guynnm
01-21-2004, 05:30 PM
I am now six weeks out. I have to wear my Miami J collar for three months and then a soft collar for 2-3 months. I am curious how long every one had to wear a collar? I did have rather extensive surgery but doesn't appear anyone else is wearing a collar as long as I am.
Hope everyone is doing well and I am so grateful for this board.
Mary
Hope everyone is doing well and I am so grateful for this board.
Mary
Sponsor
hugo eve
01-21-2004, 06:07 PM
I am now six weeks out. I have to wear my Miami J collar for three months and then a soft collar for 2-3 months. I am curious how long every one had to wear a collar? I did have rather extensive surgery but doesn't appear anyone else is wearing a collar as long as I am.
Hope everyone is doing well and I am so grateful for this board.
Mary
Yo Mary
I had fusion C456 with plate. I wore a soft collar for 10 days. That was it! Guess I was lucky.
Love and Health
Hugo
Hope everyone is doing well and I am so grateful for this board.
Mary
Yo Mary
I had fusion C456 with plate. I wore a soft collar for 10 days. That was it! Guess I was lucky.
Love and Health
Hugo
jodawa50
01-21-2004, 06:48 PM
I am now six weeks out. I have to wear my Miami J collar for three months and then a soft collar for 2-3 months. I am curious how long every one had to wear a collar? I did have rather extensive surgery but doesn't appear anyone else is wearing a collar as long as I am.
Hope everyone is doing well and I am so grateful for this board.
Mary
Hi Mary, Whats a Miami J?
Wore a soft collar for three months after ACDF C6-7 w/my hip bone in 85, a dowel and plug method with great results,(back to work w/light duties in a week) to find I was only supposed to wear it for 6 weeks. Got 14 good years out of that surgery(5-6 was gone too, but he left it there).
Wore an aspen collar for six weeks + (still put it on for an hour a day to remind me the position I'm supposed to be in) after ACDF, C5-6 w/hardware in 2000. I'm a hurting unit at the moment and in my opinion if you are prone to bad posture, the longer you wear the collar the better(within reason of course). A good Dr would make you wear it until there's proof of bone growth unless hardware was involved. It only takes a mm (fraction of an inch) of being out of place when it comes to the spine, in order to cause a problem. You do not want problems, thier bad. I've seen in writing that you are 5% disabled for every disc they remove, so enjoy the recovery period, slow down, relax, and for Gods sake heal straight. I can't enficize how important it is, in order to stay away from a life of pain. Join the gimps, as we all gotta slow down eventually, and when we get there we'll be better at it than everybody else. Hope this helps some. Take care. :D
Hope everyone is doing well and I am so grateful for this board.
Mary
Hi Mary, Whats a Miami J?
Wore a soft collar for three months after ACDF C6-7 w/my hip bone in 85, a dowel and plug method with great results,(back to work w/light duties in a week) to find I was only supposed to wear it for 6 weeks. Got 14 good years out of that surgery(5-6 was gone too, but he left it there).
Wore an aspen collar for six weeks + (still put it on for an hour a day to remind me the position I'm supposed to be in) after ACDF, C5-6 w/hardware in 2000. I'm a hurting unit at the moment and in my opinion if you are prone to bad posture, the longer you wear the collar the better(within reason of course). A good Dr would make you wear it until there's proof of bone growth unless hardware was involved. It only takes a mm (fraction of an inch) of being out of place when it comes to the spine, in order to cause a problem. You do not want problems, thier bad. I've seen in writing that you are 5% disabled for every disc they remove, so enjoy the recovery period, slow down, relax, and for Gods sake heal straight. I can't enficize how important it is, in order to stay away from a life of pain. Join the gimps, as we all gotta slow down eventually, and when we get there we'll be better at it than everybody else. Hope this helps some. Take care. :D
marhall57
01-21-2004, 08:09 PM
I didn't have to wear a collar at all! C456 fusion with donor bone and plating.
guynnm
01-21-2004, 09:27 PM
Hi Mary, Whats a Miami J?
