HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

New, with cervical fusion questions & upcoming surgery

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/31/2012 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all. This is the first time I've ever reached out to a chronic pain support group. I have degenerative disk disease. I'll try to keep the intro short, then move on to my question(s).

My DDD is apparently hereditary. I ruptured L4/5 when I was 31, when my third child was a year old. I had laminectomies in 1990 and 1991 and did well until 2000, but recovered over time using a muscle stimulator. I had another bad spell in 2004, but neurotin (gabapentin) bought me another 4 years of functioning well. At the beginning of 2009 I went downhill again and have been under the care of a pain specialist since then. I had an SCS implant in 2010, which along with meds, has worked well until this past year.

My current needs are a lumbar fusion at L4/5 (which I've avoided for 24 years, so this was no surprise). But my more immediate need is for a cervical fusion at C5/6 & C6/7, as well as correction to the abnormal curve with (I believe) a plate in the front. This surgery is somewhat of a surprise because the onset of symptoms were more sudden and more severe, and my mindset has always been on my low back (which has actually improved somewhat after recent pelvic floor prolapse repair).

My surgery is on 1/10. My pre-op visit is on 1/3. I've been compiling a list of questions to ask, but wondered if there's a general list "out there" here or somewhere on the internet that I can consult to see what I might be leaving out.

Thank you, and I look forward to your acquaintance.
Posted 12/31/2012 3:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hi ArizonaB and Welcome to Healing Well Chronic Pain Forum. It sounds like your just about reverse of me, I have had the C6/7 fusion and then the C5/6 fusion, and now the 9th of  January I am having a laminectomy/framinotomy/ diskectomy at L3/4 and L4/5 on the right side and the same L4/5 on the left side. I have had all the Pro-Op done this past week. Since I haven't had the Lumbar done before I can not compare the cervical fusions to it yet. But I will tell you that for the surgeon the cervical ACDF is much easier, as they have much easier access for doing this surgery. Make sure you tell them at your Pre-Op of any pre existing condition, such as sleep apnea, I was told to bring my machine and mask with me to the hospital. As part of the pre op if you have any pre existing condition they might want to do further checks, I have a problem with shortness of breath, and I had an echocardiogram done this past summer, and it showed significant tricuspid valve regurgitation so this past friday they preformed a debutamine stress test on me, before they would clear me for the surgery. Also make sure they know all the pain meds you are taking, and if your seeing a Pain Management doctor, I would suggest talking with him/her about your up coming surgery. I know on my last cervical surgery, I had a major problem with pain control because they took me off of all my scheduled pain meds prior to my surgery and did not put me back on them right afterwards I ended up in the hospital for eight days because of that. This time I talked with my PM doctor at length about it, and he sent the surgeon a memo of how to treat my pain while I am in the hospital. So I would definitely incourage you to try and talk with your doctors about that in advance.

 

I will tell you that the first two ACDF's that I had I felt immediately better right after the surgery, I did have a problem with my first surgery, in that I lost my voice for close to four months after the surgery, it is rare that it happens but it can, and it usually is only temporarily.  My doctors did not tell me about that the first time, but at that time the ACDF was a very new type of procedure, the second time they explained everything more thoroughly.  I guess the best thing I can tell you is to ask questions, you and your doctor should be a team! 

 

I am sure that there are many others on this forum that will have allot of good advice for you, as there are quite a few that have had this type of surgery. If I can be of any assistance to you with this, don't hesitate to contact me, I do wish you well and again I wellcome you to our Chronic Pain Forum Family.! 

 

White Beard

P.S How is your PAP machine working out for you?

Posted 12/31/2012 4:00 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there...welcome to the boards...Sorry to hear of your pain issues...

A few questions if you don't mind..

Did you get a 2nd and 3rd opinion from Board Certified as well as Fellowship trained Neurosurgeons (who do NOT know one another) before agreeing to this fusion surgery? This is something very important so that you can go into the surgery knowing it is the best course of treatment.

Did you go through rounds of injections, traction, and physical therapy for the cervical area to see if this would help any?

Did they do a nerve conduction study to see what is going on and what the percentages are?

I have had 3, two-level, cervical fusions so this is something I didn't learn until after the 2nd terrible one but did all of this before my last one with a fantastic Neurosurgeon.

