7 weeks post-op posterior cervical spine surgery

I had this fusion done on Oct 5, 06, they took the bone from my hip to use for the disk. My question is has anyone that has had this operation had trouble swallowing after the surgery, mine is to the point that I have to cut my pills up in order to swallow them. The dr. put me on a liquid diet, and that helps but it isn't cutting it as far as food goes.. Also when they took the bone from my hip, about 6 inches down on my thigh is numb, has anyone experienced this. As far as anything else, I am doing pretty good, even working a little, which I know I probably shouldn't, I am still wearing a soft brace when I am up doing this. But man this things can make you sweat. I would apprecaite any feedback on this.

Ok here goes

So far from what I have read in this thread some of you do not read previous posts or have done no other reading anywhere so i am not sure why I am posting here - I guess looking for hope...

I am 35 years old and scared to death that my life as I knew it is now over for no apparent reason aside from sleeping wrong. Or perhaps just with time from work it was bound to happen but this makes little sense. I am physically fit and healthy. I work 2 jobs - one is demanding on my posture (sitting neck strained) and the other is rather physical - teaching martial arts. Both of which I have to do in order to support my family.

I have yet to have my consult with the specialist but everything I have been reading so far is not overly positive and I am looking for more resources to check if you have any suggestions.

I have been told by an orthopedic resident that according to the xrays and CT Scan that I have a rather significant C4/5 disc herniation which is causing frequent intense jolts of pain into my shoulder. I have some neck pain but relatively minor comparatively. I have some numbness in my right thumb and some mild numbness in the right arm accompanied by some weakness to certain exercises. I have not worked in almost 2 weeks since this has started and I am going to try my seated job on Monday to see if I can handle it... if I cannot I am not sure what the hell I am going to do... this resident is concerned that i should see a specialist sooner than later

I have not been able to get sleep some nights which does not help matters - I am taking Lyrica which I am unsure of the effectiveness in relieving symptoms and Tylenol 3 which does not relieve symptoms but I hope makes me groggy enough to sleep (not usually) and some anti-inflammatories.

My Natural Doctor also has me trying a protocol that involves taking 25-30 tablets of proteolytic enzymes which may help in decreasing the inflammation to my understanding.

I am having PT which is at this point seemingly pointless for they are not able to do much traction and she just works on trying to help me find a position wthout pain. Chiro tx has been halted and no further manipulations is recommended. I am now trying acupressure massage therapy which has helped with prior low back disc related issues (not herniated though).

The thought of surgery frightens me for some of what i have been reading here and also in other areas - that symptoms may not be relieved and may actually worsen - that mobility will be reduced... that I could be paralyzed or die during surgery - that I could have speaking problems permanently afterwards...

All of this for something I did nothing to apparently cause... i am young and healthy and what the F*** did I do to deserve this?? I find myself questioning what kind of life or quality of life I could have if this is the way of it for me from now on... or if it gets worse if they do recommend surgery... which as far as i can tell is really the only option unless I want to try to live like this (which is not living in my opinion - for I am not allowed to do anything physical) and see if things resolve themselves which has been known to happen but could take 6 weeks to 6 months which in the grand scheme of a lifetime paralyzed or no life at all seems minor - I am not sure if I can survive financially for that long without being able to do the things I am used to doing

Do i have a question? I am not even sure now after typing all of this - perhaps I just needed to vent and to have others who have been experiencing similar things as myself possibly shed some new light on things...

I really do not know what to do... my health is suffering from not being able to do what I am used to doing and I'm sure other health related issues will crop up if I continue along this path... everyone so far has been very brief so I apologize for my long winded post

Thoughts? Ideas? Miracle cures?

Perhaps I should travel to Tibet and go to the top of a mountain and heal myself with my mind... or go see one of those miracle healers

See the thing is i have had these neck aches sense 05' where i feel i need to roll my neck to make the pain go away and sometimes my shoulder blade on my right side sticks out that pain goes from the bottom of my skull all the way down and around to the bottom of my shoulder blade and my sholder. i got in to a car accident on 10/13...friday 13th..(wierd) but ever sense then the pain has seemed to excellerate at a quick pace i wake up and or all day it kills. when im out n the cold i feel like my muscles tighten up and it kills. i kept putting it off and finally went to emergency room other day on my way 2 wrk. got a CT and X-Rays seems to be i have herniated C4-5 and 5-6 i got the soft collar and some vics n put me on steroids till i can go see the neurologist next wk. if it has been like this and only got worse from this accident. what should i expect to happen...anyone got negood words for me on this topic now that i told my story!? im scared im only 21 and have never had surgery n never had to take steroids for nething im not a pill popper if i get headaches i let it ride if it gets bad enough then ill take something...so what is going to happen!? ne clues...plz keep me posted. thank you
~ME~

For what it's worth, for all those questioning surgery, best to get it done and over with. Keep in mind that surgery is a last resort, but after considering what life would be like without the surgery, there was little shoice for me. Herniated discs at C4-5, C5-6. Bone graft, fusion, a few days in the hospital, stiff Miami J brace for 5 weeks. Been there!

