We Need to Look at the Bright Side

THE BRIGHT SIDE:

PICTURES FROM TODAY

WYATT WILL BE HERE FOR A VISIT ON FRIDAY!
FOUR WONDERFUL GRANDCHILDREN & THEIR LOVING PARENTS

Tom went for his second opinion today. To catch you up on why; the doctor that actually did his fusion surgery referred him to a pain specialist to try a nuerostimulator which is an implant in his back to stop the nerves from sending his brain the message that he was in pain. We were very excited about the prospect but the pre op tests he had taken showed that the screws holding the rods in place had loosened. The original doctor said he could go ahead with the stimulator but his primary doctor AND the doctor who would do the implant said no.

That's what brought us to today. Just as we feared he needs surgery to repair the fusion before anything else can be done. In the doctors words "the surgery was really botched up". The holes in his vertebrae holding the screws have enlarged but he won't be able to tell if it can be fixed until he gets in there. He may have to have a second surgery from the front to place a plate and a third from the side. He just doesn't know what he'll be able to reach from the back.

The first and hopefully only surgery is scheduled for September 28th (Tom has a trip to Virginia Beach the week before that he wants to go on). He should be in the hospital for three days but off work for 3 to 4 months. He doesn't have that much paid time but is hoping to get into a program which let's other Navy employees donate excess leave that they may have to him.

We're both very worried about this more so than any other surgery we have been through. He thought the last surgery would fix everything and it went to crap and this time there are no promises to even start with and of course the thought of loosing income is very real. We really appreciate all the support that you have given him in the past and could really use some now.