Most of us with spine issues end up with both lumbar and cervical issues. I have 3, very severe active herniations. One in my lower cervical/upper thoracic and two in my lumbar. We are holding off on doing anymore surgeries until there is absolute threat of paralysis as it's not meant to be done for pain relief. I also have Spinal Stenosis, and Spondy....but am doing as many non surgical things I can to keep surgery at bay.

So, the biggest questions are all meant to be done before your surgery with different Drs. to make sure it is the absolute best way to go.

Feel free to ask any questions you like about what the recovery is like and anything else. You can also do a search on this site for suggestions about this surgery too.

Many of us here though are not the success stories that are the higher percentage. It's about 85% of people with spine issues who are helped non surgically. And then the 15% of those that do need surgery....a good 80% or more of them are doing great and have minor to no issues.

Those of us here have either had more than one surgery or more than one serious health issue that has made recovery much harder. So try not to use us as the real world examples of success but we can certainly offer all the support and empathy with any part of the process!
Posted 12/31/2012 6:05 AM (GMT 0)
Wow, thank you both so much for your replies. I'll try to address them as best I can, but I may miss something, so just ask again if I do.

I've had trouble for years with my neck, but just put it down to muscular problems, and have had PT on and off for many years. In the last year, both my neck pain and my ancient CTS symptoms have reached a point where PT no longer helps. I had EMG done earlier this year on both hand and forearms (at that point, my neck wasn't bothering me much yet), and had CT release surgery on each hand, right in May, left in July. Both were successful.

Not long after those recoveries, I developed severe radicular right arm pain, all the way to the thumb and 3 middle fingers. I've discovered that neck pain isn't nearly as responsive to pain meds as back pain is. I've had 2 sets of 3 each of cervical epidural injections. In August the pain became unbearable, and for the second time in my adult life (I'm 55), I went to an ER. It was after that 2-day stay that I had the 2nd set of epidurals.

I've been through the whole gamut of treatments with my lower back. Epidurals, MBBs, RFAs, a caudal adhesiolysis, and ultimately an SCS. Given the severity of the DDD of the afflicted disks, I am unwilling to sacrifice another year of treatments that only postpone the inevitable. And after I am recovered from the cervical fusion, I will be having the lumbar fusion. As I said, I've managed to avoid that for 24 years.

As for surgeons, I've been the to neurosurgeon who implanted my SCS. I also saw an orthopedic surgeon because my neuro does not do ADR, and I wanted that option if I met the criteria (I don't). Both are board certified; I'll need to check on the fellowship status. Both have terrific reputations and work out of reputable hospitals in the Phoenix area.

One huge reason for opting for the ortho (I've never seen one before, I've always had neuros) is personal reference, qualifications, reputation, and hospital affiliation. AND (this is big here) -- HE LISTENED TO ME!!! Although I have faith in the neuro, he wasn't even prepared to discuss doing the cervical surgery first, even though he order the myelograms of both parts of my spine. He wasn't really even interested in my own reasons for doing neck surgery first. He wanted to do the "easier" surgery first, and then have me come back for the more complicated one.

although I understand his point of view, it's my body and my quality of life. I can cope with various amounts of back and radiating leg pain; neck pain and the radiating arm pain make me completely worthless and unable to function on a daily basis. I'm living on the borrowed time of a recent epi and toradol shot, along with chiro and massage and occasional acupuncture as well as my usual regimen of narcotic and non-narcotic medications.

White Beard, I'm still coping with managing cpap. The hardest thing is getting comfortable enough to sleep at night, both with the mask and my pain level. My husband and I finally saw a pulmonologist and my husband (who doesn't have apnea) is trying some bedtime nasal spray for his snoring, so that is helping my sleep as well.

I'll try to get a profile signature created tomorrow, so ya'll can know a bit more about me.

I know I've left out a lot, but it's late, and I'll catch up tomorrow.

