Help TV news anchor Bernie Lo recover and get back on air

My name is Bernie Lo and if you follow business news in Asia you may have seen me on TV

I started in local news in Hong Kong at TVB, hosted a newsmagazine show at Mediacorp in Singapore, and in 1995 joined the start up team that brought CNBC to Asia. After nearly a decade I helped Bloomberg expand its Asian TV then landed back home at CNBC in 2010. In my two decades I was a reporter, stocks editor, anchor, talk show host and even vacuumed the carpet and degunked the microwave.

I couldn't have asked for a better life. I love being on TV and had more fun than anyone should be allowed. But in 2015 problems started that would torment me for the next 7 years.

One day in Spring, I felt a sudden cramping and shooting pain down my leg that crumpled me to the ground. MRI’s showed my sciatic nerve, the biggest and longest nerve in the body, was being strangled by bone spurs at the L4/5 segment and I was scheduled for surgery.

The operation did fix the shooting pain but involved drilling away bone and led to instability and intense back pain. By autumn I was back in surgery for a fusion, a much bigger operation to “weld” spine segments together using bone growth protein. The process takes months or a year or more- in some cases it never grows solid which sadly was my case.

I thought it was just slow healing, but the pain only got worse. I was put on opioids which helped at first but eventually stopped working. Months then years passed but the pain intensified. In 2018 I couldn’t bear any more and began to find new doctors.

I saw several and planned to do what the majority recommended. But after consulting two orthopedic and two spinal neurosurgeons, I came away with four different diagnoses, which only confused me more.

Since the fusion didn’t get rid of the pain I decided on artificial disc replacements - prosthetic discs that preserve movement of the spine where fusions reduce mobility. The surgeon said the discs between L3/4 and L5/S1 were dried out and failed and were the source of pain.

In the OR, he also removed the metal hardware used in the L4/5 fusion, thinking it might be causing pain and on CT’s the segment looked solid. But it was the worst possible outcome- L4/5 never healed inside and once the metal support was removed, fractured apart, causing the artificial discs to collapse .

I was referred to yet another orthopedic surgeon who fused all the levels together. I had gone from a one to a four level fusion, yet still had no pain relief and even less mobility than ever. The problems didn’t stop there. An infection at L2/3 destroyed that level in 2020 and had to be fused as well. And last year the level at L1/2 fractured and collapsed due to the stress load from all the welded spine below.

I haven’t been able to return to work since the disc replacement surgery. The pain and difficulty walking is too great. But I haven’t given up hope despite the fact that the L1/2 is now collapsed from kyphosis- my spine has collapsed forward and I’m hunched over unable to stand straight or even stand at all without terrible pain.

I spent this year doing video consults with the best US spine surgeons I could find. After so many failed surgeries in Hong Kong I couldn't risk any more. I decided on a renowned orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles who is known for helping patients with a history of failed back surgery.

I’m used to being cut open but I’m terrified at the big major procedure on July 13. The doctor will remove existing hardware, remove bone compressing nerves, and realign the spine by chiseling out small portions to correct the curve. He’ll then do a completely new fusion several levels up to T10.

Unfortunately surgery in the US isn’t covered by insurance like previous ones. US healthcare costs are the highest in the world, and I've avoided treatment there until it's become my only option. I've survived the past few years only with family support, but I’ve depleted savings and had to redeem retirement funds. I’m grateful for the tremendous help you're providing and I vow if this surgery succeeds and I finally get back on air, I will donate every dollar of your help back into the community and make sure your gift keeps on giving

The fundraising goal is the total for surgeon fees, hospital charges, airfare and hotel, and nothing else. I have attached a couple CT images and a photo of how collapsed bone protrudes out my back. I apologize if they’re a little graphic. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Blessings to you and your family and please stay healthy.

Bernie

---