midranger wrote:http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/50084/20080103/ford_consulting_with_specialists/
Apparently, those first two consultations didn't go the way TJ and/or the Raptors wanted them to. They are seeking yet other opinions. However, I really have to question this move at this point. I assume the two guys that he's already seen are (at least nationally), perhaps world reknowned spine surgeons. I think it's bull the the team is pressuring him to keep getting these opinions until some quack comes out and says, "Hey, you're good to go." I also, question any doctor's sanity who has two experts on record as disagreeing with him. If something goes wrong, that guy is in court within seconds, and probably loses his practice because of it.
I'm all for taking your health into your own hands and getting second opinions on major health choices. However, I'm sure these two guys are the best to be found, and have dedicated plenty of time to their medical judgment. If Colangelo or the rest of the Raps organization has put the 3rd, 4th, 5th opinion bug in TJ's ear, he has to be very careful. Just seems kind of slimy at this point.
This article seemed too vague to me to be able to really conclude anything. To begin with, it doesn't really reveal anything about the consultations Ford has already had.
Dr. Robert Watkins, for example, is soncidered the foremost expert in this field and actually handled Ford's case and performed the Cervical Vertebrae Fusion. It was he and his Spinal Institute (which he appears to have since split off from and started a new institute, interesting) that a good portion of the information I was relying on for my understanding came from, and that's who the Bucks received assurances from primarily before being comfortable with Ford playing again, and that was who Colangleo relied on primarily prior to trading for Ford and prior to giving him that extension (which was fully insured based on information provided by Watkins). Other opinions were sought at those times, but everyone backed Watkins professional opinion on things.
So I would be shocked at this point if Watkins was reversing course on any of that. He'd be pretty much sealing his own fate in a malpractice suit I would think in that case, but I guess we'd have to find out what was said in this round of consultations.
midranger wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
No, we have no idea what they told him. That said, if two experts gave him a clean bill of health, I sincerely doubt that the team would be asking for more consultations.
Maybe.
But maybe they want to be even more cautious this time around.
All the experts before (including and primarily Dr. Robert Watkins) were emphatic about the only risks being paralysis or death. There was never supposed to be any issue with stingers, at least stingers that had any relation to hir prior condition and surgery, but now it seems like TJ is being told otherwise.
smooth 'lil balla wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
But that's not what GAD says. I think TJ is wrong.
TJ was told exactly what I was when this was an issue when he was still with Milwaukee. Risk of paralysis, risk of death. He was always still at risk of another cervical spinal contusion if the fusion wasn't the remedy it was supposed to be, but another contusion in that same area that was damaged before was supposed to this time paralyze or kill him.
They seem to be adjusting what they are telling him since then, especially as it relates to these stingers. Those were never supposed to be a problem.
This just wasn't supposed to be a problem, which is why Colangelo was able to get the standard insurance on TJ's contract extension.
So you can save the snarkiness, as that extension would never have received the standard insurance without the kind of expert testimony and documentation I was also using for the information I was relaying here.