Again, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH! Your input is great and I appreciate it very much.
Posted 12/31/2012 7:42 AM (GMT 0)
arizonaB You have hit on something very very very important! I personally don't care how great a doctor is, I want a doctor that is really good but I also want a doctor that will listen to me and treat me as part of the team! I think it is great arizonaB that you have found one that will do that! I can completely empathize with you about the radiating arm pain, when I had to have my first fusion at C6/7 the pain I had was like when you severely hit your crazy bone in your elbow and the pain radiates down into your fingers, it is a burning stabbing pain and it hurts like crazy, and for me it just was constant and would not go away! I was like that for months before the military doctors finally found out what was wrong with me! It is something I would not wish on my worst enemy! I know for me both times the surgery relieved that terrible arm pain immediately! I would encourage you to be extremely careful going to a chiropractor or osteopath and getting your cervical spine in any way manipulated, especially with herniated disk in your neck! Even the thought of it scares me to death, I had a military osteopathic doctor manipulate me before they actually knew what was wrong with me, and the neurosurgeon, said that somebody was watching over me, because with the damage I had in my neck the disk was so severely herniated that it broke apart and free floating fragment were floating around in my spinal canal, and they did not understand why I could even move my arms at all, and they said I should have been a total quadriplegic! The surgeon was amazed that that doctor did that, and I was told I was more than extremely lucky, to be alive! So I alway advise people with cervical spine problems to be extremely careful about getting spinal manipulations.

Anyway arizonaB I hope you like our forum and you become an active member of our family, this is a great place to come and vent your frustrations about doctors and treatments, and just about your pain, and lack of others understanding you with it. People here will listen and they do care, your definitely not alone with your pain when your here on this forum, the saying that misery loves company, well here you have lots of compassionate caring company!

 Have they given you any indication how long your hospital stay will be with your up coming surgery? My first time back in 1985 the C6/7 ACDF I was in the hospital eight days, they took the bone graft from my pelvis, and I had absolutely no hardware, with it, and at that time the ACDF was a relatively new procedure. Now when I had my second ACDF at C5/6 in September of 2009 I was only in the hospital 3 days, and they used donor cadaver bone with a bracket and titanium screws holding it all together, and I only had to wear the cervical collar for about three weeks. Where as my first fusion I had to wear the cervical collar for four months. Anyway they are telling me with my up coming lumbar surgery I should be in the hospital between three to five days. I will post as soon as I can while in the hospital on my progress. I hope that you can also keep us up dated on your condition and your progress, you are family here and we all care about each other.

White Beard

Posted 12/31/2012 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
Got to keep it quick ths morning but just wanted to touch base.

First I had my lumbar fusion, frankly I wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy. When my neck started to bother me I ignored it, there was no way I was going thru another fusion. After I lost coordination in my hand I went to a neurosurgon and he pretty much said I had no choice but since my symptoms came and went I could hold off. I slipped on the ice one day and ended up pushing that herniation over the edge. Surgery was no longer optional, it needed to be done asap.

I had surgery at 5 pm the day after I fell and was up by the next morning helping my roommate with her blanket. I happen to have an allergic reaction to something that put me back to bed the entire day but that was a different story. I was supposed to be out that day, but ended up in for 3 days due to the allergic reaction. I was back to part time office work within two weeks and full time the next week. No collar or brace for me with the one level, except a soft collar while riding it the car at my request.

All of my symptoms resolved within the first few weeks. Now I have stiffness and soreness occasionally but not bad at all. Fusions are completely different or each person, but I wouldnt hesitate to do a cervicle again, if absolutely needed. Lumbar, abolutely not, not sure another dr will ever convince me to work on my lumbar area again!

Feel free to ask any surgery specific questions, I would be more than happy to answer. Good luck to you!

Hugs,
Shell
Posted 12/31/2012 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for sharing! It's supposed to be just an overnight stay for the cervical work, perhaps a second day if there are difficulties achieving good pain management. I believe there's a soft collar afterwards, but my doctor said that's primarily for patient comfort, it's not necessary for support because everything is supported from within with hardware. He also uses what he calls a "cage" to replace each disk with, composed of a frame of some sort and filled with cadaver bone, bone stimulant powder, and any of my own bone that is shaved of off the spurs.

We haven't talked much yet about the lumbar fusion, but that does involve 3-4 days in the hospital. It involves hardware, but it might be a bone-to-bone fusion. I'm getting this a little confused with what the neuro said, and what a friend of mine said after her fusion last year. She had a hard, turtle-shell kind of a torso brace that looked like it was molded to her body.

I'll update my question list with what I've learned here. Oh, and the hospital I'll go to is a relatively new one in Phoenix that is devoted to orthopedic and spinal surgeries with new, state-of-the-art equipment.

