FDA approval was unrealistic.