18 days post op ADC status report

[sparringk9]

im stopping by to give an update for anyone considering a fusion in their cervical spine...i got out of my neck brace last friday and have been doing okay. i still take percocets in the am as that is the most painful time of day. if i do too much it starts hurting. i have numbness in my left hand and the arm in general feels heavy. i am a professional artist and can paint a few hours each day. i have to really think about where my head is and not look down too much.

i think what is going to happen here is there will be a new "normal" for what is pain. i dont think after 2 neck fusions i will ever be the same but it is better than the pain i was in. i HAD to have my fusion i thought i would kill myself the pain was so great i couldnt do anything but hold myself in a certain posiiton i just cried all the time and was delerious.

i just want to tell all the people who are really suffering that theres pain and then theres PAIN dont let fear keep you from living. blessings to all the spine issue people out there.

[bev62]

It's nice to talk to someone that understands how terrible it is to be in pain all the time.  My NS suggested that I get a psychological evaluation, so I saw a doctor and he highly recommended that I get treatment.  He put in his report that he did not see my sever depression getting any better until I get out of pain.  He said that I shouldn't drive or operate dangerous machinery because I can not think rationally enough to be safe.  I am on Celexa but it is not helping very much.  My doctor said we would try Cembalta next if that didn't help.  Thanks for all your advice.

[dgri]

Wow, sounds like you had every test possible to locate the reason for the lingering symptoms. Most likely no test will show the reason, this is what I am finding out.  My post to an MD on ***************** finally was answered.  The MD said the spinal cord doesn't like having pressure on it, the reason for the lingering pain, and it takes a long time to recover, and that the waiting is the hardest.   Sounds like we just have to find the best way to deal with it.  When the nerve pain is bad, I take a lyrica, that helps significantly, but I feel dizzy on it, so I try to use it only at night and I think it helps with sleeping, nothing else helps.  I had ambien, even double dosed it, still didn't sleep.  I sleep about 3 hours if I take the lyrica.  Did you have it ordered at one time?  I had the RX from before the surgery.  The burning pain between the shoulder pain is muscle spasms, a muscle relaxer and pain hd help, but you have to have the muscle relaxer or the pain med won't help.
  I too had the injury at work.  Atleast I am getting WC pay.  They are horrible to work with.  WC made me wait too long before the surgery, had to have a second opinion before surgery would be approved.  Couldn't get an appt. with a doc for more than a month.  In that time 2 pieces of the disc broke off. I was on the phone with them in tears, something was terribly wrong at the time, but they had to have the second opinion, then had to discuss it before approval.  All that took 2 months.  I am 36 days post op and last week they were calling asking when I was going back to work!   They must hate you, after a year.  That stress alone is nasty.  I am so close to calling my GP for an RX for an antidepressant, my family wishes I would, and so do I, but I keep holding out.  I would do it if I were you, I wouldn't wait as long as you have,  Heaven Help you, you have 2 young children.  Being a Mom myself, I know we put the family needs before our own.  You need physical help in the house big time, not being able to care for your children, husband and home the way you want to is a big stressor too.  This injury is killing you mentally.  I have great compassion for people in chronic pain, especially those dying of cancer and the docs not wanting to get them "hooked" on pain meds.  You know that topic.
  I am glad you have help from your husband and family.  Hang in there bev.

[bev62]

My NS has done every test that could be thought of.  I've had epidural injections, a mylagram followed by two blood patches, CT, MRI, nerve conduction test. He even thought that my ulnar nerve was causing it.  So in August he did surgery on my elbow to release my ulnar nerve, but it was not intrapped.  He said that I did have a lot of scar tissue on it and hoped that was the reason for my pain.  Now even he said he saw no improvement from the surgery. All I got was a nasty nine inch scar on my arm.  He can not give me any reason for my pain.  He said that I am fully fused.  So all he can do is put me in pain management to hopefully relieve my pain. I have two small children ages 4 and 7.  I can barely care for them anymore. Without the help of my husband and family members I don't know what I would do.  My injury was the result of a work accident so I'm having to deal with workers comp on top of everything else.  I still have not been able to return to work.  So wonder why I'm depressed?  After reading some of the post on this forum it seems that there are a lot of people in the same shape that I'm in after having a fusion.  

[dgri]

Your ACDF was a year ago????  And you are still having such issues??  OH MY GOD.  I know that any issue involving the spinal cord is a major one, but one would think that if the disc was removed, that the problem was removed, therefor the nerves would not be sending out the signal, telling you that there is a problem.  The swelling is gone after a year, so what is going on?  Did your doctor ever give you a satisfactory answer to this question?  I have gone to the "ask a doctor" forums and never got an answer, they seem to bypass my question.  I did as much research as possible.  What I found was that it could take 12 to 18 months for the pain to go away, and if there was permanent nerve damage, maybe never, but there would be definate improvement by that time.  But never found a reason for the lingering nerve pain. Good Luck to you too

[bev62]

I had a two level ACDF alast Nov. and they also didn't give me a brace. I heard the same thing, "they don't do that anymore".  I also have to support my head all the time.  My right shoulder, arm and hand ache all the time. I still have numbness in my arm and hand. I know what you mean with the depression, especially when you had a perfectly normal life before surgery.  I'm to the point that I don't think I will ever have a normal life again. I am still taking Demeral and Robaxin every 6 hours for pain, which is not working very well anymore.  My NS has referred my to a pain management doctor because he want give me anything stronger.  I will start seeing him in about three weeks. I've not slept in my bed since before I had surgery, I sleep in the recliner for 3 to 4 hours a night if I'm lucky.  My NS said that my disks were totally collapsed when he did my surgery, so I don't guess I had a choice.  I just thought that if I were going to improve I would have by now. I'm sorry your having so much pain, but it's still early you still have a lot of healing to do. Good luck.

[dgri]

Lucky you, you had a brace, I have been holding my head up with my hands for the longest time.  I didn't need a brace, "they don't do that anymore for only one fusion".  Oh for crying out loud, When I sit on the couch, I prop a pillow behind my head for suppot.  I am 33 days post op.  You are right about pain vs PAIN.  Also severe and permanent damage would have been done if not for the surgery.  The surgical part was a breeze compared to the nerve pain.  Yes, the am is the worse, but I haven't been sleeping at all.  Depression has set in at this point.  Recouperation can not come soon enough, I know it will, because every week I feel a little bit better.
  I remember before the surgery on one of the days that I thought something serious was wrong. (that was one day a disc piece broke off)  Well I just wanted to kill myself the pain was so horrible.  People just said, "Oh no you don't", it'll get better.  Well if I didn't walk away, it would have been me or them.  No one can understand what it is like to suffer so much unless you have been through it.
It is still hard to be in one position for too long, be it sitting, standing or laying, and I too am always aware of my head and neck position.  But I think at this point, being unable to sleep impeeds healing.  I hope you continue to do well sparringk9.  Being an artist, I hope you are able to paint as you would like. I hope we will be able to get our lives back.   You are one of only "2" people who left a reply to my post.  I have given up on checking this forum everyday.  I am now on page 6 I think.     So Long