San Diego Folks (Anyone actually):Questions and Massive Head/neck pain

[KonaKid]

Please, where to go if spine is falling apart? So much pain and paralysis, CES, etc...Went to rehad after nine years of being on meds...worse pain now. What to do.

Is CES at all link to thoracic spine or only lumbar?

I'm tired now. Been up all night. Yet, does anyone suffer with massive head/neck pain since double fusion neck surgery (this should be a separate thread..later)...Since 2001 I have suffered..in and out of ER's...docs can't figure it out...both disk, above and below, are bulging...

Need thoracic spine doc...do ya know one?

[DesertBloom]

Hi: Thoracic injuries can cause problems below the waist. I would call Scripps or UCSD, and ask if they have the type of Dr you're looking for. If you're having bladder/bowel probs, see a Dr asap.

I've never had surgery on that area of the spine (only lumbar), but I have ddd throughout all levels, and severe headaches aren't unusual for the type of injury you have. Who ordered the test you had? Did you have a Dr and now need a new one? If so, can that Dr refer you to a specialist?

Scripps is really good, and I don't know much about UCSD other than it's a Univ Med Center, so they would have PhD's in the field your looking for.

Good luck, and don't wait too long with this

[KonaKid]

Looks like I've waited too long...told three years ago from a retired surgeon that I have CES...went back to my surgeon (has privleges at Scripps) but didn't listen...now the symptoms are so bad. I was going to go to UCSD, but someone said don't...ya never know...it seemed like that would be the place to go...but, well, anyway, waiting to hear if State Fund will approve the surgeon I decided upon on my own...just didn't know before I chose him that only certain surgeons operate on the thoracic (learned that from here late last night)..now I'm wondering...my first inclination was UCSD, but the traveling and arranging for rides is hell on earth...I think Dante actually wrote about that...First level of hell was the decaying body and the docs and attorneys and insurance and meds and this and that...ha ha. Nothing "ha ha" about the situation though. The thought that I told them years ago...the thought that I've been reporting all the symptoms for years...man...what a mess...now to learn that it might be too late. Now to learn after you were told ya don't then, but ya most likely do now...how can that be (only asking myself.) Thank You for response...

[DesertBloom]

Hi Konagold: I guess I'm a bit confused why a Dr would tell you that you have CES, and not treat it immediately.

Some Univ Med Centers have free shuttles; I don't know if UCSD does or if you live close enough, but you might want to check on that. I've never heard anything negative about UCSD, and I've been to Scripps, so I mentioned those two thinking you might live close to one of them.

If you've found a Dr near that does treat or do surgery on the thoracic spine, I hope you can get in there.

I don't have CES, but have been warned about it due to my level of fusions, so I can't tell you what the route would be to confirm a dx or get a new dx.

If you can get to Loma Linda, I highly recommend their NS department, but that is even further away. They have a shuttle, but I think you have to live in the city to use it.

Don't assume that anything is too late, you never know...

Good Luck...

[KonaKid]

Loma Linda, yeah, that is the place to go...but. The surgeon who told me I had CES, was retired, check my MRIs out for free--imagine that. Anyway, told Pain Management doc and surgeon, but all just blew it off. I would say more about it, but then would be navigating this thought vessel into negative waters...you're not suppose to talk "negative" about the docs, eh. Loma Linda, do you know the name of a surgeon there you can recommend? One who is a thoracic spine surgeon too. I learned at this site that not all spine surgeons are thoracic spine surgeons. I've all ready chosen another surgeon in Escondido (I hear he is good)--he still hasn't been approved by State Fund...so still time to change. But Loma Linda I know is the place. I'd choose that over UCSD.