My surgeon is unavailable and I can't even find replacement doc listed anywhere.

I've got a Merrida problem. My surgeon is out on medical leave and his patients are being seen by another doc. I did some searching, a la Merrida, and I can't find him on Google or the hospital's list.

I'm wondering if he's one of the residents I saw in the ER who made light of the complications that were popping up after ACDF for falling on my head and crushing 6 vertebrae, 2 in my neck. When "his group" was offered to me I said I didn't want to see them because they just don't care.

I called the office and asked about him. He's new to the practice, not a resident, just filling in.

I have no expectation of a helpful appointment.

I was upset enough to not post immediately after the followup with the new surgeon. As I expected, it's more of the same nothing.

The new doc is very nice, and I think he's good at his job. But surgeons are done when they close. That's it, you're cured. Get more PT. My complaint of new and increasing radiating spasms and pain and spasticity were side-stepped. After consideration, I feel like I've been kicked to the curb sweetly.

So, now I'm being sent to aqua therapy, since regular PT didn't do anything. (I did credit my therapist's stretches, while painful, with helping range of motion.) PT does help some things, but not central neuropathy. I'm not convinced driving half an hour to get in a tub of 91 degree water is going to do anything. But I'll try, try again.

When I repair the tractor, if the wrench doesn't do the job I get a bigger wrench. Where's the bigger wrench for this unrelenting pain?

No, I can't ask the PCP for pain meds; I have a pain contract. In fact, I've refused pain meds from him. I told the surgeon I wasn't asking for pain meds too, because of being in a pain program. I think docs take you more seriously if you tell them up front you can't accept pain meds from them.

I do believe my replacement surgeon took me seriously. I suspect, no proof, he may just be as conservative as my surgeon who's on med. leave. He listened lots longer than I expected.

I have taken surgeon-prescribed pain meds immediately after surgery, not even thinking about my contract. I haven't mentioned the meds to my pain docs, again not thinking about it, although I do tell them about the surgery. I've been with them several years and behaved all the time. They probably just don't ask the pharmacies or whatever reports are available to them.

I see the pain doc who does the neck pretty soon and am considering whether to get the rest of the lumbar ablations or the neck. Right now I'm leaning toward the neck because for the moment it's worse than the lumbar. I discussed with the surgeon whether I could get ablations in the neck including the sections with hardware, and he said that's fine - since the pain doc uses imaging and can see the plate and other hard stuff. I suppose I should call my pain doc and see if it's OK with him to switch. He already said I could get ablations there.