Thanks everyone for your messages and support. I have been lucky enough to get a appt into the Swedish medical center in Denver. They house the Colorado Brain and Spine institute.

The Doctors there read my MRI report and have managed to get me in next week June 23. The Doctor called me personally and was mad as hell towards the other doctor who said everything was in my head. The doctor at CBSI said I have some major problems that need to be addressed and fixed before the damage becomes permanent.

I am not scared off about surgery if it helps then I am all for it but I hate doctors who blow people off and say nothing is wrong while your in pain and are in need of help. I thought doctors take a oath?

Any way crossing my fingers and hoping that I will not have anything that will result in a permanent disability.

Glad to hear you got an appointment at Swedish in Colorado. It's always a good sign when doctors personally call you.

The other doctor may not have had the right experience to be guiding you through the process. From my experience, it seems that they tend to look for specific things when they look at MRI reports or films but not catch the rest.

I am so glad your getting help. I have very similar problems with my spine. I have been trying to get help here in alaska for over 4 years now and with no insurance and not enough $ to self pay all i am able to get are pills my doc gives me for pain,lnflamation.depression,arthritis,nerve pain. I has helped me deal with all this better but its not getting to the root of the problem.

I have applied for SSDI insurance been denied once and am now waiting for a hearing date.

I have peripheral neuropathy due to the extended time my nerves have been pinched or pressed on. I cant use my hands well i drop everything and i can no longer walk more than 20 feet without my feet and legs going numb. I use a cane when i have to walk very far at all.
you dont want to end up like me so if they are offering you help GET IT!

my prayers and thoughts are with you, Ladysheets

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I know how hard it is when your not able to function as a person and taking drugs is so hard on your mind as well as your body. I try not to take any drugs since I much rather feel the pain instead of being goofed up and not being able to relate to my daughter or wife. I too use a cane right now and have a hard time walking I need a FPO for my foot drop and have a hard time typing with my hands since I can't feel my fingers most of the time. I'm hoping for the surgery to give me something of a normal life back. I am lucky since I'm a veteran and this is all from a service connect disability. I would say I'm lucky but much rather have a normal back instead of the money.

I will be thinking about you and good luck. Kevin

I thought it couldn't get any worst then my first neurosurgeon who said everything was in my head, I was wrong. The first neurosurgeon sent me to a spine specialist who told me today that he would like to work on my neck and thoracic spine but would not touch my lumbar, even though he feels that my lumbar is causing most of my legs and bladder and ED problems. I asked why would you not want to operate on my lumbar if that is where you think most of my symptoms are coming from: Heres the good part: He said because he doesn't get to many opportunities to operate on a thoracic spine and it would be a personal challenge to him.

I told him to go to hell and practice on himself. Looks like I need to go through my own research and find the best neurosurgeon in colorado and go to him. It seems like there are to many quakes out there who want the insurance money.

Wishing that someone could help me and get better, not perfect just better. It's hard enough feeling this much pain but with the threat of losing a job and going to quakes it sure can make you hate life and get depressed.

I'd definitely run. His reason isn't good enough to justify approaching a t-spine surgery. You need a very experienced, specialized surgeon not someone interested in expanding his skills.

Was this the doctor at the Swedish medical center in Denver?

Can you go outside of Colorado if you can't the right doctor there? I know the orthopedic physicians I see, consult with patients over several states before even arranging a visit. I overhead the receptionist last week calling another surgeon's office to arrange an MRI be sent to them as the doctor who looked at the patient's MRI felt this other surgeon had better experience for the problem. The patient was from Alaska and hadn't been seen by either surgeon yet. This impressed me.

Yes this doctor was from the Swedish Medical Center and I was so surprised about what he had said.

My sysmptoms are getting worse with more weakness where It's getting very difficult to walk period. I already went to a Urologist and he said it's 100% back related. I'm not looking to be perfect just good enough that when my daughter is all grown up she can look back and remember me being with her lot lying in bed with pain and missing out on her life.

I have two more appt in colorado and if these do not pan out it looks as if I will have to look outside of colorado. I'm scared the longer I wait and the worst it gets the more likly it will stay that way.

Does anyone have suggestiong for doctors outside of colorado?

thanks Kevin

If you are in eastern Colorado this guy is awesome if your insurance would let you come to central nebraska. he was one of the best around back 30 years ago and I have watched him perform surgery when I was in nursing school. He is still one of the best around at least in NE. Kearney is right in the middle of the state on I80

Ramon R. Salumbides, M.D.
Specialty Neurosurgery/Spine
Practice Name Mid-America Neurosurgery Clinic
Address 3219 Central Avenue
Kearney, Nebraska 68847
Phone (308) 865-2555
Medical School University of the East Memorial Medical Center, Philippines
Residency Downstate Medical Center, State University of New York, Brooklyn, NY

this is the phone number for the hospital if you want to check to see if they accept your plan 1-866-214-5888 (it is a Catholic Charity hospital so that helps also)

I have been so lucky to have a primary care doctor who is not scared of specialist. He called the Specialist and gave him a piece of his mind. He is going to call some specialist outside of colorado. He even mentioned going to the Mayo clinic. He wants to get me back up on my legs because he had to order me a wheelchair so I can still get around. I need to keep moving so my daughter would not be sad. Thanks everyone.