I arrived at the neurologist 10 minutes early...and it's a good thing because I got taken to an exam room over an hour later! :-p I then sat in there for around 45 minutes until Dr. Gaufin came in, swiftly went over my MRI's, did a quick questioning exam, tested a few strength/movement things and then discussed my options--operation or physical therapy. Well, surgery is a last option for me, and hopefully the symptoms that stem from the Bells Palsy will continue to diminish, making the disc protrusion more bearable. So, I chose therapy and went home to comparedthe Phys. Therapists in our insurance booklet to those in the phone book (found a guy I went to high school with, but he's too far away) and made an appt. for Wed.
Dr. Gaufin requested a traction machine for me to take home-hopefully that will help. So, I do traction, massage, heat, exercises, etc. for 3 weeks and then go back to what hopefully won't be another 2 hour wait for a follow-up with Dr. Gaufin.
2 comments:
You did go see the very best. Even my chiropractor went to him when he herniated a disc. He didn't end up needing surgery, but he still went there.
How long did he expect your recovery to be?
He really didn't say. Just to do the physical therapy 2-3 X's a week for 3 weeks and then go back in for another check.
Hopefully the P.T. will be good and suggest the right things to do.
I'm really not wanting to have my neck cut open, disc scraped and bones screwed together with a metal plate...and I dared not ask where the bone would come from when he said they would use partly donor bone and part my bone to fill in the gap. I don't even won't to know, unless I become so bad that I do decide to go for the surgery. But, I'm not seeing that happening.
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