Back to square one ,,, arrrg. id. painter

[id. painter]

Thanks to all for the prayers ,concern and all the kind words. It helps.
I went and spoke with the surgeon.
Im back to playing the odds again. My first doc. told me that the odds were about 1 in 2000 that I could hurt myself with my disks (herniated). He said that the odds are about 2 in 100 that they will make you worse from the surgery. I played the obvious .. I took my chances with the disks. I lost that one , the disk ruptured to the point of almost killing me.
Yesterday the doc. showed me a x-ray of my neck.
He said that he sees about one broken screw per year. I have already broke three of my five.
The doc told me that there is about a 2% chance that the broken hardware in my neck will hurt me someday if left in. Going in and taking it out has risks. He described the plate falling away from the spine and choking me or cutting my guggler vein or some other possibilities. Im going in today for another M.R.I. to see if I have a new herniated disk. Im back to playing the odds game again with my life .they will tell me that there is a 1 in 2000 chance that I can hurt myself with it. Back to square one . Im in pain ... What to do?????
So far Ive beatten the odds by such a margin that I should be due for a good roll of the dice. BUT,, then again. are the odds really the same for me as the average population. Im starting to think that when he says 2%, for me it means about 20%. what do I do ... id. painter.

:depressed: It sounds to me like the odds are not quite right in your case. Go see another doctor and then get it fixed :depressed:

[TheTexan]

Good Luck to you I.D. I have never met you, but I have a lot of respect for your opinion. You are definitely one that I look up to!

[blackdog]

Man, what an ordeal. Good luck to you. I finally went to the doc for my back problems and have found relief to my three degenerative discs through physical therapy and a prescription anti-inflammatory.

I hope you find some relief or at least don't suffer any further setbacks.

[Fishfeet]

What Keta said. And good luck! Keep us posted. Fishft.

[CATCH AND EAT]

Don't mess around. Get it done now. Serious stuff here ID.

[crabbait]

If I were you, I would get a second opinion. If Dr. #1 was the guy who installed the hardware that is now failing he might have interests other than your health when discussing the outcome. I would want the opinion of another professional not associated with Dr. #1.

Good luck.

[tommy2915]

Find another doctor to look at you. This sounds serious. Your doctor may be right, but better safe than sorry. Good luck to you.

[id. painter]

I think you all are correct . I need a second Doc to give his opinion. Yesterday I spent an hour in the M.R.I. tube. I can get a prelim. reading by the Radiologist. So, I will get some feed back today. then I will have Doc #1 look at it, then Ill take it to a doc in another hospital.
Two opinions .. Ill do that . Thanks id. painter

[Bait O' Eggs]

I am surprised if you have metal in you, that a MRI will even give a clear reading any where near the metal. I was under the impression that metal would screw up the MRI reading.

And if you dont like the 2nd opinion, dont be afraid to go to another town and get a 3rd opinion.

I will ship you some oyster shells to eat, the high calcium food might help. Sorry I already ate the oysters that were in the shells

[id. painter]

I love oysters , just havent tried the shells yet. :grin:
Titanium hardware. The tec. that was doing the M.R.I. said that since I have a plate in my neck that he needed to use a dye. He gave me a injection and then did more scans. I just tried to imagine I was not in a small tube,for over an hour, but out on the blue pond chasing the tuna I saw on the doctors wall poster. That poster must have been a sign of some kind .... All the worlds tuna , right there in front of me at my neuro-surgeons ,,, must be a sign,, id. painter