[Mexican in NZ]

Hi there

I have been approved for an ACC funded spinal fusion surgery on my L4-L5 & L5-S1 discs here in Auckland. I am only 26 and have had conservative treatment for over a year since my injury without any success. :(

So with the pain that I am living in for the past 15 months I am hoping that the specialists advice of 75% success rate includes me in that lucky group. :yes

Does anyone on the forum know of a good spinal surgeon or know of anyone who has had a similar operation?

Thank you

Adriana

[marcia]

Ouch - sounds painful :( - don't know of a surgeon but just wanted to wish you all the best!

[Singel]

Hi there

I have been approved for an ACC funded spinal fusion surgery on my L4-L5 & L5-S1 discs here in Auckland. I am only 26 and have had conservative treatment for over a year since my injury without any success. :(

So with the pain that I am living in for the past 15 months I am hoping that the specialists advice of 75% success rate includes me in that lucky group. :yes

Does anyone on the forum know of a good spinal surgeon or know of anyone who has had a similar operation?

Thank you

Adriana
{{{{{ BIG HUGS TO YOU }}}}

We pray for your success with the operation :yes

[jaycee]

Hi Adriana, a work colleague of mine in a previous job had that operation. He took a while to make the decision to have it done, and was quite scared, because of the risks, but he was fine. I seem to remember the recovery time was quite long, but then he was older than you are. Hope it turns out well for you too :)

[Mexican in NZ]

Thank you marcia, singel and jaycee!!
Your good wishes made me very happy:raebanana and i definately felt the warmth of those big cyber hugs :p !!!!!!!!!
As soon as i book my surgery I will let you know. I think that it will be in the next month or 2 as i need to ask my parents when can they come to New Zealand from California and my sister from Mexico to be with me when the surgery takes part.
Wish you all the best and God Bless!

Adriana

[Nienke]

Good luck with the operation Adriana, and I hope you recover soon and completely!

[Mexican in NZ]

Thanks Nienke!!
God Bless u!

[Moorf]

Wishing you all the very best in your recovery Adriana.

Moorf
x

[Mexican in NZ]

Thank you moorf!!
God bless!

[Smiler]

Hi Adriana

If it helps my mum had this op in the UK about 10 years ago in her mid fifties. The success rate was low, from memory I think about 40% but the proposed benefit to her outweighed the risk (after an awful lot of thought and many years of pain) The surgeon waited for 2 years for technology to advance before he would do the operation, maybe because she was older, I'm unsure.

Her recovery time was long as well, particulary in hospital when nowadays you are made to get out of bed within 10 minutes. She had a special bed like the Thunderbirds chute which tipped up with her in it, so that she could walk off without having to bend to sit up for the first few times. Her grandkids thought it was brilliant!

After this she learnt to drive and had much more mobility, something which she could not have done pre op.

All the best to you for a swift recovery, which I'm sure will be helped by having your family around you too.

Take care.
D x

[Mexican in NZ]

I just want to tell you thank you! you have no idea of how much u made me have hope in the surgery :nice1 , i am so glad your mum is doing fine :clap .
I can barely do some normal activities, i dont sleep, and the pain in my legs(both now) is very bad, my back cramps at almost all times, etc.. i have been taking so many things for pain but i get no relief, i, as your mum, I am very nervous about the surgery but i hope everything goes well. I have good faith on the doctor who is going to be performing this surgery(Michael J Barnes), as he has been the only one that has sat with me and explain everything for 30 min, all the other specialists have seen me only for about 15 min maximum and i got no answers from them, one even put me back to work in a no safe enviroment for my back his name is Allistar Hudlow, so if someone here is having problems do not go with him!!!
About this surgery:
I am going to have a double fusion L4/L5 and L5/S1 and the disc in L5/S1 is going to be taking out and my spine will be fuse with some screws and parta of my hip bone (crafted bone). I will be staying in the hospital for four nights as is a very invasive surgery and i will need to have some help at home.
I am excited of having my family here i know i can count on them for everything so i feel so blessed.
Have a good day and God Bless,
Adriana

[Smiler]

No worries. :nice1

TBH I didn't want to scare you. :no It's is a huge invasive op and I can understand your fear, it's natural.

