I have an update for you all. As you know, I'm over a year post-laminectomy and fusion, and have had zero bone growth, so the surgery has failed (not because of the surgeon) because of something inhibiting bone from scarring properly.

The spine surgeon I went to in NY last month suggested I see a metabolic bone guy, as he wanted to re-operate on me, but wanted to understand my bones first.

I saw the guy today. His office, like that of all my current back docs, has chairs that are raised with a step, easy to get into and out of.

He took my history as I laid on the examining table (it was a bad day for sitting), telling me be comfortable lying down, most of his patients have trouble sitting, and I should just be comfortable. He was appalled at my being treated with dexamethasone nasal spray afteer the surgery and asked, outright--did the guy who prescribed it realize I'd just been operated on?
When he saw that my pituitary had been suppressed, he said that of course no bone formed, it couldn't in that situation. He said BMP, the bone morphogenic protein they use to get the bone to fuse, requires that it be stimulated by an inflammatory reaction and cells come to it and it will make bone. Otherwise, he said, it's just a glob of jello that will be gradually absorbed.

He also doesn't like that my TSH is low from the thyroid medicine I take. I told him that I dont' feel well when the numbers are in the normal range, I need them well to think clearly, and he wasn't happy.

In the end, he said, I will get better. He wants me to take Forteo, parathyroid hormone, by injection daily. He said this will stimulate osteoblasts and not only helps people with osteoporosis, but helps people with fractures (I'm kinda a fracture patient, in a way) to heal. I will need it for 3 - 6 months. He wouldn't let me be operated on before then. (Not that I wanted to be) He said there is a good chance I can still fuse if my bone gets active, which it will, and a good chance my pain will improve.

In the meantime, he wants my endocrinolgoist to change my meds (I don't think this is good) and is very optimistic.

When you go on forteo you go to a patient education class first. In the class, Lilly gives you your first "pen" with a mnth's supply, for free. At that point the doctor and Lilly work to get insurance approval and authorization. It gives them a month to fight for you, if you need that. Otehrwise, it's just a free month. Without insurance, the drug costs 600- 750 $ a month.

Oxford does cover it. Yaay!

The guys is a sugeon, an orthopedist who did fellowship in metabolism of bone. He sees only patients with osteoporosis,Paget's disease, or bone cancer. He operates two days a week. I said what's to operate on if this is your specialty? The answer was (THIS IS FOR SILVERLADY!) that his patients have severe osteoporosis and get spontaneous fractures all the time. He fixes fractured vertebrae by injecting them with cement and glueing them or wiring them together. He cements long bones and little bones in the feet and hand. it's all he does is fill in bones and give medications to help them heal.

And he is not the only orthopedist bone metabolism specialist---it is an entire subspecialty.

I feel hopeful, and really hope this information helps others, who, like me, had no idea these guys existed.

http://www.google.com/search?q=ortho...e7&rlz=1I7GWYA