lostsoul15204

Hi MAGTIZE, No I don't know of Dr Welch,I did have my surgery at UPMC Shadyside. My doc was on vacation when I had emergency surgery for infection in spine that settled in my L-3-4 disc, That was in Dec fo 02 and I still have infection today with no fusion yet. I keep telling my surgeon this,as how can I get fusion with infection eating away the bones in my spine!!!!!And all he says is that he thinks he scraped out all of infection and it's still to early to tell. Once he said to me that we don' t need positive fusion for this to work,as long as it reduces my pain and infection!!!!! I get so fustrated at times and boy can I vent!!!!! I was told by many people that UPMC Shadyside is the best place to be for these kind of surgeries. I still severe pain on top of pain meds with CMPS IN MY LEFT SHOULDER along with sciatic nerve pain in left buttock and leg, I can't work because of pain and pain meds as I am a CDL truck driver and I can't drive commercially on opiates, I am now on SSD without any health insurance ( medicare) until 6-04. try to figure that one out!!! These laws are rediculous sometimes. Sorry this is so long and I don't know the doc. I hope some one here can fill you in. I CAN'Y BE THE ONLY CP"er in Western PA. Good luck and God Bless, Rick

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Rick

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Rick