I saw my Mum in pain and I mean pain so bad the emergency doctor had her admitted to Atkinson Morley hospital, he was so concerned for her health. The change in her level of mobility afterward the op was huge.

After the op she learnt to drive, never having driven before. She learnt with a specially adapted car that meant she could use her right foot only and there was a scheme in the Uk that paid for her to have the little car we bought her converted.

The sight of my Mum driving up to the house with the grandkids strapped in the back seat, all grinning like cheshire cats, still makes me smile.

I hope that soon all the pain will be over for you, you can get your life back to normal and start doing the things you love again. You have that to look forward to and will have your family with you to help through the first difficult days.

Let us know how you get on please. :)

[Mexican in NZ]

I think ur nickname is the best way to describe how u made me feel with your coments :D

You have made me so hopeful, right now my doctor has called me to let me know the next available date for the surgery is on the 5th of October and he sent me the package of various forms i need to fill up and blood tests and blood donation so if i need blood while in the hospital i have my own put on.
When i recieve the package my eyelid started jumping, it was a sign of how nervous i am, i been tryin to do everything to avoid surgery but i just get to be worsen by the minute, so i need to be brave and go ahead if not i will stay depressed and in very bad pain and i dont want that, i wanna have kids and be able to be a good wife to my wonderful husband; so i will do surgery and hopefully everything will work out just fine.

Again thanks for all the good wishes and i will keep you all informed of how i get on after the surgery, ok?

Love,
Adriana

[sarahw]

Good luck with the surgery, my OH had a discectomy back in the UK & one of our friends that moved over here had 2 discectomies & then the spinal fusion.

OH struggles & I reckon he'll end up having spinal fusion in the end - still in a lot of pain, but friend who had spinal fusion is in great health - he does all sorts, including building a conservatory on his house in the UK before moving over!

That said - it is a slow recovery - so I think you're doing right by getting family over to help you.

Would be interested to hear how you go & how good the surgery & treatment is over here.

Take care,

[Mexican in NZ]

Thanks for your good wishes and i am definately will let you all know how i go on, as i think is important as inew kiwis to let others know who is a good doctor and who is not. As i said before this Doctor(Michael J. Barnes) has been the only one that really seem concerned about me. I met in a class another person that got a surgery with the doctor that sent me to work in a no safe enviroment for my back and he also was seen only 10 minutes and got booked for surgery, that doctor (Allistar Hudlow) did not even explain what surgery was going to perform and the patient thought it was the way kiwis do things so he went ahead with surgery and he told me he regrets, and get this....he sent him to start working after a week of surgery!!! is amazing i think people need to have a web page so they can put experiences with doctors.
I am from Mexico and the only reason i know what i have is cos i sent all my studies to my uncle in mexico(he is the head of the neurosurgeans in mexico) he dicovered i had 2 hernias and one was leaking, another one was very dehidratated, and he said i needed surgery, so i went to Dr. Michael barnes and he sent me to have more studies my uncle said, he did listen to all i had to say and also told me his point of view on my case, i let know my uncle and he agreed with him and that is why i am so happy with him.
Again, thanks for the good wishes they make me feel safer knowing that you all wish the best for me!!
God Bless you all!
Adriana

[Mexican in NZ]

