Posterior laminectomy C6-T-1- spinal stenosis

I have been diagnosed with cervical myelopathy and will have surgery Aug 8. Neurosurgeon is at Methodist Neurological Institute of Houston and I feel like I am in good hands. Not only am I having problems in the upper body, I am using a walker due to left foot drop and some numbness. Hopefully surgery on neck will correct this problem as well. I had a cervical fusion in 2009 on C1-C6 which was a success. It appears that the vertebrae under that area has been compromised and there is total blockage now.

It has taken a few months to reach this conclusion after MRIs, nerve conduction tests, spinal tap and myleogram, etc. so I am excited about this upcoming procedure. I am fairly healthy 68 year old female and very apprehensive about this surgery.

If anyone can ease my fears, I would like to hear your experiences. I have heard of CP101 but have been unable to find that thread if anyone can direct me.

Thanks.

I am probably the only one posting on this site who is unable to find CP101, even though I have been told it is at the top of the forum! Obviously I am looking in the wrong place so need more direction I guess🤔

You could probably have written most of the advice you will read on that CP101 post but a refresher course may be helpful. When you find it what we are talking about is dated 9/15/2014. A long post one of our members was making and we were adding to was added to an older post and put where we could refer to all of it more easily.

Was your previous surgery anterior or posterior? How long was that recovery? Posterior is a slower recovery, I am told. I have only had posterior so I can't compare. I'm very curious about your range of motion now and what you have been told to expect after this surgery. Will you be in a neck brace? That varies with doctors. I'm glad you feel confident in your doctor. I'm in N Texas and your same age. I'll be following your updates with great interest and praying for you to have another successful outcome.

I am amazed that a C1-C6 fusion healed in 6-8 weeks. Most take much longer than that. Mine did. I did not feel healed for several months. You did not have rods put in during the first surgery, right? And what about your range of motion? That's my big problem still and always will be, as I tell people who ask, because it is fused. I'm reading your posts as something I could be facing in the future but I have no signs of it now, thankfully. I did not have the problems you are having now other than neck and shoulder pain which were relieved by the surgery. Even with the neck stiffness I'm very glad I had it done. Walking and riding in cars jarred my neck and hurt badly but not now. I understand this being the only help offered for the problems you are having. If you trust your doctor and he feels this surgery is the solution, I would accept it, too...probably. Have you read
the previous advice on this surgery?

ScorpioGirl, I am with Abilene about your first surgery, that was a big surgery. However, I am glad that you did well. After you gave more detail about this next surgery it sounds like you are headed in the right direction. You have been through a lot. You may have already said, but when is your surgery scheduled?

And, did you find Chronic Pain 101 at the very top of this forum?

Seashell, I agree with your explanation on L4-L5, but the myelopathy is the keyword. I have cervical spinal stenosis which is narrowing of the spinal canal. However, in certain areas of the cervical spine, in addition to the narrowing, I have dysfunction and deterioration of the spine (C6-T1) which is called cervical myelopathy. The symptoms I am having are clumsy and staggering of the foot, occasional drop foot, and I have a spastic gait. In addition to this problem, I am starting to develop bladder incontinence which is a symptom of cervical myelopathy signifying the seriousness of this problem. So the answer hopefully is a cervical laminectomy.

It seems like the lumbar spine would be responsible for this problem (and it can be), but in my case the surgeon thinks the gait and bladder problem is caused by deterioration of the cervical spine. I am confident with his decision and hope that my normal gait will be restored once this surgery is done.

I do also have spinal stenosis at L4 and L5 which could be causing this gait problem as those two nerves are specifically noted for causing balance problems in the feet. But the surgeon is hoping this cervical operation will be the answer. He has also said that while I do have some spondylesis also along with other problems in the lumbar spine, I may be facing that surgery down the road.

Hope this explanation is helpful to you - I didn't catch onto it until I understood that cervical stenosis and cervical myelopathy are two different things.