What to expect after C4-7 acdf surgery

Hi,
I am new to this, never blogged before. I am 56 and have been a healthy active female my whole life. Maybe too active because I have had lots of back issues. But someone rear-ended me in 2005 and after that My neck has never been the same. I have had L5/S1 disk surgery and hysterectomy last year, so not new to surgery. My neck was a real mess and been living with terrible pain for a long time so finally had c4-7 acdf surgery 7 days ago. Plate and screws. I have osteoporosis so I was told must wear hard collar for at least 3 months 24/7. I am amazed that the nerve pain I had from arms, legs, mid back, head and neck pain are all gone! I do have a hard time swallowing and pain and muscle spasm across my shoulders and surgical area. Doctor said he added an inch to my height since I had no discs left, lots of spurring, and two vertebrate pushing on spinal cord. So the pain now is less. But I am very very tired and normally hyper person but not now. And this collar is awful. I wake at night thinking I am being strangled. They said I should take short walks several times a day, but lucky to get one in. How long before energy comes back? Any ideas for food? I don't think I can swallow another smoothie, but know I need the nutrition. Any suggestions from folks? I have read so many and feel for all of you. Thank you

Hello Tall and welcome to the CP forums at HW. Glad you joined us and equally glad that surgery seems to have brought about some relief at least.

Your body is expending all its energy in healing and that is not unusual and will vary from person to person in duration and depth. Like Lynn said its very very important to allow yourself time and dont push it! The number one leading cause for failed fusions takes place in the recovery period and over extending yourself and the new parts.

The sore throat is something we hear a lot as well as the collar irritating. If you ask your local drugstore if they have any soft rolled cotton like used under casts that will help tremendously. Usually they have it and if not try a medical supply store. Its cheap and will make it much much more comfortable yet won't effect the purpose nor support.

As for eating its important to aid in the healing process so healthy food is vital to tissue growth and energy levels. Smoothies are great but probably do get old. I would also add a vit at this point if you don't take one already.

Search for "juicing" recipe's here using the forum search feature and the internet. They will be sites that breakdown what every food is rich in and tell you what you can mix and add to make them palatable. You can add ensure or one of those as well since they are rich in daily requirements. Try cream of wheat thinner then you would normally make. Oatmeal and applesauce and yogurt,mash potatoes and anything else you make that the consistency can be altered. Avoid meats and chips and things that are going to scratch the throat.

Good luck and I hope you continue on the great road to recovery and all turns out great.

Thanks to all who replied. And Texas122, it was helpful to know that 3 months is a time when I may be feeling more back to normal. I suppose it is good I don't feel well otherwise I would be trying to clean and do small chores around the house. I started out on the thin side and my husband even tried to fatten me up before surgery and now have lost quite a bit of weight, so I do need to try eat more. Nothing sounds good. At 3 months they said they will do an xray and assess my level of fusion. Have you all had pretty good fusion and pre-op pain relief that was long lasting? Best regards, Taller Now

Hello again, so glad to hear the nerve pain is much better, that is a wonderful sign. Your body went through quite a bit of trauma having surgery & like Vickie said the healing process is is zapping your energy. The neck brace sounds just awful but it is there for a good reason. Following your drs post op instructions is vital to you having a good recovery. That is where so many people mess up after surgery by not following the instructions from the dr... You really do need to make a good effort to walk. Walking is what will help build your strength back up. Do small walks & slowly increase as time goes by. Don't over do no matter what.

The swallowing thing hopefully will not last long. We have had others say the same thing after this type of surgery.

Soft foods, perhaps baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, yogurt, soft scrambled eggs, boiled eggs with some butter, eggs chopped finely, milkshakes made in a blender with fruit, puddings, & soups. Hopefully some of the others can throw out some ideas on this. If I can come up with more I will post them for you.

Take care.

Taller being patient & not overdoing it is the key to a decent recovery. There will come a time when you will be tempted & I hope that for your sake you do not give in to that temptation. I think its just human nature for many of us. Setbacks are very difficult for spine surgeries.

Its awesome that your husband & daughter & friends are there for you. Let them help you as much as possible. There will come a time when you can return the favors.

Watch out for mashed potatoes! As those from the GERD forum know, and have posted many times, anything sticky can be hard to swallow.

There were some good suggestions of making these foods soupier, less thick. That can work. Also check the forum search box for foods after fundoplication. Also you can try googling for these diets online. I know UPMC has a good one.

