Dr. Serocki - 2nd visit

Met with Serocki again. He is definitely a nice guy, very professional, very intelligent, very sympathetic to my cause. He agreed that the latest round of physical therapy was not effective, and he agreed that I've pretty much tried every available non-surgical option. He asked if I would like to consider surgery, and I said yes. So, he is referring me to a spine surgeon. We discussed artificial disc replacement (ADR) vs. fusion, and I told him I liked the ADR option better. He said he thought Dr. Peppers was the best guy locally for ADR, and he would attempt to get me a referral.

I am guardedly encouraged by this visit as it may open another avenue towards getting an ADR, especially if Blue Cross does not come through. I was under the impression that I could not get surgery through Work Comp. The initial doctor I saw basically was trying to get rid of me and repeatedly told me my back injury was a preexisting condition, so I figured that I would not be getting any referrals. It look as if that initial impression may have been incorrect, which could be a positive thing. There is no question that working a desk job sitting in a crappy chair has at the very least aggravated my back, so I don't feel guilty about pursuing the Work Comp angle. We shall see where it leads....