Wore a soft collar for three months after ACDF C6-7 w/my hip bone in 85, a dowel and plug method with great results,(back to work w/light duties in a week) to find I was only supposed to wear it for 6 weeks. Got 14 good years out of that surgery(5-6 was gone too, but he left it there).
Wore an aspen collar for six weeks + (still put it on for an hour a day to remind me the position I'm supposed to be in) after ACDF, C5-6 w/hardware in 2000. I'm a hurting unit at the moment and in my opinion if you are prone to bad posture, the longer you wear the collar the better(within reason of course). A good Dr would make you wear it until there's proof of bone growth unless hardware was involved. It only takes a mm (fraction of an inch) of being out of place when it comes to the spine, in order to cause a problem. You do not want problems, thier bad. I've seen in writing that you are 5% disabled for every disc they remove, so enjoy the recovery period, slow down, relax, and for Gods sake heal straight. I can't enficize how important it is, in order to stay away from a life of pain. Join the gimps, as we all gotta slow down eventually, and when we get there we'll be better at it than everybody else. Hope this helps some. Take care. :D
The Miami J collar is a hard collar a little less flexible than the Aspen.
I am getting really weary of wearing it and would like to go back to work, but sure do not want to go through this again.
Mary
Wore a soft collar for three months after ACDF C6-7 w/my hip bone in 85, a dowel and plug method with great results,(back to work w/light duties in a week) to find I was only supposed to wear it for 6 weeks. Got 14 good years out of that surgery(5-6 was gone too, but he left it there).
Wore an aspen collar for six weeks + (still put it on for an hour a day to remind me the position I'm supposed to be in) after ACDF, C5-6 w/hardware in 2000. I'm a hurting unit at the moment and in my opinion if you are prone to bad posture, the longer you wear the collar the better(within reason of course). A good Dr would make you wear it until there's proof of bone growth unless hardware was involved. It only takes a mm (fraction of an inch) of being out of place when it comes to the spine, in order to cause a problem. You do not want problems, thier bad. I've seen in writing that you are 5% disabled for every disc they remove, so enjoy the recovery period, slow down, relax, and for Gods sake heal straight. I can't enficize how important it is, in order to stay away from a life of pain. Join the gimps, as we all gotta slow down eventually, and when we get there we'll be better at it than everybody else. Hope this helps some. Take care. :D
The Miami J collar is a hard collar a little less flexible than the Aspen.
I am getting really weary of wearing it and would like to go back to work, but sure do not want to go through this again.
Mary
JenEbean
01-21-2004, 11:45 PM
I had ACF of C6-7 on December 11. I have to wear the Aspen collar for 6 weeks then 6 weeks in the soft collar. I don't think my Aspen was fitted right though, my chin doesn't actually rest on it, I don't think it has given me a lot of support. I go to the doc on Friday and hopefully can get rid of it then. If I thought I had to wear this thing for 3 months I don't know what I would do! Good luck to you.
Esmo77
01-22-2004, 09:28 AM
Surgery 11/3/03 (ACDF c5-7 w/corp donor bone and plate) and wore Aspen for 2 weeks. Went to soft collar and wore it for an additional 6 weeks. With lots of muscular pain at base of neck I sometimes miss the soft collar. Maybe I should be wearing it some even now?? Desk job is getting the best of me.
rgsmoose
01-22-2004, 12:44 PM
It certainly depends on how extensive the surgery was and the surgeon's preference. I've heard of people that had an ACDF and only wore a soft collar, while others having the same surgery had to wear an Aspen or Miami J for months. I believe you had a 2 level corpectomy, right? That was described to me as the most entensive surgery that could be performed on the cervical spine - by the surgeon that did mine. I was in the Aspen for 12 weeks, nothing after that. I know the Miami J is a bit more restrictive than the Aspen, so it appears your surgeon is taking a very conservative approach - especially with the soft collar later.
