cervical fushion gone bad

[auntmoose34]

i have had 2 cervical fushions since 2007  on c5-c6 and c6-c7, and i just went back to the surgeon again because of all the pain and numbness that i have been in and he tells me that i have pretty much been walking around with a broken neck that my fushion did not heal from last may 2008, how did this go wrong, my bone densidy is rather well at 2.1 for a 36 year old and i did everything that i was told to do, now i am in a neck brace and they want me to do fortoe injections to help the bone grow but my bone have high densidy, what am i to do??? and he says more then likely after 2 months of this he will be going back in to try to fix this, and he will have to go in through the back this time and he said this is more dangerous, i am terrified, i just don't understand what happened, i am in so much pain all the time and they won't give me anything stronger because of my insuranse and i have done ice and heat, tens unit, therapy, and massage. i feel like there is nothing more i can do please help me with some ideas....

[rosie92]

I am 39 years old was in a car accidents in june of 08. I was doing good had alittle pain but i could work about two weeks ago I was hanging thing on my window reaching above my head and the next day it felt like I had never even had the surg. I had c5/6/7/cadavor bone fusion it is so much worse know then it ever was. I hurt from the top of my neck to the bottom of my back the numbness is back and it is in my both of my legs and arms just hopeing it will go away.

[justmomrapp]

I am in the exact same boat as you.... however, my first fusion c5-c7 was Mar 07 with cadaver bone inwhich my body rejected the bone. I was walking around with a plate an screws with nothing in between. Jan 08 I had the second fusion same location by bone graft from my hip. c6-c7 has a slight fusion and c5-c6 has no fusion. However, I lost my job back in July 07 and was unable to keep cobra insurance ($1000.00 a month) so now I sit with no insurance. I had a ct scan done back in Aug 08 and I have new bone spurs at c1-c2, DDD, and every vertebrea is leaning to the left or the right, and the plate from the fusion is pushing on the vertebrea at c4. The doctor says he will have to go in through the back of my neck and put in rods. My doctor does see me about every 3 months, just to keep him updated on my status (for free, such a sweet man), however he won't subscribe any meds he wants me to go to a pain management clinic and I just can't afford it ($250 first consult, then $100 ever visit there after, which I cant afford so here I sit in massive pain). I have been on temp disability since Jan 08 and it just ran out last week. My doctor says I am totally disabled! I have a lawyer that will help me get total disability, but the economy so bad and the state of CA so broke I am scared that I won't be approved.
Since I have stumbled upon this site I have learned quite a few new things that I will share with you that I was never told by my doctor to do:
Eat a high protein diet, take extra calcium, and vit. D
Stay away from anyone and everyone that smokes!!!!!! Smoke with suck the life out of you bones.
Ask to see if you can try a bone stimulator. It hangs around you neck and gives off some electrical pulses that stimulate the bone growth.
You were smart in getting a bone density test done - I wish I would have thought of that - It is the only way to know if you bones are good enough to fuse.
Lastly - REST. Even though you feel pretty good you can't and shouldn't even try to do anything.
I don't know if I have helped, but just finding this site will give you a world of information. I really thought that all the symptons that I was still having was all in my head! And I am amazed at how many people that have this surgery only to find out the it fails! Sounds pretty bad with this day an age technology!
Would love to chat!
I hope everything works out for the best!

[bev62]

I'm so sorry your having so much pain, but I can relate.  I had a two level fusion C5-C7 in 2006 . I only difference is they say that I am fully fused and everything with the fusion looks great.  I'm inconstant pain, and have been since I had surgery.  All they can offer me for now is pain management. I will eventually need more surgery because I have DDD and the disks above and below the fusion have thinned.  I also have permanate nerve damage due to having to wait almost two years for workers comp to approve the surgery. I am currently on Duragesic patches 100mcg and Oxycontin for the pain, but gives very little relief.  I hope everything works out for you.