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what is to soon to return to work after a 2 level ACDF?

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Posted 7/1/2013 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
I had an ACDF on my C5-6 & C6-7 on june 3rd. I woke up from emergency surgery pain free!!! So far my 4 week recovery has been good! Still not able to lift over 5lbs or drive. Ive been walking and cleaning (nothing strenuous) and I feel great! My dr has me out for 10-12 weeks from work. I am a medical coder so im sitting all day and I dont do any lifting or anything. Would it be a bad idea to ask to go back before my 10 weeks. I have shoet term disabilitiy but its not enough mony coming in and I need to get back to work. Your thoughts???
Posted 7/1/2013 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there...welcome to the boards...

Congratulations on doing so well with your surgery! It really does work well for some people and we are glad to hear some good success stories:)

I personally would not try to go back earlier as many people have tried this and end up being much more sore and having some setbacks.

Believe me, a true fusion, especially when it is more than one level, can take up to a full year and have times where everything is great but then as soon as you start driving, sitting at a desk, moving your neck more, the nerves start getting irritated while healing, the neck muscles get extremely sore and painful, and the scar tissue is forming.

However, if you are saying that you can't possibly manage taking that actual time off from work then what about speaking with your work and starting slow with a few hours in a day, maybe every other day for a week, then keep going up in time.

Again, my own thoughts but there is nothing more important than your health and if you do anything to slow down or possibly make things worse with the healing process then that will affect you long term work wise so I would just really caution you.

If I may ask a few questions...

Are you taking any pain medication or are you off all of these?

Are they sending you to physical therapy? Are you wearing a brace at all?

And lastly....do you smoke?

I have had 3 of these particular surgeries in that exact area of the spine. My last one was both anterior and posterior (front and back of the neck) so I am sharing my thoughts/opinions based from that as obviously no one here is a medical professional.

We have a few other members who have had this surgery as well as just will pop on to say hello. It's a wonderful website and I hope you take this right way but hope you don't have to be here long! LOL As in, I really do hope that you are going to be one of the true success stories to live with little to no pain:)
Posted 7/1/2013 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
That is a great idea! I will talk to my boss and see if she would have a problem with me coming back slowly!

And to answer your questions I have not taken ANY pain medication since the day I came home. Which I also forgot to mention...I got to come home the same day as my surgery!
The only brace I have is a soft neck brace...they didnt give me a hard collar...and to be honest I dont think I needed it.
And no I do not smoke. I quit 5 months ago after my 2 boys were on me about quitting.

Sounds like you have had quite the time with your neck..thats alot of surgeries! I wish you the best in recovery!
Posted 7/1/2013 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
Oh and no physical therapy...I have really good range of motion to in my neck I didnt lose much at all!
Posted 7/1/2013 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for sharing more...Was asking those things in reference to recovery..A big KUDOS to you for quitting smoking! They have proven now that it causes spine issues/disc degeneration due to dehydration. So now you not only help your overall health but better chances at a good recovery and spine:)

As well as I'm sure your kids are thrilled! I am proud of my mom who quit over 20 years ago after smoking for over 30 years!

That is pretty amazing about not needing any pain meds to go home and going home the same day for a two-level fusion! Usually it's at least one overnight.

Was it a Laser Spine Institute that did the work?

I happen to think Physical therapy helped me a lot and started at about 6 weeks afterwards but there are some Drs. who prescribe this and others who don't.

I also only used a hard brace for the first few days afterwards and then from time to time when using a computer or when things got really sore and needed a break for an hour or so.

Sounds like things are really going well for you so again, I would talk with your Dr. and tell them about your work situation and see what they say as well as if you can come back gradually.

Let us know how things go:)
Posted 7/2/2013 1:20 AM (GMT 0)
It was done at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) they were amazing.
Posted 7/2/2013 2:49 AM (GMT 0)
That's great! I'm sure you, your Dr, and your work can come up with a good plan that is acceptable to everyone and still looks after your healing process.

Please keep us updated how things go even if it's just a weekly thread...Obviously you are welcome to stay as long as you like and post as much as you like...LOL I was just thinking that you will probably be healing more and more so not too many associations with chronic pain.

I will pray for continued healing:)
Posted 7/2/2013 4:03 AM (GMT 0)
Hi nicki61400 and Welcome to Healing Well Chronic Pain Forum! You have been given some excellent advice, I have had an ACDF done on both C6/7 and C5/6 like you but mine were done about 25 years apart! I have had two other spinal surgeries since then too!  Anyway please don't try and rush it, I can understand needing the money and needing to get back to work, but if you don't heal properly then it could cost you even more in the long run. When I had my first ACDF I was in the military stationed in Alaska, at that time they did not use (or at least on me they didn't) use any hard ware to stabilize the fusion, they just took the bone from my hip and put it in and made me wear a cervical collar for 3 or 4 months! I was off at least 10 weeks before they let me go back to work, and then it was light duty behind a desk and only two hours a day for a few weeks then they increased it to 2 hours in the morning and 2 two in the afternoon, and so forth. Things have come along way since those days back in 1985. Fast forward to 2009 when they did a ACDF at C5/6 and they used donor cadaver bone for the graft and hard ware to stabilize it all, and I only had to wear a cervical collar for a few weeks.  I was on disability so going to work was not an issue. I will  agree with Snowbunny it takes time for the bone graft to take, and for it all to heal. This is in an area of your spine that you definitely don't want to have problems with! Talk with your doctor and explain what your job is and see what he thinks, maybe he will agree to let you slowly break in, going back to work doing it a few hours at a time. Can't hurt to ask anyway! But please follow his instructions to the Tee!

I wish you well and hope everything works out well for you! And again Welcome to the  forum and our CP family!

White Beard

 

Posted 7/2/2013 4:26 AM (GMT 0)
I had a emergency C5-C6 ACDF too, I also woke up pretty much pain free, it was awesome. I went back to work 4 hours per day at the 2 week point and was very tired and sore but by the 3rd week I was back full time and doing good. I didnt need to do any lifting as part of my job though, I was an activity director and supervised several employees and ran a small cafe. I was also able to take a break several times per day to just lay back and relax.

Its different for everyone. So glad your recovery is going well, keep up the great work!!
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