Neck fusion recovery

I'm all for the less pain :). Can't wait til the one year mark.

My questions is.......Will a person continue to fuse after one year? Have you read anything about that?
Some days are tough , just wondering if the neck will be healed completely at that time? Sometimes I probably think all it to much.
It's been raining since last night and will get cold later in the week. My boss says if it's below 70 degrees it's cold for me and he almost right about that :) Anyway, the cold and rain is tough and the neck. Does the rain bother you? I don't think you have a problem with cold weather over there.
Anyway...I believe it's in the am for you right now.
Hope you have a great day at work with less pain.

Tracey R.
Louisana

Tracey R.

I had my first ACSF in oct of 2009. I wasn't in any pain. My left leg was numb. Was told I had cord damage and that the disks were so bad that my spine would be severed if I didn't have surgery right away. A neurosurgeon did mine. Fused me C5-7. Warned me against doing anything strenuous. Ever again. I went back to work and tried to resume my normal life. I was in pain but nothing unmanageable. My moms cancer came back in 2011 and by the end if that year I was helping my dad take care of her at home. Pulling on her to get her in and out of bed after she lost use of her legs, I herniated above and below the fusion. Couldn't have surgery at the time. She was on the verge of dying from the cancer. Pacified it another 6 mons and woke up 1 morning July 2012 and I was in the worst pain of my life. I was admitted to the hospital where the surgeon did a posterior surgery to take out the bad disks but no fusion this time. Doing ok but still have days I can't do much. Both times I had the surgeries the herniated discs were severe. Since the last 1, no lifting over 20 lbs, only light exercise of walking or bike riding. Lots of stuff I can't do but I try not to let it get to me too much. I only take flexiril if I need it. But I don't like pain killers. I refused them at the hospital before, during and after both surgeries. I do ice packs a lot, hot massage showers. It all helps. I'm about as normal as I'm gonna get. I just wish I was normal like I used to be.

Hi Elizainva, OMG, I don't even have the words except to say I'm sorry that you are having such a rough time. Is there anything else they can do for you? Why didn't the surgeon fuse on the last surgery? NO pain killers immediately after surgery. WOW, you are more women than I am. I didn't and don't take pain killers before or after my surgery but that was a few days after.......surgery. I did take them immediately after surgery. Yes, I too, wish I was normal again. At one time I was pretty close to being hard core about working out. I believe those days are over. Which this is a very sad thought for me. Right now I'm walking 2-3 miles per day. And hoping I can work out more in the future. I may not be able to lift heavy weights again but I'm hoping for a better workout than I'm get now. I believe once we have the surgery/fusion we must accept that we will have a different norm. Some are more than others. At this point I'm not sure where my normal will be. For me so days are better than others but for the most part I have good days. I think I'm ones of the fortunate ones. I'm not in a lot of pain and I do not need to take pain killers but so days I'm down in the dumps. And of course when we are down.....we just don't know or may I say..... We don't see where our healing progress is at. I wish I had a better support team but the fact that I don't allow myself to complaint, no one around me really knows what I'm feeling physically or mentally. Hoping for a pain free for you. As always, I hope for a better tomorrow. Tracey R.

yeah I understand where you are coming from just gotta be happy and know that we are blessed to be able to walk I have degenerative disc desease had surgery to remove c5c6c7 march 18 2013 and am going back in three months to talk about back surgery I know ur pain but I make my self take the pain pills cause I tried going without them but the pain is way to severe

i have had a fusion for over 3 years and i have had nothing but pain since. i am having the fusion removed hope it helps. i will let you know when this happens,

I had c5 - c7 done 11 years ago, i know just what you are talking about. That's all i can say is it takes time, the widows hump on my c-7 upper shoulders was the worst .but trust me it is going to get better,over the last 10 years i bearly knew it was there. I wish i could say the same thing now because the dr.'s have to remove the fusion and replace it with a complete neck fusion c-1 to c7.

AMBIEN!  I could not sleep because of the pain in the back of my head and neck.  I took some Ambien and wow, I can sleep all night and the drug does not wear off until noon the next day (I am female).  Also Baclofen is another great drug to help with pain from muscle pain.

How long did the numbness last?

I had this surgery 2008, I felt fine, but my doctor instructed me never pick up excess weigh. It will pull on that fusion in your neck. then you will began to heard your neck many some strange noise. all because of pulling and lifting heavy weigh. I'm 62 yrs. old. I have to buy good shoes often and walk a lot , and eat right. and I sleep on a neck pillow. no high heel shoes. for this dejenerative disc you need to eat a lot of greenery, such as green beans, cabbages, collards, turnips, kale, strawberries, grapes, carrots, cherries, blueberries. these are good for arthritis. Most of the time this will come on you. but the walking keep busy and eat right will slow down the progress. and take vitamins C, E, fish oil, D, and calicum, drink alot of water:and lived right.

I had two plates one at c2-c3 and the other at c5-c6 that was four years ago and all went good for two years they went back in for bone spurs and clean and shaved it to try to get me 10 more years but only got two and they just went back in and removed plates and removed all spurs and repaired I ended up with a plate and screws on c3 and c4 with fusion on c2 and c5 so now I am solid from c2-c5 and am only 41 I am one week out of surgery and feel ok but still worry if I will be able to do my job when I am done I will be stuck in a collar for 8 weeks I hope everyone else's is going good

I had 4-5 and 5-6 neck fusion on 5/21/13 and I am still having so many problems. The pain in my neck has not gone away and my right arm and hand have no strength. Also I have been diagnosed with a paralyzed vocal cord due to the surgery. Still taking meds and I guess I was not lucky enough to have a caring doctor. I have gone back to work to another position since I cannot speak. I wish I had never had the surgery.

Oct 16 2013 c2 c7at Duke Dr. Isaacs and the pain has not stopped as of today 03/12014 and have tried to get in touch with Dr. and he doesnt even return my calls, Called advocate office at Duke and she will check in to it for me. But I simply cannot stand pain in left arm and hand and now going to my right arm.
trying to find another doctor and maybe even a lawyer as I was scared before operation when I was told I could lose function of my entire lower body and this would havt to be done asap.
After reading many many articles about this pain I do believe that this operation was not needed and that other options were available.
Would love to here if others with this problem might be interested in contacting a lawyer as a class action.
Too many people with pain after to be normal

Hopeing for repies

try using a small log roll pillow, worked wonders for me...

Glad to read about surgery reslults, I had C5/6 C6/7 surgery 2 1/2 months ago, been out of neck brace for 1 month, when I bend forward and back up the pain between the shoulders is unbearable. Can not find confortable position to sleep, was told be patient it take time. How Much? Any suggestions for relief. Thanks

How about sleep I feel like I'm sleeping wrong no real directive on what to do or not other than no sleeping on stomach. Will I mess up my neck by sleeping wrong i am wearing the soft collar