Saw the surgeon. Dang it...I need the eyebrow lift, but insurance won't cover it. She does a procedure where there is an incision made at the eyebrow and pulled up, but she says it leaves visible scars and is not recommended for women. So she's going to refer me to another surgeon who does a type of brow lift that is done thru the eyelids. She doesn't know if it will work for me, but insurance WILL pay for that procedure. I guess I'll talk to them and see what my options are. Not sure what it would cost for the list, if insurance doesn't pay...but I NEED it done!!

Nora and Fran, thank you for your kind thoughts. Unfortunately, our worst fears were confirmed this afternoon. She has adenocarcinoma - 1 1/4" mass in her lung, areas in her shoulder and her back. She will meet with the onocologist on Tuesday and most likely begin radiation that same day. Only a few of us know, she has not told her sons yet, nor our mom or other siblings. My younger sister is with her now, and I suggested that, as hard as it will be, they call and tell Mama while she's at home (not to wait until she comes to the hospital tomorrow, then worry about her getting home.) She will be able to grieve tonight and then be more prepared to face the future with my sister tomorrow. She tried calling Mama, but bless her heart, she was at Mass, so will have that message waiting on her to call. She has 3 sons - two live away and the one who is quadraplegic lives with her. He will be devastated the most - ever since his accident he has leaned on her. It's just all terribly sad. Thanks for listening.

Exactly squirrel! That is how our doctor works! He would do an exam, studies, etc. and then determine IF we needed to see someone else. He is very good about that. I think it cuts down on alot of unnecessary visits to specialists, etc. And I feel so much more comfortable with my own doctor who knows us and history so well. I also though the radiologist is who would read the x-rays, scans, ect. I trust our internist. Also, in regards to cost, it would only cost me $25 to see my internist, lab work, x-rays, scans, etc. would be no cost. A visit to a specialist would be $30, so even if I saw both, it would cost me very little. I would think it would be a waste of a surgeon's time if it were something minor such as a sprain, arthritis, etc. My internist is also very willing to work with specialists, and therapists. He would not send me to PT without knowing that was what I needed. He can also do injections (cortisone, etc.), if needed, although I have never had that done. My problem was minor and did not need a surgeon. I'm not saying yours is. tina

Back surgery. Yikes. The problem is only about 1/2 of them are successful in alleviating the pain that usually brings the patient in in the first place. Dh had a herniated disc in his neck and they put in a spacer using pig bone...result of whiplash from decades ago. The surgery was probably in the 80s. He still has a cranky neck. He has found much relief and has maintained range of motion with stretching exercises he does daily. If he skips for too long, he muscle contractions and spasms, inflammation and loses all range of motion. I had arthritic buildup which was herniating the disc in my neck so the doc went in and removed the excess bone and the disc re-expanded. I still have issues if I'm not careful...jogging for instance causes shooting pains down my arm....but it's a vast improvement. My cousin had not only herniated discs but he also had some of the sheath missing off his spinal cord. They did major surgery, fusing, and screws and metal and he still has his original pain and is permanently disabled...he's not allowed to lift more than 6 lbs. My advice is to get the absolute best doc you can to do the surgery. This is one of those things where the quality of the surgeon really matters. My guy is a top doc and I was able to go home the same day...a sure sign of a skilled surgeon. The other advice that I got from one neuro I saw is that you need to really assess the pain you're in now as the success or failure of the surgery is going to be whether or not you're better off and the improvement was worth the pain of getting it done. If the pain isn't so bad or you have nonsurgical ways of coping with it, then surgery may not be the right answer. But if all other options have proved fruitless, then surgery may be the answer. And that's the problem. You really don't know ahead of time, and unfortunately in medicine, there's no "undo" button where you can go back if you don't like how it turned out. Best wishes to you and your DH!