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Pending cervical fusion have some questions.

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Posted 2/21/2016 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi I'm vic39 im new to this forum or any forum for that matter. I live in Australia and my NS I given me strict instructions not to have any kind is physiotherapy, massages or go to a chiropractor until I have had my single level c6 c7 acdf surgery and he gives me the all clear but from what I have been reading you all seem to have done all that before your surgeries I'm starting to think maybe I should be having it does anybody have any suggestions as why this might be?




Vic, I have given your post a heading so more people will know what your post is about. Thanks.

Post Edited By Moderator (straydog) : 2/21/2016 7:32:32 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/21/2016 2:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Vic & welcome to Healing Well. This is strictly a guess, but it tells me that these treatments could possibly cause you further damage to your neck & even paralysis. We never suggest chiropractic care to anyone with spine issues that require surgery. You really need to listen to your surgeon about this, he gave you those warnings for a very good reason. You certainly do not want to do something that can cause more damage. You have obviously had an MRI & this is why the dr is recommending surgery.

What caused your neck issues? Do you know the results of your MRI & what kind of symptoms are you having? Have you had a 2nd opinion about having surgery? If not, I would consult with another neurosurgeon for another opinion. I don't know how things work in Australia as far as insurance or seeing drs, but I would push for a 2nd opinion.

If you will look in CP101 above & scroll down towards the bottom there is a ton of information there about preparing for surgery. These tips were put together by people that have had fusions done. This will help you prepare for surgery & know what to expect. I urge you to read it.

Again, listen to what your dr is telling you to do, he is the expert here not you or us. He has very good reasons for placing those limitations on you & I have a feeling its a very serious situation for him to tell you this, do not ignore him. Take care.
Posted 2/21/2016 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome!

The CP101 comments should be very helpful to you, as should following your doctor's advice. I saw a chiropractor and had massages before knowing why I had such pain. Thankfully, the chiro told me it was time to see a surgeon since he was obviously not able to help me. That surgeon gulped hard when he heard what treatment I'd already had. It could be very dangerous! Three months after my fusion surgery I was allowed to go to Physical Therapy, but only with a very careful therapist. NOW your neck is not secure and it also will not be until it starts to fuse after surgery. Permanent damage is certainly possible. Our motto here is THINK FUSION!
Posted 2/22/2016 2:55 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the advice.Yes I had an mri the results were a complete disc herniation at the c6c7 also DDD and another thing beginning with m.My ns would have operated as soon as possible but because I'm a Medicare patient I have to go on the surgery waiting list for 12 months. So now I'm in pain it's not too bad as I'm on oxy 40 mg per day and if the pain is really bad a soft neck brace which I hate🙁.The Ns told me no housework which is hard as I'm a housewife.
I'm looking at having the surgery about the end of April and with everything I've read it scares the xxxx out of me.
Posted 2/22/2016 4:35 PM (GMT 0)
Vic, reading the suggestions in Chronic Pain 101-it's dated 9/152014-should help you prepare. Hope you have a comfortable recliner and some bendable straws. Those and many other things will help your recovery.

Reading the posts by Kelcar1987 and all those responses might also help you. Just put that name in the Search box near the top right of this page to find it. There are many others too, which you have probably already found by looking for ACDF. We all have different situations but I hope you can be comforted by the number of us who are doing well after this surgery. You can move on from it. You neck may be a bit stiffer OR it may not be. With one level sometimes it is not. I'm sorry you have had such a long wait for your surgery. I hope you have a helpful family who helps with the housework. Probably being at home and not able to do it is very difficult. We warn most people about going back to work too soon and you will get the same warning. Just because you work in your home, you will still need to be very careful about doing too much too soon. Again, I hope you have a very helpful family.
Posted 2/23/2016 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Vic39 and Welcome to Healing Well Chronic Pain Forum. I strongly urge you to take the advice of your ns, My first fusion was at C6/7 way back in 1985 and I was in the military, I had a spinal manipulation done by a osteopath that was a local base doctor, he came very very close to paralyzing me! By the time they finally diagnosed me ( three or four months after the start of my symptoms and many many doctors later) I was admitted for emergency surgery at a civilian hospital. Afterwards the Neurosurgeon just came in and shook his head and said he just didn't understand why I wasn't a quadriplegic with all the damage I had!( as my disc at C6/7 was not only pressing directly into my spinal cord, but was also ruptured and pieces floating in my spinal canal) He said that I definitely must have had somebody really watching over me! When he heard about the previous treatments that I had had he also told me I was an extremely lucky individual!

A bad herniation of a disc in the upper regions of the spine can be a life threatening situation, if not complete live changing. So the best advice I can give you is to follow your doctors orders to the Teee! and don't do anything that would put further strain or pressure on your cervical spine. This type of surgery is becoming allot more routine than what it was when I first had mine. I was in the hospital for eight days for that surgery back in 85. I had another cervical disc fusion at C5/6 done in 2009 and I was only in the hospital a couple of days. So far I have had three fusions in my neck two ACDF's and one Posterior fusion with rods and pins at C3/4.

There are allot of experienced people here on this forum that have had this type of surgery and more! And they are all available to help you! When your here on this forum you are part of our Chronic Pain Family and we all care about each other! The best thing is, we not only can sympathize with you, but since we have experienced what your going through we can also empathize with you too! Everyone is different of course, but I do think we understand extremely well the pain involved in such conditions. Anyway I wish you well and hope that you can get your surgery soon!!

. In the mean time be gentle with yourself! I can't stress that enough! It is important!!!! Keep us posted on your progress, and know that when your here on this forum your not alone with your pain!

Good Luck to You!

White Beard
Posted 2/27/2016 8:05 AM (GMT 0)
When I compare my ACDF to my lumbar fusion I can tell you the cervical was a piece of cake. My surgery was done about 7 days after a massive herniation from falling on ice. He wanted to do it the next day but I had things at work to get situated. Thankfully doing it that quickly saved me from permanent nerve damage or lengthy recovery of the nerves. Typically the longer the nerves stay compressed the longer it takes to repair and then less function (normal sensation,etc) that is restored. Everyone is so different so thats just a generalization of course.

Following the restrictions your dr gives you are very important, and you will find that recommendations are vastly different depending on the dr. No two will say the same exact thing, that makes it tough when you are researching online.
Posted 3/1/2016 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone thanks for all you advice and support, just to let you know I finally have a date for my acdf surgery which s next Tuesday 8th March 2016 just wondering if anybody has any last minute tips or bits of advice before next week. I will keep you all updated on my recovery. Cross fingers and I hope it does lead me to be pain free.
Posted 3/1/2016 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Vic, good luck next week with your surgery. Please let us know how you did when you feel up to it. If you read in CP101 above the tips by other members they pretty much covered it. I am not sure if you live alone or what, but having meals that you can pop in the microwave is a huge help in the beginning. You will not feel up to standing in the kitchen preparing meals for a bit. Have plenty of snacks & bottled water on hand. Be sure to have some soft foods on hand as most have reported having some difficulty swallowing at first, its temporary.

One of the most important thing to do is to take your pain medications on a regular schedule for a bit. Keeping your post op pain managed is crucial. If your bottle reads take one pill every 8 hours, then do exactly that & if you have to set an alarm to remind yourself. Follow your post op directions to the letter & you should do fine.

Take care.
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