Keep in mind that the longer you wait, the more permanent nerve damage is done. My surgery was postponed as I went for second opinions, but by the time I got to the table, my left arm was very week, left and right hand munb and tinglie, and the loss of leg movement was creeping in. (like walking through mud or deep snow)

Surgery for herniated discs in the cervical spine area are not corrective as much as preventive. As in stopping the damage before it gets worse. Sure, you'll have to adjust lifestyle, activities, etc. But for me, almost 7 weeks post op, hell, I'm doing great and am thankfull for an excellent neurosergion in Rochester NY.

Advice? Get 'er done!!!

Been reading alot of postings, I find them helpful.. Thank you. I had the disc between C4-5 and C 5-6 removed about three weeks ago, composite material inserted in disc space, and titanium rod placed C4-6, awaiting for a positive fusion at this time.

I have many similar complaints as most of you, excruciating base of head pain, radiating to right shoulder, this makes sense to me. No longer have narcotic meds, and the over the counter stuff just doesnt touch it. Family is getting sick of me being sick.....

A couple of things that I experience that I have not seen others post about are as follows:

At the incision site and above it about 2 ", I have numbness. I assume this is due to nerve cutting. Will this get better? It is terribly annoying.

More concerning for me is that everytime i move my head, I have crepitus. In case you dont know what that is, it is a grinding like sound, as if it is arthritic. It began immediately after my trauma, and has not subsided even after being surgically repaired.

My injury was caused by a tremendous blunt object blow to the back of my head, not related to any type of degenerative condition. Injury was on 9/13/06, Surgery was on 11/2. No other option was available to me as I was having neurological deficiencies ie, numbness/tingling, loss of fine motor skills, neurogenic bladder on infrequent occassions. I was told the chord compression needed to be releived in order to avoid permanent damage to it.

Thats my story, and crepitus or facial numbness out there??

Thanks, Lin

I hope this helps anyone contemplating cevrical spinal fushion. I had c4-5 fused on 8/8/06. I am 18 weeks post surgery. I had no other choice but surgery. I was hospitalized for pain for 3 days on morphine and valuim befroe surgery. I had an excellent Neurosurgeon. I did consult an orthopedic surgeon also but in my opinion the only way to go is with a very experienced neurosurgeon. I had complications because of the meds prior to surgery. I had a Illius and vertigo and was hospitaized for 17 days. I lost 32 pounds in 12 weeks due to the compications. I had muscle spasm and nerve pain that was extreme at first and it DID lesson over the weeks of recovery. However I still experience muscle spasm and pain when I have long stressful days. When they say 6-8 weeks for recovery time for me it was 6 weeks to feel human and 8 weeks to resume some activity but 12 weeks to feel mostly normal. I was on a patch for pain for 6+weeks, neurontin(still on and can't live without yet) extra strength tylenol for pain for 8 -10 weeks(still take when needed) ativan to sleep a God send in the first few weeks, protonix for ulcers from the first rounds of pain meds and the Illius. I would storngly suggest getting as many people who love you to sign up to help you recover you will need them. I had my parents my husband, my neighbors and friends. They did everything from laundry to dinners to visiting when you get the blues. I would also STRONGLY suggest a good physical therapist during and after recovery. I could not have recovered this well without mine. They kept me going during setbacke, massaged my muscle spasms(still do) and taught me exersizes to keep my neck stong. DO NOT leave your neuosurgeons office without a perscription for PT for 6-8 weeks. Finally with everything that happened in my recovery and knowing what I know now I WOULD ABSOLUTLY DO IT ALL AGAIN TOMMARROW if I needed to. NO question. I feel 85 to 90% less pain. I hope that as I continue to recovery that percentage will go up. Believe me I know what the risks are of surgery. I also know the pain I was living in was to much to live a good life with. It is a hugh descision. You will feel more confidient with these things. 1. A great really quailfied nuerosurgeon. (mine specialized in neck surgery and had done spinal fushion for 15 years. something like 2000 neck surgeries. l
2.Family and friends to help you.
3.A great PT near your home.
4. An understanding of pain meds as well as addiction. You will need them and it is good to educate yourself.
5. A good general practioner Doctor that will follow you throughtout the surgery and recovery. They can help you continue your meds and some followup when your very qualified neurpsurgeon is busy.
6. Ice and Hot packs.
7. A good deal of patience with yourself and faith.

I hope this helps someone out there. I have not done one of these before and am dyslexic so sorry about spelling.

