anterior cervical fusion

[dillys]

i had surgery anterior cervical fusion decompression cervical 4-5 corpectomy cervical6 auto/allograft instrumentation plating cervical 4-5 cervical 5-6 cervical 6-7 that was in 2005, and i have had problems with swollen hands my neck and shoulder still hurt and both my legs are swollen its hard for me to get up in the morning, its also hard for me to sit for along time. the surgery has changed my life. i need to know if you have ever heard of any of this before. i use to be a biller and worked on the computor and used the phone alot. i am now on meds and still have alot of pain and i am very depresses. i have my son typing this for right. do you think that this is the best it is going to get for me i am 50 years old and sometimes i feel like 60. the only why i can really do any women shopping or have some fun with my family is to make sure i am full with meds to make sure that i am with at least at a 6 in pain level. THAT IS SAD. I use to be a out going person. so again is it common to still be in alot of pain and have problems with my legs and swollen hands ?

[NaniKai]

This is discouraging and disconcerting considering that I have the same type of issues and I've also got arthritis involvement. I have yet to have the surgery because frankly this scares the living hell out of me so I'm doing the therapy route first and trying a DRX 9000 to stretch the spinal column, thereby allowing the bulging discs to fall back into place. I found out that I have a pinched muscle in the thoracic area of my back from lifting something and doing a twisting motion when I was lifting. It gave just enough room for the muscle to get in between the vertebrae and allow for pinching. Pinched/compressed nerves and pinched muscles are really painful. The nerve compression causes the pins and needles effects as though I've sat on my hands and arms (if that were even possible!)

[bev62]

I had a two level ACDF (C5-C7) in Nov 2006.  It has been almost six months and I am in more pain now than before the surgery.  I only had pain in my neck and right arm with a little numbness in my hand before.  Now I have headaches everyday, my neck and right shoulder burns like fire, both arms ache, and my ring finger and pinky on boths hand are numb. I haven't been able to sleep in my bed since before I had surgery, because when I lay down both hands get totally numb.  The doctor says that my MRI and x-rays look great.  I have had two epidural injections with no help.  I am taking Demeral and muscle relaxers every four hours.  The doctor wants me to have a milagram and nerve test done next.  I'm 44 years old and I have two small children ages 6 and 3.  This has totally turn my life upside down.  We waited late in life to have children and now I can barely take care of them. The doctor now tells me that I have a bulging disk at C4 and C5, but when he did surgery he didn't think it was that bad and he didn't want to do more than a two level fusion because of the loss of mobility. I have started having some weakness in my legs, could this be caused from my neck?  I'm affraid that I may have to have another surgery, but at this point I don't care if it will get rid of the pain.  I have never had any problems with swelling.  Did your legs hurt before the surgery?  Have you been back to your doctor about this?  I am also very depressed, my doctor as ordered a pchycological evaluation it has got so bad.  But who wouldn't get depressed living in constant pain?  My surgery was due to a work injury, so workers comp is also involved.  I still havn't gone back to work and I don't know if I ever will be able to.