I also wanted to add that the personal references were actually found AFTER I had seen this ortho doc. My dentist's office manager heard me talking to the girl at the desk about my upcoming surgery, and said she had her lumbar surgery done by a wonderful doctor who had been recommended to her. She has since recommended him to 2 others; all 4 have had terrific results. When she told me his name, my jaw dropped because yes, it was my doctor! Awesome to have an unsolicited recommendation.
Posted 12/31/2012 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Arizona and I too would like to welcome you to the chronic pain forum . I am sorry to read that you are in need of surgery, however, if that is what it takes to get you feeling better so be it. I am glad that you have got to read posts from some of our members who have had both surgeries done. Its always nice getting to relate to people that have been there, done that so to speak.

I agree with WhiteBeard on how important it is to have a dr that listens to you and talks to you. It cannot be a one sided deal. You need to feel comfortable and trust him. If you have none of this then its time to find someone that you do like and are comfortable with.

I do wish you nothing but the very best with your surgery. Please keep us posted. Take care...Susie
Posted 12/31/2012 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you have found the best Dr. for you. I happened to use only Neurosurgeons for my surgeries as the Orthopedic Dr. I first saw when this all started was honest with me in that his speciality was only lumbar and Neuros are trained more in the cervical area, brain, and spine.

The cervical fusions are "harder" in the sense that they have a lower success rate to them than the lumbar ones. And the lumbar area always gets approved first for any new procedures or hardware and even the ADR...that is still fairly new for the cervical area.

But it sounds like this Orthopedic surgeon you have has performed many of the cervical fusions and trained in that area so that is all that matters.

It all sounds like the standard with the one night in the hospital and the soft collar. They also sound like they are going to use BMP which is bone morphogenetic protein which is injected into the cage and fusion site to help with the fusion. This was all the same for me in the last surgery. The only time I stayed two nights in the hospital was the first surgery as they took bone from my own hip and didn't use any hardware. I also had a hard collar for 3 months after that one.

The only difference for me is this last fusion they went in from the front of the neck and put the plating and rods/screws and then turned me over and went in through the back of the neck and did the same. That is because my other two fusions failed...

And again, just for me, we are not going to do anymore surgeries unless there is an immediate need with possible danger so that is why I just say to make sure you get those 2nd or 3rd opinions before going forward on the lumbar area.

Obviously surgery is needed in certain cases like ours but just know that with any fusion, it puts more pressure on the discs above and below the fusion site which can cause further issues down the road. So it's all about feeling 100% that more than one Dr. has said the same thing that surgery is needed right now and it would be more harmful without it.

The key is the recovery period and having that great Dr. that gets you walking and then into physical therapy (all when the time is right) and then doing as many things as possible to strengthen our spines to keep them healthy.

Obviously all of this is after resting and taking all the medication as prescribed to help with any pain after the surgery.

We are here for you all the way and will pray that everything goes as planned and that you are one of the success stories!!!

Post Edited (Snowbunny21) : 12/31/2012 1:23:58 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/31/2012 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
arizonaB
you sound so much like me...for years I have been dealing with significant issues/pain from my lumbar disc issues - I have like 2 bulges and a tear...along with sciatica and numb toes and all that goes with it...the past couple years my neck/upper back has been bothering me and I finally got an MRI a couple weeks ago and my neck is so much worse than my lumbar and I was not expecting it to be that bad...I don't need surgery yet but have been told that I will need it within 5 years. I am on a whole gambit of medications in the meantime to try and control. Please keep us updated on your treatment/recovery - I will be watching for your updates. This is a great group - I only recently discovered and just the advice and sharing is so helpful for me...I do not know anyone else who deals with the stuff I deal with - I look completely normal but suffer significant pain each and every day...so having people to talk to that can relate has been amazing.
Posted 1/4/2013 2:40 AM (GMT 0)
ArizonaB - From experience I will say have the most immediate problem taken care of first. My own neck problems took a very bad turn because I put off having the surgery for too long. Long story short, had neck problems for over 20 years. Was able to control pain with physical therapy, exercise and meds. Until January of 2011. Experienced an incredible amount of pain which felt like it hit my brain, numbness in arms, legs and chest. My balance was way off kilter and I kept falling. Everything I picked up wound up on the floor. Bad case of dropsies!

Went back to my ortho doc, did another mri and all of a sudden I was an emergency. The cervical disks were pinching my spinal cord at two levels. Had the surgery mid January, was in the hospital 6 days and had a hard collar for 13 weeks followed by physical therapy.

