irish34
05-14-2004, 12:46 AM
I had C5-6 ACDF with donor bone March 8, 2004. I am still having so much pain, it never got better after surgery. I had to beg my NS for a MRI if the t-spine. I have a small bulge at T4-5, annular tear and disc extrusion at T5-6, protuded disc at T6-7 and another annular tear with extruded disc that abuts the spinal cord at T7-8.
My NS cleared me to return to work Monday, no restrictions. I'm a police officer. He kept implying that it's psychiological.
Oddly enough, he told me it's normal for someone my age....I'm 27. This is due to a work related injury.
HELP! Any advice needed and wanted! :confused:
My NS cleared me to return to work Monday, no restrictions. I'm a police officer. He kept implying that it's psychiological.
Oddly enough, he told me it's normal for someone my age....I'm 27. This is due to a work related injury.
HELP! Any advice needed and wanted! :confused:
Sponsor
Hurdy
05-14-2004, 11:16 AM
Hi Irish, I am so very sorry to hear about the pain you are experiencing. I know EXACTLY what you are going through! I had ACDF C4-5 and 5-6 with the donor bone and 2 Titanium cages on April 5th and i am still having alot of pain. I think it is worse now than before the surgery. Also since the surgery i have been having spontaneous jerking movements of all extremities as well as my whole body. I also had a bout of incontinence. I would try to get in touch with the NS and would always get the nurse who would tell me that my NS is very busy and she would just blow me off and the NS would never return my calls. I finally got nasty with them and the NS returned my call and what a waste of time that was. He was busy telling me that i must have something wrong with my bladder and that i shouldnt be having pain because he has a 100% sucess rate with his fusions. I can see it now, i know that i am going to have to get a second opinion. I know and can truely feel that there is something wrong. But the NS wont ackowledge that. I too have had mri's done recently of my lumbar and thoracic regions, i too have bulging discs and pinched nerves with chronic back pain. The NS says that it is inoperable at this time so i guess i was suppoed to just suffer. Thank God i have a great PCP and he has been treating me for the chronic back pain. Do you take anything for the pain? For my back i am on a Duragesic patch (fentanyl) and Percocet for the breakthrough pain. I also take neurontin, bextra and imitriptylin for the neck and back pain. Even though i am on all those meds i still have ALOT of pain. Anyway, i can relate to you about all the pain. I really hope that something good and positive comes your way soon! Please keep me posted. Talk to ya soon, Hurdy
Deb F
05-14-2004, 02:57 PM
Hi Irish -
I am so very sorry to hear about how things are going.
At this point, after the recent MRI, I would seek a second opinion. Just because these guys are supposed to be the best, doesn't mean that unfortunate things can't happen. Go back to work - yeah right!!! I will continue to keep you in my prayers. I have scheduled my surgery for 6/08. Having an EMG on 5/25. On new meds, which I think may finally be helping.
Take care (as best you can)
Deb F
I am so very sorry to hear about how things are going.
At this point, after the recent MRI, I would seek a second opinion. Just because these guys are supposed to be the best, doesn't mean that unfortunate things can't happen. Go back to work - yeah right!!! I will continue to keep you in my prayers. I have scheduled my surgery for 6/08. Having an EMG on 5/25. On new meds, which I think may finally be helping.
Take care (as best you can)
Deb F
Rolex
05-15-2004, 01:01 AM
Irish, I am sorry to hear you are still going through so much pain. I hope you find out
what the problem is soon and find someone to help.
Please keep us updated and good luck, I hope it all works out well for you...
Ava
what the problem is soon and find someone to help.
Please keep us updated and good luck, I hope it all works out well for you...
Ava
Rolex
05-15-2004, 01:03 AM
Deb, good luck with your surgery. Let us know how it goes. I read this board every day or two so keep us posted...
Ava
Ava
lexie3131
05-16-2004, 12:09 PM
Irish,
Hey...I haven't been on in a while because I started back to work full time and I have been working very long hours. I read your most recent post. So, your going back to work ?? Are you going to be active...in a car or desk work ? It doesn't seem that you are ready because of all the pain you're having. I think I'm going to agree with another response and maybe get a second opinion. I never agree that a doctor should say to a patient "it's all in your head". Whenever I've had a doctor say that to me the last they see of me is my backside walking out the door !!! Your pain is real and should be taken seriously. They need to find out the cause..especially since YOU just paid them tons of money for surgery !!! Is the pain still as bad as you described right after your surgery or has it eased off some ? I am so sorry you didn't get what you expected from the surgery. I think about you all the time and pray you soon will feel better. As for me, I guess I feel about 80%..I have good days and bad days. My doctor and therapist said it would take a good year before I feel "normal" My pain also comes and goes but they say a lot of it is just muscle. My last appointmen we did an X-ray. You could see some hazy white between my bone and the donor bone..he said that indicates I'm starting to fuse. But he told me not to worry if it takes up to a year for that to happen..he said each person is different. Well, let me know how things go at work and with your doctor.
Talk to you soon,
Lexie
Hey...I haven't been on in a while because I started back to work full time and I have been working very long hours. I read your most recent post. So, your going back to work ?? Are you going to be active...in a car or desk work ? It doesn't seem that you are ready because of all the pain you're having. I think I'm going to agree with another response and maybe get a second opinion. I never agree that a doctor should say to a patient "it's all in your head". Whenever I've had a doctor say that to me the last they see of me is my backside walking out the door !!! Your pain is real and should be taken seriously. They need to find out the cause..especially since YOU just paid them tons of money for surgery !!! Is the pain still as bad as you described right after your surgery or has it eased off some ? I am so sorry you didn't get what you expected from the surgery. I think about you all the time and pray you soon will feel better. As for me, I guess I feel about 80%..I have good days and bad days. My doctor and therapist said it would take a good year before I feel "normal" My pain also comes and goes but they say a lot of it is just muscle. My last appointmen we did an X-ray. You could see some hazy white between my bone and the donor bone..he said that indicates I'm starting to fuse. But he told me not to worry if it takes up to a year for that to happen..he said each person is different. Well, let me know how things go at work and with your doctor.
