BASSMAN IS GETTING WIRED!!!

[BASSMAN]

Quikie update:

After a 7 day trial period, I got 80 to 100% pain relief!!!

Went and saw the Surgeon, on Thursday the 28th @ Sweedish Hospital, in Seattle.
Set a date for Surgery on the 13th of May!! They plan on getting me in sooner than that, based on any upcoming cancellations. The Ball is back in the court, for the Insurance Company Now. The Insurance Co. already denied the required MRI for my Thorasic (sp?)(Mid- back) area. So I will wait until Monday, before I continue to communicate my concerns, to the Insurance Co. Please Pray that, I get this sooner and Insurance Co. co-operates with me on this. This will be a pretty major Surgery for me with a six week recovery time. I think I might do a Video Log, along with getting some video footage of the actual surgery, If possible.
I would like to help others get relief from this kind of pain I'm dealing with.

If you want more info on this, you can google, "Spinal Cord Stimulator" or even check it out on YouTube!
I'm getting a unit from, St. Jude Medical.


Finally, getting some much needed pain relief, eventually.

Also, after the 6 week recovery, I can resume diving with a 30 meter,(99 fsw) max depth.


Please Pray, Light a candle or just throw positive thoughts in my direction!!!


Keith

[Penopolypants]

Remember the Three Laws of Robotics:

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Just kidding, Keith, I am glad to hear that the device worked and that a permanent version is on its way!

[LCF]

On what grounds did the insurance company deny the MRI? That kind of thing just frosts me . . . a doctor can decide you need something -- a test or procedure -- but you can't get it because your insurance decides THEY don't think you need it. I went to med school for four years, and did five years of residency to learn to be a doctor. Somebody in an office with a pencil and calculator can overrule me. Grrrr!

[BASSMAN]

100% agree!

[Linedog]

Hey Keith I'd be happy to let you borrow my GoPro for the surgery! I'll even shoot it, if you can talk them into letting me in the operating room.

[ArcticDiver]

Good luck on the insurance. In my experience most of those things boil down to Their docs vs. Our docs. Stim didn't do a thing for me. I'm really glad it is working for you. Getting that Devouring Monster off you is worth Any price.

Not used to my PlayBook and had a premature stoppage.

When the insurance company denies an authorization or claim they have to give a reason. If it is for a device or procedure that isn't always effective then a retry showing that you are in the group for which it is effective seems to work. On the other hand if your Insurance Plan doesn't provide coverage you have a different issue. So it all begins with the Why.

If you want to bounce ideas around I'm available. Just PM me.

By the way my wife's shrimp scampi we had for dinner between post and edit was five star.

[kdupreez]

I had an MRI a few weeks ago on my wrist for a sports injury (torn ligament) thats starting to act up that I sustained when i was like 19yrs old..

The insurance at first denied it, until I called them and explained what it was for, then they approved it without any hassles.

Try again Keith, keep hounding them!! You should also talk to a specialized orthopedic surgeon that will prescribe and refer you to do an MRI, then they should not have any issues..

ping me via PM. I have a FANTASTIC orthopedic surgeon friend thats also a close GUE tec diver buddy of mine and he loves loves loves diving, so he would be very empathetic towards your cause.

Koos

[Dusty2]

Good Luck buddy, I hope everything works out for the best. Don't know who your ins. is through but getting this stuff done and hoping that they will pay is a big risk. Some companies can get very belligerent if you are not pre-approved and they could denigh coverage on that basis even though the surgery is necessary. Insurance companies work for themselves not for you. Most companies have a policy of turn down first and see if they can get away with it. Pain management is a bugaboo with insurance companies because it's hard to prove that you really need it and success rates are not high. Now if you were facing major orthopedic surgery they would be glad to refer you for this procedure instead.

Hang in there and hope to see you back in the water soon.

[BASSMAN]

Hey Keith I'd be happy to let you borrow my GoPro for the surgery! I'll even shoot it, if you can talk them into letting me in the operating room.

Ooooo? I didn't even think of that! I could put my Gopro on my head (backwards)

Thanks for the Idea!


Thanks all for your support, Prayer and input!

[BASSMAN]

Good news for me!!!!
After about 4 phone calls this morning....
Insurance has approved everything, for my permanent Spinal Cord Stimulator install!!!
Now it's just a matter of getting the pre-medical stuff done like MRI, EKG, Blood work and a release for surgery, from my family doctor. Then get an earlier appointment, than May 13th, for the actual surgery!
Thanks to all, for all of the Prayers and encouragement!

[Linedog]

That's great news!

[Dusty2]

Awesome! Good luck, hope you can expedite things and get back to life without pain.

[ArcticDiver]

That is supremely good news!

[BASSMAN]

Update:
Day 6 after surgery (Spinal Cord Stimulator install) feeling better today than yesterday, as far as recovering from the actual surgery. Good news is, the Stimulator is working great. As soon as I can get the,surgery pain, under control , I hope to be off all narcotic pain meds. And then get back to diving as soon as doc says a-o-k.
I also plan on reducing my gabbapentin (generic for neurotin), daily dosage.
So Today Is A Good Day!

[Jeremy]

Stay strong through those diving withdrawals...

[Linedog]

Great news!

[RoxnDox]

Update:
Day 6 after surgery (Spinal Cord Stimulator install) feeling better today than yesterday, as far as recovering from the actual surgery. Good news is, the Stimulator is working great. As soon as I can get the,surgery pain, under control , I hope to be off all narcotic pain meds. And then get back to diving as soon as doc says a-o-k.
I also plan on reducing my gabbapentin (generic for neurotin), daily dosage.
So Today Is A Good Day!

Good news!

Jim

[Dusty2]

Awesome! Thanks for the update. It is to bad they had to treat the pain rather than fix the cause but pain free is a good thing. Hope to see you out and about soon.

[sitkadiver]

Keith,

I wish you and full and speedy recovery. The Gulf of Alaska just isn't the same without you!!

And neither is the P-Bar....

[ArcticDiver]

Glad to read things are going so well.