Arlo & Connie Schneider Arlo & Connie Schneider

We don't mind visiting and answering questions but for those who are interested I'll fill in Arlo's story.  Every back surgery patient has a story...
We first started noticing Arlo's back problems when the children were small and he couldn't stand and hold them without being in pain. Then people started talking about how straight and almost too straight he stood. He was going to the chiropractor and finally they decided x-rays were in place and they called us and said he definitely had a problem, cuz the vertebrae were out of line. They made an appointment at Augusta Back. Of course an MRI was ordered and once the results were in they called us. We will never forget that day. We walked into the Dr. Office and on his desk lay some rods and screws. He briefly told us that he needed his back fused but he wasn't near bad enough. Wait till you can't walk anymore. Then come back and we'll fuse and a few years later you'll be back and we'll fuse some more. For some reason, we never went back. We tried massages and more chiropractic but by then Arlo's leg was going numb and he was hurting, only when he was standing. Sitting or laying down he was ok. While searching on line one day he came across Laser Spine in Tampa, Florida. Something about it felt right and he sent his stuff in. They of course were ready to help, so we got plans made and headed to Tampa on Thanksgiving of '08. It was all outpatient and we had a motel by the clinic. That first surgery they trimmed part of the bone to make more room for the nerves.  6 months later  May of '09 we went back cuz there just wasn't enough improvement and then they trimmed part of the disc and didn't charge us a thing. After the second surgery his leg didn't go numb, but some of that pain was still there.  He felt like he could live like that and we did.  Going to a zoo or museum we all learned how to cope with it. Within the last year Arlo started having a lot more pain. Last January I told Arlo I needed his cooperation for my New year's resolution.... He sent his stuff to 2 places in Germany and got very different results. The ONZ team was gonna be in Phoenix end of Feb and so we bought tickets so we could go talk in person instead of us trying to read medical jargon. ONZ changed their mind that day and decided he definitely needed fusion and they felt like it was a birth defect cuz the bone to hold vertebrae together wasn't there. They told him he'd need 3 month recovery so he told them we'd contact them in September and set a date.  Here we are... They fused L4, L5 and S1 and put cages in-between.  
We have not regretted going to Laser Spine cuz it bought us more years till fusion and now our boys can pick up the slack. We honestly feel like God has led.... There's been some real dark days and we're this side of heaven... There will be more... 
Our family is all enthused to have a Dad who can 'walk' and 'stand'!!