The repair was a combination of fusion, disk removal, facets removed (I think), placement of rods, plates, and screws from C2 to T1. The kyphosis was at an extreme curve and had to be straightened out. It was a posterior surgery and very painful. He used my own bone for repair rather than cadaver bone.

Due to odd circumstances I was alone most of my recovery. It was necessary for me to do more than I should have which slowed healing. Take advantage of all the help you have available. Let your people pamper and spoil you. Spoil yourself. Do not lift anything over a few pounds until doc releases you. Do not drive until the doc releases you! Take your pain meds on schedule and don't let the pain get ahead of you. If that happens it is so hard to get under control. Deep breathing helps with spasms (they can be bad) and don't get frustrated at what you may consider an extreme amount of time for healing. It will take time, don't rush it!! Every body heals at it's own pace. Even if you don't feel like it, get up a few times of day and walk. A reclining chair was my furniture of choice.

My outcome was good. Still hurts like crazy some days, but this is a new normal. Have permanent nerve damage, but it could have been so much worse. Still need lumbar surgery but can't consider that until some life changes take place. It can wait. Famous last words!

Wishing you all the best and a successful, uneventful recovery.

suz
Posted 1/4/2013 2:52 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Suz...out of curiousity but why were you in the hospital for 6 days? I have had 3, two-level cervical fusions with the last one being both anterior and posterior. The first one I stayed two nights (that also included bone from my hip) but the last two surgeries were only one night and then out the next morning.

So, was wondering as it's not the norm these days to be in the hospital for that long.
Posted 1/4/2013 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
Snowbunny - I will answer that in a new post if you don't mind. I'm not good with forum etiquette (can't spell either) and don't want to risk hijacking arizona's thread. Was going to introduce myself anyway. Had a very bad day and need to do anything other than think about it.

suz
Posted 1/4/2013 5:55 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and giving your advice; I am trying to digest it all, along with what I am learning from my doctor. Today I spent the morning having a stress test for cardiac clearance and got the cherished paperwork to take to the afternoon pre-op appt.

The PA said that the anesthesiologist would not like that I am on a fentanyl patch (I don't know why; I had 3 surgeries last year, and the patch has been like part of my own skin for the last 4 years). She wrote me a script for 60mg oxycontin for long-acting (every 12 hours) pain, and I am to stay on the oxycodone for breakthrough pain.

My husband is picking up the med now. Why is it so freakishly expensive? does it not have a generic form after all these years? $500+ for a month's supply is more than we've ever had to pay, but it matches up and is even a little lower than our insurance formulary. Patches are a lot cheaper!

I also received a soft collar to take to the hospital with me. We're signed up to go to the hospital on Tuesday for a pre-op class, which sounds like a good idea. There will be a respiratory therapist there, and we can discuss my sleep apnea/cpap needs then. Surgery is Thursday, and I should go home on Friday.

Prayers welcome! Thank you all so much for your advice, information, welcome, and friendship.
Posted 1/4/2013 7:14 AM (GMT 0)
Arizona you will be in my prayers, I wish you well with this, my second ACDF at C5/6 I was only suppose to be in the hospital over night, but the drain they had in me was draining to much so they wanted to leave it in an extra day so they kept me in an extra night. But the surgery was a piece of cake compared to the first ACDF I had in Alaska in 1985. It is so much better when they use the cage with the cadaver bone in it for the graft and the bracket with screw to hold it together. The pain relief was immediate, with that surgery. So I hope that you find your surgery easy for you and you get immediate pain relief. My surgery is the day before yours and they are suppose to call me Tuesday and tell me what time to be at the hospital on Wednesday and what time my surgery will be that day. They told me I would be in the hospital from 3 to 5 days. Possibly longer if they have to do a fusion. Keep me in your prayers and I will definitely keep you in mine!

Wish you all the best!

White Beard
Posted 1/5/2013 12:35 AM (GMT 0)
I'm hoping there's no such thing as a silly question, but does it feel "gross" to have a drain? Yesterday I was told I would have one, hopefully just overnight, but I've never had one before and don't really know what to expect.
Posted 1/5/2013 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
They used to have a generic for Oxycontin but because it was abused so much by people crushing it to snort or inject, they had to come up with a new formula that was tamper-proof. This ended up giving them a whole new patent which allowed them to keep for some years until it expires for a new generic.

