Ada,

I am glad you feel you have picked the lesser of 3 evils *LOL* Sure hope he or your gyno can fix what needs fixing for sure. You finally sound like you have some hope. My PM Doctor talked with my surgeon before I had back surgery almost a year ago to the date here. Was done on the 16th of last Nov. Anyway then during the whole surgery (of 6 hours), he, Dr W AND the anesthesiologist talked via phone throughout the whole 6 hours of surgery. They did something with Ketamine, thinking they bathed my body with it or did an infusion of it the whole time I was under. I know my spine surgeon still atrtibutes the fact that RSD DID NOT spread in my body due to the Ketamine they used during surgery & the open communication between all 3 of these doctors. I just saw him yesterday due to he is going to treat my husband now. Jack will have new MRI's done & then he will go from there. But what he could tell from the old MRI's he said he is pretty sure he can help my husband with surgery. Some of it will be similar to the surgery I had done. Only without the Ketamine thrown into the mix as Jack doesn't have RSD anywhere. Dr O said whoever looked at Jack's previous MRI's should have done surgery back then in '01 as he had a herniated disc then & the doctor he was seeing then should have been able to have helped Jack back then. It ticks me off about that other doctor. I am going to find out that guy's name & maybe send him a nasty letter. When Jack went to this doctor I was working & wasn't able to go with him. Dr O talked to me about the book I had with me yesterday when we were at his office. He & I both read SciFi Fantasy novels such as Robert Jordon & Terry Brooks write.

Anyway what the whole smooze about the above is you might want to see if your PM Doc will talk with your surgeon about using Ketamine during surgery so that you have no spread of RSD or atleast a less likely chance of spread because of using Ketamine during surgery. It is a thought. My back surgeon actually wanted any ideas I might have even so that I would have little or NO spread of RSD. And I had no spread of RSD due to surgery either. I know you don't have much time between now & 12/1 but it is worth a shot. Dr O wouldn't even take bone out of my hip for the bone graft he did in my spine. He used bone scrapings from where he opened up the openings where the nerves come out of the spine. I think I am going on & on again *LOL* Jose & I joke between ourselves about how "windy" we both can get. *chuckling*

Anyway you truly do sound as though you have lots of HOPE again now that you will be having surgery on 12/1. Everyone wil be certainly be sending good thoughts & prayers that day for you. To finally know you will be having some relief in the near future really can effect how we feel & come across on here.

DebbyV

ps, Mark I won't join you in surgery but maybe in recovery...........*G*