Also, a couple more thoughts. My neurosurgeon did not use my hip bone he used a cadaver bone instead. This grossed me out at first. After talking with others who used their own hip bone, I would go with the cadaver again. It is hard enough( believe me) to have one surgery. The removal of your hip bone and recovery adds so much more pain and recovery to a painful process. Also my neuosurgeon DID NOT have me where a collar at all during recovery. He feels it inhibits the muscles in your neck from strenghtening and thus protecting the area of surgery. I only used a collar for car rides to the DR. (because it mentally made me feel safer). I know some people wear the collar for weeks(ugh). I never did but I only had C4-5.
For those with swallowing questions YES it is very very difficult to swallow for the first few weeks after surgery. For me it definitly improved over the weeks of recovery until 6-7 weeks you start thinking hey I can swallow again.
The incision sight still has numbness today at 18 weeks but it keeps improving too.
Anyway I hope that helps someone out there. GOOD LUCK to all.

I had surgery on 12/4/06 and am very glad that I decided to go with the surgery. I was in the hospital overnight and was back home by noon the next day. I was in pain for 5 years before I was referred to a neurosurgeon who was definetly a blessing in disguise. I tried sleeping in the bed after surgery but was very difficult so now I am still sleeping in my recliner. I still experience a few pains in the neck and shoulder area but only at night. I went from 5/vicodin per day to 1 a day. Swallowing hasnt been that bad of a problem but can be a nuisance. I just have to make sure that I have liquid near me when I'm eating so that it doesnt get stuck. My husband and family have been a big help with my recovery from doing basic housework to just spending time with me( can get a little depressing and boring). I was in a soft collar which my doctor told me that it wasn't mandatory and I could use it at my discretion, but I felt better wearing it in the car. My incision site is larger than expected but definetly a trade in from the pain. Its still sore at time and numbness is still there. But after all I would definetly do it again if I had to.

I too have had a double cervical diskectomy on disks c5-c6 and c6-c7.Prior to surgery I noticed increasing numbness and muscle weakening mainly in my legs at first, then started having pain between my shoulder blades.When I would cough I would have pain radiating down both arms all the way to my fingertips.Occasionally, when lifting things above my head I would also get stingers in my neck. To make a long story short I went to Dr. He sent me for an M.R.I. Found two herniated disks,one of which was worse and putting pressure on my spinal cord. Went to nuerosurgeon and scheduled surgery for the following week. I am now post-op 3 weeks. For me , I didn't really see the surgery as that big of a deal. I was in and out within 24 hrs and felt like things went well. The pain associated with the disks is gone. Still a little sore from surgery but feels pretty good. My real problem is the numbness and major muscle weakness in my legs which is very depressing and frustrating for me because I was very actve before this happened. I was planning on quitting my miserable job that I've been at for twenty years to go full bore with a business that I've been doing on the side for the last six or seven years. Both jobs are very physical type work and I'm very unsure of what to do now. I have 5 more weeks before I'm due back at my regular job. At this point it doesn't seem like I will be getting back the use of my legs any time soon. I would appreciate it very much if there is anybody who has had similar problems with their legs to let me know if this is permanent damage or if this will repair over time, or somewhere in between. The surgeon was kind of pessimistic which was depressing at best. I then saw a neurologist who seemed rather confident that I would eventually get back to 100%.At this point, I've really seen no improvement in this area and am trying to stay positive and stay busy around the house but I just feel extremely tired all the time and just doing simple things wipe me out. Any responses are welcome. Thanks for giving me a place to vent.

I really don't understand this forum other than a place to vent. I would like to be able to respond to others questions and have people that are further along with their recovery to respond to my questions but don't see a way to do this.Can you respond to an individual or does everything just go onto the general forum page?

I had a C4-C5 fusion on 1/18/02 (cadaver bone, no plate) about a year and a half after a car accident (9/00). I woke up from surgery with no arm pain. I was off work for six weeks and then eased back in. For the 18 months prior to the first surgery, I tried all sorts of conservative treatment. Three different PTs, two acupuncturists, an orthopedist, and NS. I was actually relieved when my NS finally concluded that surgery was "indicated." I was 25 years old and felt like the accident had taken my life away. Afterwards, I felt great and started law school in fall 02. I did yoga, worked out, jogged, carried lots of heavy books, and spent a lot of time at a computer. I recommended the surgery to everyone. Unfortunately, I started smoking during law school exams in Dec 2002. I wish I would have known that not smoking is a way to prevent herniated disks.

