severe pain following anterior discectomy

Hello, I am recovering from my 2nd ACDF. My first surgery was May 5, 2010 due to slipped disc c5-c6. I started to develop numbness, weakness in my right arm/hand with severely stiff neck and constant headaches. When I saw the neurosurgeon he avised me that injections would not work and if I was in an accident involving my neck I could end up paralyzed. This is a Dr from a well known school in southern California, who has done thousands of these surgeries so I took his advice of going ahead with the sugery.

Approximately 3 weeks following my surgery I began to have some burning in my left shoulder blade that radiated to the base of neck (between my shoulder blades) on my four week f/u I advised the surgeon of the problem I was having, he told me it was just post-op inflammtion and prescribed a Medrol pak. The pain seemed as though it subsided for about two weeks, and then returned even worse. On my four month f/u (I continued to advise my PCP that the pain was seemed to be intensifying, as it was four hour drive to see my neurosurgeon) I advised the surgeon that the pain was now worse and radiating from the base of my neck to my shoulder, out to my arm and into my thumb, index and middle fingers. He told me I just needed to go back to work and referred me to rheumatologist, and said I had arthritis. I was able to return to work for approximately four months still in agonizing pain. I was taking three to four 800mg Ibuprofen to try and make it through my shift, I am an RN and worked 12hr shifts. It got to the point that I could not look down to assess a patient, I could not look up to grab a chart, and it felt as though my stethoscope (which I wore around my neck) weighed a ton around my neck and was killing me. It finally got to the point where one morning I could not get out of bed to go to work, I went in to see my PCP an he ordered an MRI that showed that I lost disc height, I was so frustrated that when he asked me if I wanted to go back to my original surgeon I refused and he referred me to an orthopedic surgeon specializing in spinal surgery.

Upon seeing the ortho he ordered a horizontal CT, as he advised me that this is the only way could tell whether my graft had taken place. When the results came back he let me know that my graft had failed and the cage had collapsed. I did let him know of the symptoms I was having, he proceeded to tell me that I would have to have a new plate inserted and the bone that was used for the graft would have to be replaced due to the fact that it was pretty much ground down to nothing. I told him I did not want to have another surgery unless it was going to fix what was wrong with me. He said the reason for my pain was due to the fact that my graft had failed and I would feel much better after surgery. Needless to say I decided to go ahead with the second surgery if it was going fix this pain. My second surgery was on 1/30/2012, I came out of surgery and the pain was gone. I thought I was in heaven, the first time I was not hurting for almost two years. About 4 days after surgery I woke up with a headache so bad I could not open my eyes, and the pain was back worse than I could have ever imagined it could be. I saw the ortho that day he told me to put heat on it and rest. I continued that regimen for about a week then he ordered PT for me, I went into PT with a very positive attitude but after 3 sessions the pain in my neck/shoulder began to "sting". I let my physical therapist (who by the way is excellent and specializes in post op neck recovery) and he massaged my back, he told me my thoracic spine was so tight he could not adjust it. About two days after he massaged the knots in my back, it felt as though someone had beat my back with a baseball bat and my entire body was sore. I am now at the point where I can not have my wife rub my neck/shoulders or the next day and for about a week my entire back from my neck to my lats hurts so bad that to just touch anywhere in that area hurts. I did advise the ortho surgeon of this about a month ago, he took an x-ray and said he seem's to think I am developing some bone growth (I do wear a bone graft stimulator 30mins per day) and to come back in four months. For the past week I have been having very bad sensitivity in my left arm pit going down the inner part of my arm to the base of my hand to the outter padding of my hand.

I know this was a long explanation of my problems but I am so frustrated and just wondering if anyone else has experienced or is experiencing these symptoms of pain. Is there any help out there? I am 40 and used to be an active athlete and parent, any help is greatly appreciated. I wouldn't wish this on anyone (maybe the Dr's so they would be more understanding).