Spinal Surgery required ASAP, Insurance and ACC has refuse to fund - Public Hospital Up-To 18M waiting List from First app.

To whom it may concern

Chronic lower back pain - I need urgent vertebral fusion surgery as he is in constant, agonising pain. I hoped that ACC would cover the cost of this surgery, but after a series of delays this has finally been declined. Surgery under the public health system means a wait until Oct-Nov 2019.

I had artificial discs inserted in 2016 (L4/5 region), but these are causing problems now, and need to be removed. These two, and other adjacent vertebrae, need to be fused in order to alleviate the excruciating pain.

I'm husband to Monica and father of Alyssa 10Y, Anna 6Y and Eleanor 1Y. I'm a GIS specialist was working with Enable Networks Ltd who were installing high speed fibre in Christchurch city. in 2015 I developed crippling pain in my back that made it difficult to carry out my normal work duties. Finally, I had surgery in April 2016 to insert specially constructed artificial disks that were designed to overcome the problem. And for a time, this was successful.

Various orthopedic specialists have worked with me over recent years, including the surgeon who did the operation in Christchurch. But after examining various scans to examine the condition of my spine one of them, an orthopedic consultant Mr Insull, said he could not say with certainty that my worsening condition could be put down a particular incident or incidents. In his opinion it has been a case of a slowly deteriorating spinal condition and so the ACC decided to decline funding for surgery. of course, is sure the worsened condition has resulted from the December 2017 fall while dodging the swerving vehicle as I was fine up until Dec 2017.

In a state of severe, on-going pain, and the maximum allowable dosage of pain suppressing medication does little to relieve the constant agony. I'm confined to bed most of the time, and need assistance to get out bed for toileting, and uses crutches or worker with great difficulty when I attending appointments with the medical specialists. It now seems that the only solution is for the fusion of up to 8 vertebrae to take the pressure off the nerves causing the pain. I managed to keep going until now living with the hope that the next appointment will enable me to have the surgery I desperately needs. Now that I has been declined by the ACC this hope has been dashed.

In the meantime, my quality of life, if I has any, is further eroded. I'm keep losing weight in recent months and struggles to sleep as a result of the constant pain. I'm a New Zealand citizen, 34-year-old with specialist skills that would allow me to hold down a highly paid responsible position. Instead of contributing financially to the economy I'm trapped in the welfare system and awaiting the surgery I needs. we are facing serious financial hardship just relying on WINZ, and my needs to be able to return to work as soon as possible. Financial assistance to cover the cost of the surgery would be greatly appreciated for my family that we suffered much.