Talk to you soon,
Lexie
greeneyes87015
05-17-2004, 12:05 AM
Irish34, I was so glad to read your message. I'm not happy your not better, but, I had the same surgery on april 29th and I have been in so much pain. It's like I never had the surgery. My dr. says I'm doing good it will get better but my shoulder hurts just like it did before surgery. I take Percocet, but it doesn't help at all. He said apply heat to it and the heat feels good ,but it doesn't take it away. I just met an older woman, maybe close to 70, and when she saw me she asked me what I had and she said she had back fusion and it took 2 years for the nerves to heal. I almost died. Now she said she has no pain but it takes a long time for the nerves to heal. I felt like I was the only one to hurt this bad, but after reading your messge I felt better. I have been treated for tendonitis for 3-4 years with no luck with the cortisoze shots until finally I went to a different dr. and he did the MRI and found my C5-6 had flattened and was pressing on my spinal cord. So for 3 years I was being miss diagnosed. I thought the surgery would help but when I still am suffering I felt something had to be wrong.
I also have a hoarse voice. I've had it since I woke up and can't seem to clear it. Did you or anyone else have a hoarse voice for a long time?
Well I guess thats it for now, hopefully we can write soon that we feel better.
I hope we all feel better!!! :)
I also have a hoarse voice. I've had it since I woke up and can't seem to clear it. Did you or anyone else have a hoarse voice for a long time?
Well I guess thats it for now, hopefully we can write soon that we feel better.
I hope we all feel better!!! :)
wastefulltick
05-17-2004, 06:34 PM
hi irish
sorry to hear your going thru so much pain i was worried about you since i had nt seen any post from you i had my surgury may 6 th acdf w/donor bone and bb platinting while he was in there he found a bone spur growing into the nerve and he said that was why i was in so much pain also he found bone spur growing aganist the spinal cord and said that was why i was having episodes of paralysis he also said that if it had not been found it would have pushed thru the dura and caused permenant paralysis so i thank god i didnt chicken out again i was in op rm getting prepped and was planning to get up and walk out of there as i was so scared when the next thing i knew i woke in recovery lol the last week has been hell for me i have been in horrible pain i now have pain in rt shoulder arm and hand i never had that before all my pain was in lt arm also rt hand burns like its on fire and rt foot hurts constanly i am in worse pain than i was in before the surgury and did not think i could have pain any worse than i have had prior to surgury but i was wrong i spoke to n/s on phone fri and he said this is normal that all the nerves are inflamed and angry i also have a cracking sound in my neck when i get up from recliner i hope that is normal today is the 1 st day since surgury that the pain has been bearable he also increased my pain meds to 30 mgs oxycodone hcl every 6 hrs and gave me enough for 30 days along with zanaflex for muscle spasm i am to go to the hospital weds may 19 th for post op films i dont know if they mean mri or xray and wait for them and bring them to my appt the same morning his office is next door to hospital he said he will decide if that aspen "torture"collar comes off and soft collar goes on and when i can return to work he told me after surgury that he wants me to work half days for the 1 first two weeks and then return to full days after that it all depends on the films and wether fusion has occured?? i just want the pain to stop because it is driving me crazy and i cant get more than an hour or two of sleep without waking up in agony right now i am a zombie after a week of thiswil keep you in my prayers and will post as i am able
bob :wave:
sorry to hear your going thru so much pain i was worried about you since i had nt seen any post from you i had my surgury may 6 th acdf w/donor bone and bb platinting while he was in there he found a bone spur growing into the nerve and he said that was why i was in so much pain also he found bone spur growing aganist the spinal cord and said that was why i was having episodes of paralysis he also said that if it had not been found it would have pushed thru the dura and caused permenant paralysis so i thank god i didnt chicken out again i was in op rm getting prepped and was planning to get up and walk out of there as i was so scared when the next thing i knew i woke in recovery lol the last week has been hell for me i have been in horrible pain i now have pain in rt shoulder arm and hand i never had that before all my pain was in lt arm also rt hand burns like its on fire and rt foot hurts constanly i am in worse pain than i was in before the surgury and did not think i could have pain any worse than i have had prior to surgury but i was wrong i spoke to n/s on phone fri and he said this is normal that all the nerves are inflamed and angry i also have a cracking sound in my neck when i get up from recliner i hope that is normal today is the 1 st day since surgury that the pain has been bearable he also increased my pain meds to 30 mgs oxycodone hcl every 6 hrs and gave me enough for 30 days along with zanaflex for muscle spasm i am to go to the hospital weds may 19 th for post op films i dont know if they mean mri or xray and wait for them and bring them to my appt the same morning his office is next door to hospital he said he will decide if that aspen "torture"collar comes off and soft collar goes on and when i can return to work he told me after surgury that he wants me to work half days for the 1 first two weeks and then return to full days after that it all depends on the films and wether fusion has occured?? i just want the pain to stop because it is driving me crazy and i cant get more than an hour or two of sleep without waking up in agony right now i am a zombie after a week of thiswil keep you in my prayers and will post as i am able
bob :wave: