My neck is what retired me from fishing in 97

[geneinnc]

It got so bad i couldn't raise either arm. I came out of surgery 3" taller. 3 neck disk were the height of 1. They had to filet my left arm to open up space for the nerves to  heal. Right arm was next. Torn labrum. I really dont remember all. 13 surgeries from 2000 to present. 3 spinal epidurals yearly just ended when i lost insurance through my wife. $275 copay per epidural. Robbery.

Im thankful for every outing on the SS Minnow (my 94 bass boat). Amazing how much fishing has improved my range of motion.

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[Lipripper]

Sounds like you have been under the knife a few times and your right a  $275 copay per epidural is highway stickup. My insurance don't cover all of my CAT scans and I have to pay about $450 that they don't cover every time I have one done.Glad to see your able to get out and go fishing and your right fishing is good for the soul and body. 

[Smallie_Stalker]

Gene sounds like you've been through the ringer. Keep fishing and doing what you can cause every little bit helps.

I have another biopsy due in two months to check on my prostate cancer. Now that I don't have insurance anymore I'm afraid of the bill I'm going to get for that. It's hard enough to pay for medications at this point.

I can't even imagine what the bill is gonna be when the time comes to have treatment and I have to do radiation or surgery.

I personally think most healthcare costs are highway robbery and they know they've got you by the short hairs but what choice do you have.

I hope I didn't hijack this thread. I apologize.

Rant over.

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[Mike Cork]

Gene thanks for sharing. This board was created just for this so others can maybe learn from you about pains they are having. I've had several back surgeries and live with injections, nerve blocks and burns. That is all low back and leg pain. When prepping for my latest fusion my surgeon told me he'd be seeing me soon. I chuckled and told him he better do a better job than that...

He was talking about my disks in my neck that were showing up on x-rays... Having arm pain and numbness now, go figure.

I'm fortunate and have good insurance. I reckon I need to get this taken care of before I don't. Don't know that I could handle the co pays you're dealing with.

If you younger folks take nothing away from Gene's post take notice that a career that has good insurance is a must for when you get older.

[Oldfart9999]

I'll second what everybody is saying about insurance, I have Medicare with a supplemental, had a wrist replacement, 4 hours at a surgery center for ambulatory surgery and had a copay of 1,036$, 4 hours from walking in the door to being wheeled out the door, damned expensive wheelchair, the whole procedure cost 17,045$. I will say it also points out the need to have injuries checked out when they happen. The replacement came from an old injury, I broke a carpal bone and it didn't heal correctly, I shook off, I should have seen a Doctor, I may not have needed the replacement and wouldn't have had to shell out the copay, and 80$ a week therapy copays. The other thing I'll add is many of us may not have needed any work if we had been doing some exercises and stretching when younger, it even helps slow down arthritis.
Gene, it's good to see you're back fishing, enjoy and hope you nail a bunch of big'uns!!! 
Rodney

[Deadeye]

I feel your neck pain, I mean I really do.

In December it will be 2 years since my neck got done. Like you I was loosing the use of my left arm at times for up to 30 minutes and had so much arthritis in there I could only turn to the left about 1/4 of the way. The 1 hour surgery turned into a 3 hour one due to just how bad it was in there once the Dr got in to see.

Waking up I felt a lightness across my left shoulder and arm that I hadn't felt in years.

The bad side is I've started having outside Shoulder and Upper Arm pain on my left side again. Now knowing that I take 4 Hydrocodone a day for my back pain, the fact that it hurts tells me it's getting bad.
At night when I turn to lay on that side I will wake up in pain, sometimes actually screaming it hurts so bad.

Worse part is it will start to got away, then I'll go Fishing and it comes back Full Bore. Somtrhing about holding the rod in my left hand brings it on.

For now I I'm dealing with it until I get everything else taken care of.

Hope you continue to find relief.