I came here with only one real question--are the loose screws a danger. It was the head of their spine department who had alarmed me about them to begin with. But he's just a pain doc, and his alarm was not at all matched by the neurosurgeon, who saw me yesterday also. The pain guy suggested a bone scan to see if there were any clear sites for pain generators. The surgeon said the scan will be abnormal, and not answer the question. THe only answer to what are my pain generators would come putting a needle into suspected areas, such as directly into the screw holes, and injecting lidocaine and seeing what happens. He doesn't think the scan woujld help.

He said, yeah, the surgery has failed, and the steroids and foxamax probably contributed, but he wouldn't be definitive, sensitive the possibility of a lawsuit on my side and not wanting to get involved with that. I totally understand that. He suggested getting CT scans every 3 months to follow the state of fusion, and as long as there's improvement, keep using the bone stimulator. If there's no change, that's the time to stop. Also, he said there was a reasonable chance of late fusion, over the next year to two. But, he said, don't get too wrapped up in the fusion question. Studies have shown that continued pain is not related to whether or not fusion is successful.

I think these are intelligent opinions, and believe them. So, I'm ready to come home tomorrow.

That's all. Nothing dramatic, but believable, and reassuring that I understand my situation correctly.

Whether or not to get treatment for my pain, via injections--he agreed with me, that if the pain is tolerable, don't get the steroids; but if it is debilitating, there's no evidence that a one time dose would change my future.

A reasonable guy, I thought.

So, again, ready to come home.