This year in Canada they have a generic version now..(Just FYI for those members who may have been waiting)

I switched from Oxycontin to MSContin when the generic stopped as yes, it is crazy expensive and I don't have insurance. MSContin is nice and cheap!

Anyway...the drain part...I barely paid any attention to it because the first 24 hours after the surgery you are just sleeping off/on and trying not to do much. And yes, it was removed within a day.

Glad you are all cleared to have the surgery...And yes...there are no such thing as silly questions so ask away!!!
Posted 1/5/2013 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you, Snowbunny! I think I last used oxycontin in 2004, and I definitely don't remember the price knocking my socks off back then. I took the first pill this morning (after removing the patch), and am pleased that it seems to be working well. I've taken a lot less BT medication, and this is my second day off of the relafen, pre-surgery. The surgery will certainly make us hit deductible, so even if I stay on it through the second surgery's recovery, at least it will be mostly covered by insurance (I'm truly sorry that you don't have insurance, I can't imagine how hard that must be). I'll definitely keep the MScontin in mind. I think my mom was on that at some time. I'll go look that up on costco's site to see if they have pricing for it.

Thank you for the reassurance of the drain, and the non-stupidity of the question itself. This is a great group.
Posted 1/5/2013 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
I will caution you that with my first cervical fusion...I had a little moment of "claustrophobia" when I woke up with a neck brace on. I think because I was in a bit of a medication haze and so it was disorienting....So hopefully you have your hubby to help reassure you at that moment..

I get my meds at Sam's club so I would think that Costco has great pricing just like they do. Even though it's the same company as Walmart, the Sams gets even deeper discounts on certain meds.

I was on the Oxycontin before my last surgery in 2006 so I think the patent ran out in 2007 if I remember correctly....And thankfully my last Neurosurgeon and PM really believed on making sure I was as pain free 24 hours before the surgery as possible as they think the more relaxed someone is the better. So he had me almost doubling the dosages!...That morning when my now ex husband, (we were separated at the time), mom, and Pastor were all around me praying before I got wheeled in...I was as loopy as all get out! It was pretty funny...And that was probably the only time in all these years I actually had close to a 0 pain level!

So, I hope that the Oxy helps you until the surgery...

I'll certainly be praying for you!
Posted 1/5/2013 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
Arizona, as far as the drain goes, you probably won't even know it's there. Didn't even feel it when they pulled it out. I'm laughing at the claustrophobic comment from snowbunny. Thought I was the only one! I was heavily medicated and when I woke up had the hard collar and leg wraps (like TED hose) that are used to prevent clots. There were cuffs (a lot like blood pressure cuffs) that inflated and deflated on both legs. The EMG wires were still hooked up and I couldn't move my head or my legs. Had a kind nurse who saw the panic in my eyes. He explained it to me, had me hit the pca button and said "sleep well."

You will breeze through it. You are in my prayers.
suz
Posted 1/10/2013 1:03 AM (GMT 0)
Well, *deep breath* tomorrow is the big day. ACDF of C4-C6. I've been off my anti-inflammatory drug for a week, and off course will be off it for a long while yet, which is going to make the interim challenging while I wait to be released to have the L4/5 fusion. Deep breath again -- one thing at a time.
Posted 1/10/2013 1:24 AM (GMT 0)
I will be praying for you tomorrow! Hopefully this will help a good deal with the nerve pain and maybe even keep you going well enough after recovery to be able to avoid the lumbar fusion. You never know!

It was after my last cervical fusion that once a few months had passed we decided to hold off and wait as long as possible and as I've written, here I am 6 years later only having some major lumbar herniation flares a few times a year in the lumbar area.

As you said, one thing at a time as it can take up to an entire year to fully fuse. Just focus on resting, taking the meds they prescribe and staying on top of the pain. This was something I definitely learned on the last one so that helped my recovery!

Hopefully you have everything set at the house like having things ready to make some milkshakes/protein shakes, soups, and other easy to eat meals the first week as the throat can be sore. And then things like movies and tv shows you are all ready to watch to pass the time.

As well as don't be suprised at how "tired" you will be in the first week. Especially if you are getting visits from friends and family. Our bodies are running on adrenaline and it can hit a few days after the surgery to where your body hits a wall! LOL

Please don't worry about updating us until you are at home and rested after some time. We will be here:)
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply