ADR postscript

Thanks for all the best wishes messages. I am sorry I was unable to fulfil my plans to blog the Munich trip. The bald facts are that my request for a 1/2 or 3 level ADR was turned down as too risky after 14 hours thorough testing all day Thurday and a discogram. My spine is too unstable to take ADR when seen against a backdrop of an active lifestyle. I return to the UK to review the options- maybe fusion at some point, make lifestyle changes and to learn to accept that at 63 I should realize that my body is trying to tell me to slow down and take it a little more easy.

Last Wednesday I had on the NHS an MRI scan with dye contrast of my lumbar spine at the brand new high tech scanner at St Mary's Newport on the Isle of Wight (officially opened the next day by HRH Princess Anne). It had taken me 3 months nagging of my GP at my local GP centre to treat the suspect neuroma found at Xmas on the earlier scan as a potential cancer. Having had the scan I was given a copy of the images on disc but had to wait until this morning for the consultant's report. Over the weekend I had a call from Dr Zeegers whom I had emailed the images and we spent an hour discussing each image while he explained what we could see on our screens. Regarding the 5mm soft tissue neuroma he reassured me that it had not grown over 3 months and would be no barrier to back surgery. He also suggested he send the images to colleagues in France and the USA for a second opinion. This morning he emailed to say they too are sure the lump is benign. So all is set for the trip to Munich. Occured to me that the name of the local football team is Borussia Munchen Gladbach. Sounds as though that's exactly what I hope for my back!

I have the date for my trip to see Dr Zeegers in Munich- April 24th for tests and 25th for surgery- possibly a 1-level ADR but maybe more. Travelling down by car with my brother as chauffeur stopping off enroute in Belgium. More like an adventure.