The reason for the swallowing difficulty is the surgeon pushes your esophagus to the side to get to the spine.

Thank you all for your input. I wish the best for all of you. Will try slow, careful, and perhaps learn some patience 😍

Most likely you did overdo I would think with the longer walk & it really does not take much to get setback. By chance are you on a muscle relaxer? If so, can you tell whether they are working or not. If you are not getting much relief with what you are taking, then I would let the dr know this & have him change it to something different. Muscle spasms are usually pretty bad after cervical surgery for months. Having a good muscle relaxer that works is a must.

I hope you can get some relief.

I quit my muscle relaxers 6 weeks post op thinking they were not helping. Friday my dr told me to start taking them again and I see an improvement already. I didn't know the constant pain was a muscle spasm, but guess it was.

 Ice packs are what gave me lots of relief-leaning back in my recliner on an ice pack felt good when I had over done it.

A liquid meal that you can suck thru a bendable straw may still be the easiest for you. I know you are sick of that but it might be better than straining yourself. I found there is just something very difficult about how our necks need to move to get a bite to the mouth and in the brace is even harder.     Hoping for a better day for you and a week too!

Post Edited (Abilene) : 6/15/2014 1:01:12 PM (GMT-6)

Is the lawn chair working for you? And the muscle relaxers too?
I still don't go out walking alone even at 6 months since I have no idea when I'm going to reach my limit and have to sit down. It's worth it to take it slow and not have to do it all over, in my opinion. Hope your week gets better!

Well, as I mentioned, I'm a lumbar surgery patient, not a cervical surgery patient, but my goodness I can relate to quite a bit of what you're discussing.

The muscle relaxers,.....I understand how they can make you feel spacey, but more often than not, if you keep taking them as your doctor directed, your body will adjust and that spacey feeling will dissipate. It's the taking them on-and-off-again that can trigger more intense spasms I've found. Whatever you do, be consistent.

And yes, absolutely! As nuts as it sounds, it doesn't take much to overdo it. Reining yourself in is so crucial. I've sought help from people here on the forum because,--much like you,--my nature is just to pick up and keep moving! The whole "being still" thing drives me bonkers.

But trust us! We've been there (in some fashion or another). Being extra slow and gentle is so important.

Before I got my recliner last week, I was sitting on the floor with a surplus of pillows propped all around me to get comfortable and to support the weight of my arms. Kind of like making my own little recliner.....'cept it was in one stuck position. But hey, we do what we gotta do, right?









M.

Tomorrow will be two weeks since my surgery! I am writing this for someone like me who just had the surgery. I feel like I am through the worst now. I have figured out which foods to eat and can swallow easier. I have also figured put how to take it more easy. And when I go for a walk I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket or sweatshirt which seems to relieve some of my upper trap pain after my (short) walks. I still am not used to the collar, although a rep is coming by tomorrow to bring a bone stimulator and may be able to help me with my collar too. Not sure how to get used to the next 10 weeks of being house bound, but will try to take one day at a time ☺️ And keep the focus that my pre-surgical nerve pain is still gone and hopefully will not return!

Dear Taller,

I saw a board certified neurosurgeon at Tufts teaching hospital who specializes in traumatic spine injuries. I had was is referred to as "spinal reconstruction" as it included decompressions, laminectomies, fusions, and bone and marrow grafting (from my pelvis) for the cage. But yes, it's all the way from L1-L5.

Personally I found that the healing came in waves. It was never a straight shot at feeling better bit by bit. I would do better, and better, and then feel like I was mauled by a mac truck with spiked tires. I am 1.5 years post-op and I'm still recovering (prior to surgery, my sensory nerves were so damaged I couldn't feel any sense of touch on my leg), and that's been coming back.

As for motor control, that's taking longer. A lot longer. My EMG's are filled with too many 0's....I still get pain, but I thank my surgeon and God profusely every single day! The loss of control, the pain, the buckling, the tripping, the referred pain,....it touches every aspect of our lives.

I wish that I had someone to speak to who had been through it at the time and who could help prepare me for what to expect.... Often what the doctor tells you is an abbreviated and optimistic version of reality.

For that reason, I've come to consider the people on this Forum my extended family because they know through experience, and not just what they're told by someone else or read in a book. Granted we're all different, we all heal differently,...but I have found that being able to communicate with others who empathize with our situation to be quite a healing tool.









M.