Re: Failed Back Syndrome

On May 6, 10:41 am, "OldGoat" <oldgoatm...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear Ricky,

Welcome to the world of MD's catch alls of diagnosis. Failed back syndrome,
DDD, even things like Fibro are used when a doctor can't figure out the
exact cause of a chronic pain issue. It's frustrating, depressing, and
angering.
But you can find a lot of stuff on your own by slowly reading reports and
test results and using the net to look up some of their "fancier than need
be, Latin medical terms". A real good place to find out in layman's words
exactly what the issue is can be the radiologists reports on X-rays, MRI's,
CAT's, etc. Many times they will hide the problem right in plain sight.
Doctors have developed bad habits over the years. Many of us, damn near
everyone you know, has a back problem, like a bulging disk or something
equally mundane. Docs pass it by because in many people it doesn't hurt
them. But they do a patient a disservice by ignoring it. Having a bad disk
is perfectly normal, really. We aren't built right to go around on two feet.
It's a skill that takes us years to learn, and throughout the rest of our
lives we still haven't perfected it, skinning knees, and twisting ankles.
Even the best athletes in the world just take a little nudge and- boom- on
their asses (a skill in games like basketball, but they have a long way to
fall before they hit the ground)
Failed Back Syndrome, Degenerative Disk Disease, they are so general and
such a broad brush, they offer no hope of real diagnosis and possible
healing. So you are doing the right thing, trying to get a better definition
of the problem (I heard the Mayo Clinic is lousy BTW. Just hearsay) But it's
more complex than a general diagnosis does justice to.
The problem can be skeletal or structural in nature, it can be nerve
related, far from the point of the actual pain. You may already have the
answer in hand, depending on tests you may have done. You need to
investigate structural issues (orthopedic) or nerve issues (a neurologist or
neurosurgeon.) or a combination of both (a bad disk, pinching a nerve is a
good example).
Just beware of taking one doctors word, no matter how many diploma's fill
the guys office. You get a couple saying the same thing, well, you may have
something going on, a definite verdict. But do everything you can before
they talk you in to a gown and an operating room. Surgery lasts forever, and
if they screw up the works, there's no heading back, no undoing it.
I'm rambling again and I don't know how much help I have been, if any, just
be careful. There's a lot of 21st century snake oil salesmen that claim to
have the cure. You best defense is learning all you can about your body,
what they claim to know it's doing, and remember these doctors are people
mechanics, you hire them, you can fire them, and they can screw up just as
bad as a lousy mechanic, one that's answer to it all is to replace all the
parts, but they can't diagnose a thing.
Just a suggestion and I'll give you a break from my rambling. A relative or
friend can tip you on to a good MD, but they can also warn you away from the
lousy ones. If you have a major sports team in your locality find out who
they use. The guy with the 8 million dollar contract is going to find the
best help he can to get back in to pre injury shape. The flip side of that
coin is they'll do whatever gets them back on the field or court tomorrow
and worry about walking or being pain free ten years down the road, when
they get there. 8 million bucks can be one hell of a distraction from the
pain.

Be careful out there--og

"Ricky Hunt" <rhun...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:amp%h.99174$_c5.11997@xxxxxxxxxxxx



Does anyone know of any good hospitals that have a failed back clinic? Or
has anyone here ever been do Mayo for chronic pain?

--
Thanks,
Ricky Hunt- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Aloha Ricky and OG and All!

Thanks OG, for writing what you did. It only just REconfirms what I've
been told before about what's REALLY behind the "final" diagnosis from
the three surgeons that I allowed to butcher my lower spine.

I honestly thought I'd found "the one" surgeon that was going to make
me all fixed so after a decent period of recovery and PT I'd be able
to live "normally" until I was at least 60, just because he had a
"piece of paper hanging on his wall" showing he'd worked at the Mayo
Clinic in Rochester. I used to have a lot of faith in that place, I
guess a lot of people did, I don't know what happened, because i agree
with you that it's lost more credibility than it has gained over the
last decade. I don't know why and think it's a real shame. I used to
think of the Mayo Clinic as kind of the "Supreme Court" of Medicine. A
"last resort" that one could go to (because of the cost!), however,
not any more! It's just another large money wasting research facility
now.

Ricky, I was told I had Failed Back Syndrome after three different
surgeons did three different surgeries and none of them worked. They
didn't know what else to tell me. I'd LOVE to have my entire medical
records and take a look at the entire thing at my liesure, the only
trouble with that now is I'd have to ask for them to make copies a it
and I have VOLUMES of files now and not just one thin chart after all
this time. I checked to see what it would cost for me to get copies of
the entire thing and the medical records people told me it costs 50
cents a ***! I've got a few REAMS of paper in mine....so, I couldn't
see doing it when there may not be a solution in the end. Although, if
I see many more posts like yours and OG's, I'm seriously going to
rethink that point! Hmmm...

And to think I moved from Minnesota, home of the Mayo Clinic, to
Hawaii, home of dysfunctional doctors! LOL! Can win sometimes...ya
know?

Aloha For Now,
Hawaiian Wayne

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