Fast forward to fall 2006. I started having major shoulder pain, then right arm pain, then tingling, weakness, loss of balance, etc. Eventually an MRI showed a major herniation at C6-7 and a minor herniation at C5-6. I quit smoking and had surgery on 12/28/06 - 4 weeks ago today. (fusion from C5-7, with a titanium plate). The NS said my problems are due to my bad anatomy. I am writing to this forum because I am still so fatigued. I am now 31 years old and otherwise in good health. Is it the pain that's making me so tired? How do you manage the fatigue, and any ups and downs? I felt better last week than this week. Maybe I've been overdoing it but I hoped to go back to work after my post-op NS appt next week. Now I get so tired after every exertion that I don't know if I can. Believe me, all I want to do is get out of this house and back to work. I am walking every day - I'm up to 40 minutes. I tried to cut down to plain tylenol (and soma) but I still need the percocet or loritab for the pain. When did you folks go back to work?

I had a posteria foraminotmony 20 days aga and still have significant wound pain. The most serious complication by far was when I was released from hospital after 4 days, no bothered to tell me about using the morphine they sent me home with or how to come off it. 4days after leaving hospital, I ended up in an Emergency Department going through huge morphine withdrawal. I did not know what was happening and the experience scared me far more than the surgery. I had previously had anterior fusions of C67 and C56 with little to no problems. Please make sure that you and your anthesthatist and your nurosurgeons and the nursing srtaff all talk to each other and to you. This morphine withdrawal has been the worst experience of my life and it was completely preventable

Firs of all, thank you all for this blog, it give hope to us all!!! I had surgery last year C4-5-6 and although the "surgery went well" I also continue to have the muscle spasms. The worse part is the loss of my voice and that comes and goes without any warning. I am hopeful that someone will get some answers soon. I have been to many docs, medical and the entire lot of them tell me that it is a virus and will run it's course. It is just my career is Sales and it requires me to speak, sometimes too much :) I give each and everyone of you credit for the courage you have engdured during all of this and continue to do so.



Who knows, if they hear enough from all of us, maybe something will be done. One can always hope. It is nice to now there is a support blog or we can call it a sharing our complaint blog, wheichever it is, I find it helpful not to feel alone. So thank you to each and every one of you and I will keep all of you in my thoughts. Take care to all of you, as much as possible!!!

I too am contimplating surgery options for an injury to c7/t1 disc. Everything I read scares me to the bone. I am told that sometimes these things desolve in time and my simptoms are somewhat better than when I was injured in Aug 06. Did you get your surgery done? Any regrets?

:-( I am still having discomfort five months after spinal fusion. I am trying to lead as normal life as I can. I was a very active cabinet maker, however now I have to make a career change as my body copes. I can't do the lifting, pushing, pulling & turning we are all accustomed to. I still have spasms, migraines & irritabality. I am also less tolerant than I ever used to be.

Dan

I AM 6 MONTHS POST SURGERY ON C5/6, 6/7. I HAVE DDD THROUGHOUT MY SPINE AND WENT THROUGH 2 YEARS OF PAIN MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES BEFORE HAVING THE SURGERY. I GUESS ALL IN ALL I NEEDED THE SURGERY BECAUSE I HAD 1 HERNIATED DISC TOUCHING MY SPINAL CORD AND 1 BULGING DISC BELOW IT. HOWEVER, MY NECK PAIN RETURNED WITHIN 6 WEEKS AND IS WORSE THAN EVER NOW. I HAVE SEVERE MUSCLE PAIN, STABBING BETWEEN MY SHOULDER BLADES AND ACHING THROUGH MY SHOULDER AND DOWN MY RIGHT ARM TO MY ELBOW. SEVERE MIGRAIN HEADACHES, MOSTLY IN TH A.M., WHEN I STRETCH, IT FEELS LIKE MY SPINE IS SEPERATING AND IS VERY PAINFUL WHEN IT RETRACTS FROM STRETCH. I HAD POST OP XRAYS AND JUST THIS WEEK A NEW MRI. EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT ACCORDING TO BOTH MY NEUROSURGEON AND MY PAIN MANAGEMENT DR. I HAVE BEEN TO 6 WKS OF PT, MASSAGE THERAPY, TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS MULTIPLE TIMES EVEN HAD DR. DO TRIGGERS WHILE ON MASSAGE THERAPIST TABLE. NOTHING HAS HELPED. CAN'T SLEEP AND QUALITY OF LIFE HAS DETERIORATED. I AM A VERY ACTIVE WOMAN. WORK 40+ HRS A WEEK, KEEP UP WITH 2 TEENAGE BOYS AND LOTS OF CHURCH ACTIVITIES. HAVE HORSES AND A WONDERFUL HOME LIFE OUTSIDE OF THIS PAIN. TRYING TO KEEP MY HEAD UP AND A SMILE ON MY FACE, BUT VERY DIFFICULT. HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING AND GOTTEN BETTER? I WAS JUST TOLD THIS MORNING BY PAIN MNGT. DR. I MAY HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH THIS. I AM ONLY 35 AND CAN'T IMAGINE THE REST OF MY LIFE IN THIS MUCH PAIN. THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE.