SKZ
11-20-2006, 08:59 PM
Well today my physiatrist put all the pieces together for me and it looks like (most likely) a 2 level ACDF at C5-6 and C6-7. I dont have any major herniations but there is some impingement and numbness in my hands and a whole lot of pain for 4 1/2 yrs. Would be really nice if all this would improve with surgery. I am really scared. I hope this surgery will enable me to sit for decent lengths of times, so I can finally go on long plane rides, take classes and not want to die while I am sitting there, and also teach while I stand up all day. I sure would be a new woman if those things could happen. My Dr. is pulling strings to try and get me in to see the surgeon as soon as possible. I am kind of walking around zombie-like because its now becoming a reality.:eek:
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SpineAZ
11-20-2006, 11:50 PM
I had a C5-C7 ACDF in 05/2006 at age 39. Just as you've stated, my primary symptom was not true 'neck pain'...it was the pain radiating down my left arm and causing numbness in my hand and fingers. My symptoms have greatly improved and I'm very glad I did the surgery. I didn't really loose much in terms of neck range of motion but immediately upon waking from the surgery I had significant relief of the radiating pain and numbness.
My doctor requires an aspen collar be worn for 6 weeks and that I use a bone stimulator for 4 hours per day in the first few months after surgery.
My ONE big piece of advice I give everyone having this surgery.....once you are home and able to do so - keep yourself as ative as you can. I basically sat on my but for 6 weeks and didn't do much besides walk from my bedroom to the family room. I found when I returned to work at 6 weeks post-op that I was exhausted just from walking from my car to the office plaza. I wish I had made an effort to have my husband walk me down the block and back in the first few weeks after the surgery (or since it's so hot here in AZ in the summer - even if I would have walked 5 min a day on the treadmill we have).
Best Wishes,
Karin
My doctor requires an aspen collar be worn for 6 weeks and that I use a bone stimulator for 4 hours per day in the first few months after surgery.
My ONE big piece of advice I give everyone having this surgery.....once you are home and able to do so - keep yourself as ative as you can. I basically sat on my but for 6 weeks and didn't do much besides walk from my bedroom to the family room. I found when I returned to work at 6 weeks post-op that I was exhausted just from walking from my car to the office plaza. I wish I had made an effort to have my husband walk me down the block and back in the first few weeks after the surgery (or since it's so hot here in AZ in the summer - even if I would have walked 5 min a day on the treadmill we have).
Best Wishes,
Karin
SKZ
11-21-2006, 12:11 AM
Karin,
Thanks for the advice about being active.
I am really hoping the surgery will help the pain more than the numbness. The numbness is not my worse symptom. The pain is what really hinders my lifestyle.
Anyone else that has had ACDF on C5-6 and C6-7, please chime in and share. I cant sit at the computer long enough to go into the archives the way I would like to, unfortunately.
Karin, can you please tell what a bone stimulator is and how it works? I have heard of this but cant picture it. Thanks!
Thanks for the advice about being active.
I am really hoping the surgery will help the pain more than the numbness. The numbness is not my worse symptom. The pain is what really hinders my lifestyle.
Anyone else that has had ACDF on C5-6 and C6-7, please chime in and share. I cant sit at the computer long enough to go into the archives the way I would like to, unfortunately.
Karin, can you please tell what a bone stimulator is and how it works? I have heard of this but cant picture it. Thanks!
dennisgb
11-21-2006, 06:40 PM
I had ACDF at levels C5-6 and C6-7 with plate, donor bone and BMP in June of 2004.
I had all of the same symptoms as you and Kross. I had shoulder, chest and arm pain, numbness in left arm and hand.
I am totally pain free with the exception of a tiny tingle in my index finger when I move cirtain ways.
I do neck strengthening excercises every other day, which helps keep my neck strong.
Dennis
I had all of the same symptoms as you and Kross. I had shoulder, chest and arm pain, numbness in left arm and hand.
I am totally pain free with the exception of a tiny tingle in my index finger when I move cirtain ways.
I do neck strengthening excercises every other day, which helps keep my neck strong.
Dennis
PearlDoves
11-21-2006, 06:48 PM
Let me know what you mean by BMP. I know its a blood test, lol, but I don't think thats what you mean here in this case.
dennisgb
11-21-2006, 06:58 PM
BMP is bone growth hormone.
Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)
Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)
SKZ
11-21-2006, 07:27 PM
Dennis.....your success story gives me BIGTIME hope. THANKS!.
Yea, what IS BMP?
Yea, what IS BMP?
bw67
11-21-2006, 11:22 PM
my concern would be- if there are no MAJOR herniations, what are the doctors saying as to what is causing your pain?? bone spurs??
are you having FUSION?? if so, why would they remove the discs if they aren't herniated??
maybe I misread something...
bw
are you having FUSION?? if so, why would they remove the discs if they aren't herniated??
maybe I misread something...
bw
SKZ
11-22-2006, 12:01 AM
I have bulging disks which are irritating the nerve. I had a discogram and they duplicated my pain at C5-C7. The whole picture has been kind of muddy because I have spurs, arthritis, and disk issues. I have had every test a person can have. This is why I have spent close to 5 yrs. trying EVERYTHING before I am succumbing to surgery. I also have numb hands alot, which are also getting worse. I have mild stenosis and some foraminal narrowing. Oh you know the drill....the same old stuff. All I know is I am always in a ton of pain in the neck. I am hoping, from what my neck Dr. said (I see a surgeon on Dec. 19th) that they can address the joint issues and the disk issues with the fusion. I have had every joint and disk treatment known to man. Oh yea, I also have anterolisthesis...level 1, which is a 25% off center issue with the vertebra not lining up. Other than that i am great. :dizzy:
dennisgb
11-22-2006, 11:40 AM
To BW67:
ACDF surgery includes removal of the disk, first, because they need to get at the nerve passages and clean out bone spurs, etc., and then second because the fusion site is partly in the area where the disk is. The bone is placed in the space between the vertabrae.
skziemann,
I had pretty much the same surgery as you are looking at. It's a long recovery, but without question it was the right decision. I went for 20 years dealing with pain, part of the time not knowing what was going on. Toward the end, I couldn't do much of anything without pain. I love to fish, and I would go in my boat, and hit a wave, and be down for the count. I now can do pretty much anything I want. I feel years younger, and wished I had done this much sooner.
It's a tough decision, and the lead up to the surgery is very stressfull, but eventually it will all come together, and hopefully you will have a similar result.
BMP is used in a number of different fusion surgeries to increase the potential for fusion. It helps the bone grow faster. In my case, I was in a study that was looking at the effect of BMP in multi-level ACDF, with donor bone. The success rate is much higher when they use your own bone. The problem is, if it is multi-level, the amount of bone they have to take can be more painful and take more time to heal than the ACDF surgery itself.
The study demonstrated a marked improvement in the success rate of donor bone fusion. In fact the surgeon who did my surgery had 100% fusion rates 2 years out with donor bone fusion. This was based on about 200 surgeries. The normal rate of fusion with donor bone was about 85-90%. This study was used as the basis for the approval by the FDA to allow BMP use in standard ACDF surgery with donor bone.
There are some side effects from BMP that weren't known at the time of my surgery. One was an increase in swelling, which in my case caused my throat to close off to the point where I couldn't take my meds. I had to return to the hospital and get steroid injections to decrease the swelling. It was a little scary, but after a day I was fine, and the rest of my recovery was normal.
Dennis
ACDF surgery includes removal of the disk, first, because they need to get at the nerve passages and clean out bone spurs, etc., and then second because the fusion site is partly in the area where the disk is. The bone is placed in the space between the vertabrae.
skziemann,
I had pretty much the same surgery as you are looking at. It's a long recovery, but without question it was the right decision. I went for 20 years dealing with pain, part of the time not knowing what was going on. Toward the end, I couldn't do much of anything without pain. I love to fish, and I would go in my boat, and hit a wave, and be down for the count. I now can do pretty much anything I want. I feel years younger, and wished I had done this much sooner.
It's a tough decision, and the lead up to the surgery is very stressfull, but eventually it will all come together, and hopefully you will have a similar result.
BMP is used in a number of different fusion surgeries to increase the potential for fusion. It helps the bone grow faster. In my case, I was in a study that was looking at the effect of BMP in multi-level ACDF, with donor bone. The success rate is much higher when they use your own bone. The problem is, if it is multi-level, the amount of bone they have to take can be more painful and take more time to heal than the ACDF surgery itself.
The study demonstrated a marked improvement in the success rate of donor bone fusion. In fact the surgeon who did my surgery had 100% fusion rates 2 years out with donor bone fusion. This was based on about 200 surgeries. The normal rate of fusion with donor bone was about 85-90%. This study was used as the basis for the approval by the FDA to allow BMP use in standard ACDF surgery with donor bone.
There are some side effects from BMP that weren't known at the time of my surgery. One was an increase in swelling, which in my case caused my throat to close off to the point where I couldn't take my meds. I had to return to the hospital and get steroid injections to decrease the swelling. It was a little scary, but after a day I was fine, and the rest of my recovery was normal.
Dennis
SKZ
11-22-2006, 12:02 PM
Thanks for all the info, Dennis!