My next surgery, a 3 level laminaplasty, had me back in the Aspen collar for 6 weeks. This was the recommendation from the orthopedic surgeon, even though the neurosurgeon that was performing the surgery with the OSS had told me he'd only have me in a soft collar.
My preference was to not wear a collar at all - I hate being in them. I can really relate to what you're experiencing and the frustration you feel. All I can say is to hang in there and follow your surgeon's advice. It will come to and end and you will have a life of greater freedom soon. You don't want to mess anything up at this point, because the alternative is to have more surgery and go through it again.
Good luck.
My next surgery, a 3 level laminaplasty, had me back in the Aspen collar for 6 weeks. This was the recommendation from the orthopedic surgeon, even though the neurosurgeon that was performing the surgery with the OSS had told me he'd only have me in a soft collar.
My preference was to not wear a collar at all - I hate being in them. I can really relate to what you're experiencing and the frustration you feel. All I can say is to hang in there and follow your surgeon's advice. It will come to and end and you will have a life of greater freedom soon. You don't want to mess anything up at this point, because the alternative is to have more surgery and go through it again.
Good luck.
Ramsfan
01-22-2004, 02:35 PM
Wore Aspen collar exclusively for 1st 4 weeks. Have to wear it another 4 weeks when going out and about and can wear soft collar for next 4 weeks to sleep or lounge around.
DonnaKay
01-22-2004, 06:49 PM
8 weeks in 1997 (Miami J)
6 weeks in 2003 (Miami J)
Esmo - I say take your soft collar with you to your desk job. If you are looking down a lot, put it on. No need to suffer! I had my surgery on 11/6/2003. I have my collar in the car if I need it. I have referred to it before. Also, if there is any way you can relax your neck muscles by laying down during lunch - that would be very helpful to you. Good luck!
6 weeks in 2003 (Miami J)
Esmo - I say take your soft collar with you to your desk job. If you are looking down a lot, put it on. No need to suffer! I had my surgery on 11/6/2003. I have my collar in the car if I need it. I have referred to it before. Also, if there is any way you can relax your neck muscles by laying down during lunch - that would be very helpful to you. Good luck!
Esmo77
01-23-2004, 09:10 AM
8 weeks in 1997 (Miami J)
6 weeks in 2003 (Miami J)
Esmo - I say take your soft collar with you to your desk job. If you are looking down a lot, put it on. No need to suffer! I had my surgery on 11/6/2003. I have my collar in the car if I need it. I have referred to it before. Also, if there is any way you can relax your neck muscles by laying down during lunch - that would be very helpful to you. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips Donna. My worst pain seems to be in the middle of the night when waking (which I usually do) and when I have to get up in the am. I have tried cervical pillow, etc. The pain subsides a bit after I get up and move around the house. Of course the OS says "Your doing great Kiddo!" I am trying to be patient with the healing process but I am getting a little discouraged, as we all do, since I feel about the same as I did before the surgery minus the numbness in left arm. The doc even went as far as to say "Do you think the surgery was worth it??" and since I almost died from a subarachnoid hemorrhage I have to say NO. Got to keep my head up (literally) though.
6 weeks in 2003 (Miami J)
Esmo - I say take your soft collar with you to your desk job. If you are looking down a lot, put it on. No need to suffer! I had my surgery on 11/6/2003. I have my collar in the car if I need it. I have referred to it before. Also, if there is any way you can relax your neck muscles by laying down during lunch - that would be very helpful to you. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips Donna. My worst pain seems to be in the middle of the night when waking (which I usually do) and when I have to get up in the am. I have tried cervical pillow, etc. The pain subsides a bit after I get up and move around the house. Of course the OS says "Your doing great Kiddo!" I am trying to be patient with the healing process but I am getting a little discouraged, as we all do, since I feel about the same as I did before the surgery minus the numbness in left arm. The doc even went as far as to say "Do you think the surgery was worth it??" and since I almost died from a subarachnoid hemorrhage I have to say NO. Got to keep my head up (literally) though.