garion64
05-18-2004, 04:32 PM
7 days gone wow it moves fast im suprised at how much pain i have 7 days later i had no clue it was going to be like this it makes me look at pain in a new way with a new respect for what the word pain means iv been a bodybuilder for a long long time and thought i could power my way threw anything but my god this stiff neck is crippling my Trapezius muscles are in knots my Trapezius are huge they are up to my ears it is a very large and strong muscle group and the pain i have in them is beyond words . but hey at least every thing that was wrong before surgery is working lol and this pain will heal over time . i have had a few improvements im getting more sleep but that might be from the meds they gave me. when sitting in a recliner chair im not to bad. and the advice i receved for useing a towel under my neck and getting a memory foam pillow were fantastic that pillow is great
any one getting this done should get a few of them they help soooooooo much . iv read so many posts on this board and i am so glad i found it you all have made this time in my life a lot more easy to get threwi thank you all and i pray for you all to have a speedy recovery :cool:
any one getting this done should get a few of them they help soooooooo much . iv read so many posts on this board and i am so glad i found it you all have made this time in my life a lot more easy to get threwi thank you all and i pray for you all to have a speedy recovery :cool:
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greeneyes87015
05-19-2004, 10:51 AM
Hi Garion64, Sorry to hear you are in so much pain. I too have had my C5-6 fused on April 21st and I am still in so much pain. My head feels better and my neck doesn't hurt but my shoulder that I went into surgery for hurts like it did before the surgery. Dr.says it just taakes time for the nerves to heal that were being pinced for so long. But it is a big disappointment. I just assumed most of my pain would be gone. So you are not alone,especially when you read these boards, makes me feel lucky. So many are much worse than me. I hate to complain. Hope you feel better soon. :rolleyes:
grace2
05-19-2004, 11:03 AM
I'm glad you're both done and feeling a little better. I am 2 months post op and feel almost normal. The base of my neck still gets sore if I do too much and I have a few pains in my arms from the nerves "waking up". Time is the best medicine for this.
pattymelt
05-19-2004, 06:33 PM
Hi :wave:
I know just what you are going through. I am a fairly small statured woman with a small neck and for a week after surgery my neck was so swollen I looked like a football linebacker! I was so afraid it would not go back to normal but after a week it did, but the pain is still there after seven weeks. I had fusion with plating of 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, and 5-6 so it was a really major surgery. I still have pain in my shoulders and "knots" which I try to massage out with little help. I am still on Percocet and Flexeril, although not as many as the first month. The memory pillow is the best investment I have made and I bought another one last week so I have a cervical shaped one and a regular shaped bed pillow. I alternate heat and cold (the Ace cold packs are flexible and are very helpful). I keep tellling myself I didn't incur all the damage in a short time and the recovery is going to take time too. Every time I get discouraged I try to do something to take my mind off the discomfort and pain - such as reading, potting plants on my patio or other activities that don't require bending or reaching or stooping. I do hope to get rid of this hard collar in another month.
Hang in there! It does get better!
Pat :)
I know just what you are going through. I am a fairly small statured woman with a small neck and for a week after surgery my neck was so swollen I looked like a football linebacker! I was so afraid it would not go back to normal but after a week it did, but the pain is still there after seven weeks. I had fusion with plating of 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, and 5-6 so it was a really major surgery. I still have pain in my shoulders and "knots" which I try to massage out with little help. I am still on Percocet and Flexeril, although not as many as the first month. The memory pillow is the best investment I have made and I bought another one last week so I have a cervical shaped one and a regular shaped bed pillow. I alternate heat and cold (the Ace cold packs are flexible and are very helpful). I keep tellling myself I didn't incur all the damage in a short time and the recovery is going to take time too. Every time I get discouraged I try to do something to take my mind off the discomfort and pain - such as reading, potting plants on my patio or other activities that don't require bending or reaching or stooping. I do hope to get rid of this hard collar in another month.
Hang in there! It does get better!
Pat :)
garion64
05-19-2004, 06:38 PM
oh my pattymelt i feel like this from just haveing c4c5 done i cant imagen what you are going threw your in my prayers :) for a pain free future :)
nero
05-19-2004, 10:25 PM
:bouncing: Hey there,
I can tell you its almost impossible to believe it will not hurt so much eventually because the pain is unreal at times..but your situation is not insurmountable.
I had acdf c5 6 own bone and plate Nov 03 (with bad spinal chord compression) and April 22 l5-s1 microdiskectomy. That Micro'y felt like a backward c-section. I was shocked it felt more painful than my neck as the incision is so susceptible to your every movement when on your lower back.
Anyway, know this.. I am able to walk 2-3 miles on the treadmill 4-5 x week and between surgeries was up to 4 miles 5x week as my pain permitted...sooo... you will too be okay.
It is difficult to compare notes...like pattymelt who has had such an extensive surgery...but I can say to her that she has survived it ...is able to reflect on it and be supportive to you... and that is indicative of a survivor and that is all we can ask of ourselves...anything more is a blessing.
I am never pain free....I actually forget those days and what they were like...but there are periods to time that i am quite able to get things done and my mind can override the pain sufficiently to feel like I am having the day I am worthy of and deserving of.
You too can get to this point, or past it or be completely free from it...know that this is possible and you will be able to start embracing the new you and the new way you are going to live.
good luck...nero
I can tell you its almost impossible to believe it will not hurt so much eventually because the pain is unreal at times..but your situation is not insurmountable.
I had acdf c5 6 own bone and plate Nov 03 (with bad spinal chord compression) and April 22 l5-s1 microdiskectomy. That Micro'y felt like a backward c-section. I was shocked it felt more painful than my neck as the incision is so susceptible to your every movement when on your lower back.
Anyway, know this.. I am able to walk 2-3 miles on the treadmill 4-5 x week and between surgeries was up to 4 miles 5x week as my pain permitted...sooo... you will too be okay.
It is difficult to compare notes...like pattymelt who has had such an extensive surgery...but I can say to her that she has survived it ...is able to reflect on it and be supportive to you... and that is indicative of a survivor and that is all we can ask of ourselves...anything more is a blessing.
I am never pain free....I actually forget those days and what they were like...but there are periods to time that i am quite able to get things done and my mind can override the pain sufficiently to feel like I am having the day I am worthy of and deserving of.
You too can get to this point, or past it or be completely free from it...know that this is possible and you will be able to start embracing the new you and the new way you are going to live.
good luck...nero