Well i thought i will write to you all to let u know how i been doing.
On August 25th i was admited in emergency in the North Shore Hospital, as my GP sent me there cos for more than 1month my bowels just dd not want to work at all he tried to do all kinds of stuff but nothing worked so he sent me 2 hospital as the last 4 days prior that i could not even drink anything everything was comming out (vomiting) and of course that meant no medicines, no water, no nothing and of course with all the bending contraction you do when u vomit was very bad for my back....ok good news is that after 7 days i was able to come back home..oh! yes the welcome to hospital was to give me the flu :wah :p oh well!
Anyways, i am outnow!
The bad side of this is that i was told not to have any medication i was taking before. My gp and the doctors there suspect the cause of the bowel problem was the many meds i was on for now more than a year. I am not even able to take any flu medication!!
Well as you can imagine now my level of pain is greater and can barely walk, i keep cramping (getting spasms) constantly on my back and legs my sciatic pain in both legs is so bad i keep crying when nobody is home so i dont worry them...i mean...what for??? hubby can not really do anything to soothe my pain. He did bought me a wheet bag, and he heats it up, but is not very helpfu.The only med the doc allowed me to take for the pain makes me so sick, that i start vomiting and that of course is worse, as i can not keep med inside and on top i am bendig and contracting my back so much; so, of course i am not taking that either.
I can not wait to have my surgery this pain is so bad i can barely handle it and believe me, i try my best! I have a very high pain resistance and still, now i can barely move.
So, here i m posting this as you guys, my family and friends are the only ones that keep me going all the good wishes really lift my spirit and take some of the frustration and depression off my head.
God bless you all and will keep you posted of any changes!
Adriana

[Nienke]

I'm so sorry to read you feel so sick and have so much pain. Wish you all the best, and hang in there!

[Lupin]

(((((Adriana)))))

Hope this doesn't go on too much longer for you.

eta: just read another post and can see you're having surgery early Ocotber...hang in there, won't be long.

[Moorf]

Not long now Adriana, you've been so brave. (((((hugs))))Helen
:)

[Al_S]

Very sorry to hear this. I hope to God you feel better soon. You are in our prayers Adriana.
Al

[Mexican in NZ]

Thanks so much:
Al, Helen, Lupin77, Nienke
:raebanana you make me feel up on spirit those cyber hugs and good wishes are so great for me!! thank you so much!!
More good news too... my mother has just called me and said my sister and brother wont be able to come but her and dad will and u have no idea how relief i am as i dont want my husband to be alone in this they are planing to arrive here on the 27 and spend a couple of days here before surgery which is schedulled on the 5th of October. My mom said she will be staying here until the 6th of Decemberso i am so happy dad needs to go back to work as he manages a restaurant back in California so he will stay only until the 14th of October. He said he will be cooking mexican food as he is planing to bring some mex products to spoil me a bit hahaha :nice1 and he is a great cook, between us better than my mom haha shhhhh i did not say anything :p
I thank you all with the bottom of my heart for all the support i get here as i did this injury just 2 weeks after starting work so i never really had the chance to make many friends and my husband's friends and my inlaws live in wellington, so basically is only you guys, my family from mex and USA and 5 other people i met on one of my ACC courses.
Thanks again and God Bless you all!

[Mexican in NZ]

Well i am pleased to let you know all your prayers were listened, i recived a call today from my specialist and now surgery will be on the 27th of this mont :nice1 !!!!!!
I immediately started thinking of all of you that wished me good and of course my family and friends, i called my parents and my dad was in the cellphone booking the tickets!! i called in the best time so i told him and he needed to tell the agent to please wait and he did changed the time of traveling, they are comming next week and i have appointment for last minute questions with dr also the same day they arrive but later so they can have a nap b4 we all go and they meet my dr Michael J Barnes. I am so excited i started crying so much of happines today my best friend in mexico also sent me an email so beautiful that said basically that God gives you the things only at the right time not to doubt of him and after that i recived the good news!! i am so amazed!!!
God bless you all and will post later on and let u know how things went, ok?
Regards,
Adriana

[Singel]

Well i am pleased to let you know all your prayers were listened, i recived a call today from my specialist and now surgery will be on the 27th of this mont :nice1 !!!!!!
Adriana
GOOD LUCK with your surgery.

We are praying for you

:yes

[auskiwi]

Best wishes to you-I am glad your family are able to come and be with you! We look forward to the report of a successful surgery.

Hugs,
Amy.

[Smiler]

Adriana

Big hugs to you. I'm sure having your Mum (and Dad) with you will help with your speedy recovery.

Good luck for the op and please let us know how you are doing when you can.
Thinking of you.

D x x x

[Helsandfamily]

Best wishes, it must be dificult living with the pain - but at least not for too much longer,

Big Hugs

Hels

[Mexican in NZ]

The blessings keep comming, having u here as a good big cyber family has lifted my spirits so much you all make my days go easier and make me realise of how lucky i am for having found you all!
Thanks again and i promise i will do my best to try and write as soon as i can to let you know how i do after the op.
God bless you all!
adris
P.S.
Dont want to go without giving special thanks to auskiwi,smiler :nice1 singel :D and helsandfamily!
All the people in general that gave me their support and the ones above that had just replied to this!
kisses and hugs to all of you!! xoxoxoxoxxo(((((((xxxxxxx))))))))

[Nienke]

Good news indeed! Best wishes for the surgery, I hope all goes well for you! :nice1

[Mexican in NZ]

Good news indeed! Best wishes for the surgery, I hope all goes well for you! :nice1
Thanks so much!
God Bless!
Adris

[Mexican in NZ]

Just wanting to tell yopu all the day will come on wednesday so i wont be around for some time but i wish you all well and remember if anybody needs help in any immigration manners or want to know something about new zealand all my cyber friends can always help, they have done it for me and i feel blessed for having all of you as my cyber family!
Love you all and God Bless i will keep you all posted of how the surgery goes, ok?
Love,
Adris

[Lupin]

Good luck for Wednesday... so nearly there :)

All the very best, Lupin.

[Al_S]

Just wanting to tell yopu all the day will come on wednesday so i wont be around for some time but i wish you all well and remember if anybody needs help in any immigration manners or want to know something about new zealand all my cyber friends can always help, they have done it for me and i feel blessed for having all of you as my cyber family!
Love you all and God Bless i will keep you all posted of how the surgery goes, ok?
Love,
Adris
Dear Adris,

Just said a prayer for you. I know you are comforted by the thoughts of all of us praying for you. Get well soon and let us know how you are whenever possible.

Sincerely,
Al

[Trigirl]

will also be thinking of you. hope all goes well and we are hearing from you very soon.

mandy

[jaycee]

Hi Adriana, guess it's already the 26th in NZ as I write. I'll be sending out all the positive thoughts I can for you :) Hope it all goes well and that you'll be back here soon. Kia Kaha, girl!

[Moorf]

All the best for Wednesday Adriana - we'll be thinking of you. xxxxxxxxxx

[Mexican in NZ]

Thank you all!!
I have just taken my parents to meet my surgeon and it all went so good, tomorrow surgery first thing in the morning so i wont have too much time to worry about it, i already have done that all this time :P
Well just wanting to let u know i will keep u posted as soon as i get the chance to conect.
Love you all and God Bless!!
Adris

[Mexican in NZ]

:mad: Not fair i sent all my paper work ontime and untill today that i arrived to the hospital the anesthetist told me i can not have done my surgery as i was taking St John's Wort which is a very bad herbal medication. Supposedly u need to have 2 weeks off it b4 u can have surgery as it makes you have many complications.
Oh well! at least they knew i was taking it and i am not having any major things going on here.
Love u all will tell you when i get re-shedulle for surgery!
God Bless,
Adris

[Lupin]

Oh no! Hope you get another date really soon, poor you!

[Mexican in NZ]

Just got another date!
It will be on October 12th at 11am if God lets me.
Thanks for caring!
God Bless,
Adris

[Al_S]

Great news Adris, God bless and good luck. You will be fine, we all are with you in spirit.

[Moorf]

Oh that's not toooo long to wait! All the best!

Moorf
x