My surgeon appt. is Dec. 19th and I just found out he is only doing one surgery the rest of Dec. I may be looking at a month after the date of my surgeon appt. for my surgery. I may go crazy with all the anticipation. The though of waiting 2 months from now is really tough for me. I cant plan anything because I dont when I will be having the surgery. Oh you know how the neurosis gets. That whole donor bone vs my own bone issue is really weighing on me. I am compiling a big list of questions to ask the surgeon and of course that is one of them. As always, thanks for all your input! it really is valuable. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
My surgeon appt. is Dec. 19th and I just found out he is only doing one surgery the rest of Dec. I may be looking at a month after the date of my surgeon appt. for my surgery. I may go crazy with all the anticipation. The though of waiting 2 months from now is really tough for me. I cant plan anything because I dont when I will be having the surgery. Oh you know how the neurosis gets. That whole donor bone vs my own bone issue is really weighing on me. I am compiling a big list of questions to ask the surgeon and of course that is one of them. As always, thanks for all your input! it really is valuable. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
PearlDoves
11-22-2006, 12:55 PM
If your in that much pain and don't think it can wait, call! Ask to speak with the surgeons Physican Assistant or a nurse and tell them how much pain you are in and just don't feel it can wait. Sometimes people start to get worse rather rapidly - like for me - I noticed week by week that I was a little worse in some way.. sometimes I would notice I was a bit worse after a couple of days. By my second appointment with him, he told his PA that he wanted me to have my surgery sooner than later because my legs were giveing out really bad sometimes and because of my myelopathy it seemed.
Time is important when it comes to nerves and that cord somtiems. You have to take into account that once you see him, he will order tests.. like perhaps more xrays, a cat scan, maybe another MRI, then you have to get Preo-op appoinment with your regular doc to see if you are fit for surgery and that is usually a chest xray, blood work and a EKG, possibly a EMG with a neurologist, you have to then go back to see the surgeon again after a week or two and then they scheudal the surgery which may be 2 weeks away after that!.. its a lot of waiting, and it drove me NUTS at times. You also have to deal with preadmission testing and questions a couple days before your surgery - this all of course given that this is a normal routine with hospitals and docs and what tests you've already had done.. this is what I went through. Its okay to give a push to get yourself in sooner, its not that big of a deal to ask, and its certainly not worth risking anymore of your health or the prolonging of your recovery. Please take care!
If I hadn't asked my primary to get me in sooner, I might JUST now having gotten my surgery done.. like this week...or last week.. but today, I'm two weeks post- op , Yea!
Time is important when it comes to nerves and that cord somtiems. You have to take into account that once you see him, he will order tests.. like perhaps more xrays, a cat scan, maybe another MRI, then you have to get Preo-op appoinment with your regular doc to see if you are fit for surgery and that is usually a chest xray, blood work and a EKG, possibly a EMG with a neurologist, you have to then go back to see the surgeon again after a week or two and then they scheudal the surgery which may be 2 weeks away after that!.. its a lot of waiting, and it drove me NUTS at times. You also have to deal with preadmission testing and questions a couple days before your surgery - this all of course given that this is a normal routine with hospitals and docs and what tests you've already had done.. this is what I went through. Its okay to give a push to get yourself in sooner, its not that big of a deal to ask, and its certainly not worth risking anymore of your health or the prolonging of your recovery. Please take care!
If I hadn't asked my primary to get me in sooner, I might JUST now having gotten my surgery done.. like this week...or last week.. but today, I'm two weeks post- op , Yea!
SKZ
11-22-2006, 01:42 PM
Well I am in alot of pain, but I can deal with it. But I dont have any emergency symptoms and I am pretty sure nothing will change in the next 2 months....since its been close to 5 yrs of this stuff. Its just the mental annoyance of waiting. I would hate to make a big deal of rushing the whole thing when its not really an emergency. The holidays are what is making me have to wait.
faubs110
11-22-2006, 09:44 PM
had acdf c5-c7 june of 04 at the ripe old age of 26....never had pain just severe weakness of my right arm....used to be built like a house then i couldn't lift anything in the gym....had surgery within a month of seeing the dr....went from my g.p. to a neurologist to the mri to the neuro-surgeon within 2 days of each other......they were concerned with the rapid loss of strength....can't say it's been an easy road but i have all my strength back....but i have never felt the same.....neck gets stiff alot and the range of motion aint what it used to be but at least there's little pain...i guess i am a success story since i really don't have any restrictions.....i just lift weights in moderation.....sleep on my side...and stretch my neck ALOT.......sitting for extended periods usually flares things up but when i'm up and about things are good......your throat will be sore for a bit....might be hard to swallow meds....i refused meds for fear of dependancy....i opted for donor bone since the hip thing seems to become bothersome...sometimes more painful than the neck....i also had a plate put in so i didn't have to wear a collar afterwards...if u have any ?'s hit me up