January 1, 2007 - What
a way to start a New Year!
Each day that I wake up,
I’m surprised and relieved to not have
lower back pain. That was the most discouraging, to wake up in pain. For almost
a year, I was in constant pain, with weakness in one leg, and unable to do
more than essential activities.
Hi, I’m Alan Kucharski and I'm from Scottsdale, Arizona. I’m 45 years old and a month ago I had a two level hybrid spine
surgery. A week after the surgery, I did a walking tour, albeit
stiffly and
in some post-surgery pain, through the beautiful Nymphenburg Palace in Munich.
I
don’t think I would be
here now, pain-free and confident that it will stay that way, without Mark
Mintzer. Having Mark with me in Munich proved to be critical to the diagnoses
of my L5-S1 condition, and the procedure shifted from being an ADR to fusion.
Mark guided me through the entire process, attended all doctor meetings,
and provided valuable input every step of the way. In two days you do what
would take two weeks here in the States. By the end, your head is reeling,
and you have one of the most critical decisions of your life to make.
Before
my surgery, Mark and I went into Munich for the evening. We happened to
be
outside the Stadtoper as people were entering, and on a whim we
got tickets and saw
a wonderful performance of
Orphee at Eurydice, by Gluck.
The interior of the Munich Stadtoper house, not quite as impressive as those in
Vienna and Paris, but worth seeing.
Ten years ago, I badly herniated, ruptured, the disk at L4-5. The well-respected neurosurgeon Dr. Sonntag from Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix performed a microdiscectomy and limited laminectomy. Two weeks later, it was like I had never injured that disk, but little did I know, that the disk dies and degenerates after an injury like that.
When
I saw Dr. Sonntag this time, and he started talking fusion, I knew I had
to find an alternative. I have extremely tight hamstrings (and I rely even
more on the flexibility of my back to bend forward), always have and my
brother is the same, so perhaps it’s genetic. If I had fusion at L4-5,
it would destroy the rest of my back.
I searched the web, spoke with other medical professionals in Phoenix, and found
Mark’s website, which contained some very good information. In spite of all my
research, after I spoke with Mark, I realized how little I knew compared to him,
and I subscribed to creating a profile and having him help me present to and
select a surgeon.
This is my first meeting with Dr. Zeegers, and I'm
a little apprehensive, but he is so
nice that soon I was very comfortable
and expressing all my thoughts and opinions.
It was clear that
I had to have ADR at L4-5, but the diagnoses of L5-S1 could be tricky.
The MRI showed some bulging of the disk, injury compounded by the degenerating
disk above it, but I had no nerve pain at that level, and when Dr. Zeegers
initially called me, he was 95% sure that L5-S1 would need ADR. I wanted
to ensure that afterwards the pain was gone, and that I wouldn’t be back
here in a couple of years operating on L5-S1 if we left it alone. I decided
on Dr. Zeegers, and I contracted with Mark to be in Munich with me so that
we would make the best decision regarding the procedure. Mark has so much
experience with patients with ADR and other spine surgeries, I considered
it vital to have him
there in person -- and it was.
At our first meeting
with Dr. Zeegers, Mark pointed out the difference between right and left
side of my spine at the L5-S1 level, and suggested that it be investigated
further. Dr. Zeegers concurred, and ordered x-rays and an MRI focusing
on that area. The difference was that one facet joint had been fused naturally
at birth, and I was not a candidate for ADR at that level. Since the L5-S1
disk was bulged, “black” meaning losing hydration and would degenerate,
and could be contributing to my lower back pain, it was recommended to
replace it now with a STALIF cage and fuse it, and implant an Activ-L disk
at the L4-5 level. The fused level, in this case, is isolated from the
rest of my natural spine by an ADR, and cannot cause injury.
There were a few gloomy days, including one day when it snowed, sleeted, and rained, but for the most part, the
weather was wonderful for December!
I’m
now convinced that with Mark’s help I picked the best surgeon and the right
procedure was done. My lower back, barring another serious injury, is now
set for
the rest of my life –- full function restored, no further degradation,
and no additional surgeries required.
In addition to thanking Mark Mintzer, my thanks and gratitude to Dr. Zeegers
and the Alpha Clinic, he was not only as I expected him to be, very meticulous
and precise, and also extremely personable and caring. All the other doctors
and staff at the Alpha Clinic were very thorough in the pre-surgery work-up and
the work was of the highest quality. I believe that it helped that it was all
done in house as this provided a level of accountability not otherwise possible.
My friend Karen came to join me in Munich. I'm a week post-op and we're
warming ourselves after sightseeing in one of the cafes close to our
hotel by Arrabella Park.
Sylvia is one of the Gyrotonics therapists at the Alphaklinik. She lived in the
San Francisco Bay area for several years before moving back to Germany.
She sings with a band, and has recorded a couple CDs. 8 days after
my surgery,
Mark, Karen and I went for an evening out to watch her perform
in a local club.
