AngelicMoon
07-28-2003, 01:42 AM
I am calling my surgeon in the morning about these "new" symptoms I am having and the return of the old ones! If he blows me off and says "it's normal", I am going to scream! I am in 4th week post op, I should be feeling better, not worse! I know I sound impatient, but this is really frustrating~
blah~~
~venting, again!
:angel:
blah~~
~venting, again!
:angel:
Sponsor
DebbieMc
07-28-2003, 10:20 AM
Angelic, don't take this wrong but I am glad to hear it. This means it's not just me. I mean, I knew it was going to get worse before it got better but come on...it's been a month now. We should be seeing major progress by now...right? I don't know what you had done but it sounds like we had our surgeries about the same time. I had ACDF with hardware on 07/01...what and when was yours?
I'm just sitting here waiting for 8:00 to call my NS ;) 40 minutes to go...but who's counting? lol
DebbieMc
I'm just sitting here waiting for 8:00 to call my NS ;) 40 minutes to go...but who's counting? lol
DebbieMc
AngelicMoon
07-28-2003, 12:15 PM
Debbie~
I had my surgery on June 30th. Cervical discectomy w/fusion(from donor), no hardware. This is very frustrating. My symptoms are worse, and I have developed new ones. I'm not sleeping(I even take a sleeping pill every night) and I am sick of feeling like this. I called my NS earlier, he has two surgeries today. I guess I won't hear from him until later. I'm sorry that you are feeling so crummy too, but I am also glad that I am not the only one. Let me know here what your NS says and I will post as soon as mine calls back!
:angel:
I had my surgery on June 30th. Cervical discectomy w/fusion(from donor), no hardware. This is very frustrating. My symptoms are worse, and I have developed new ones. I'm not sleeping(I even take a sleeping pill every night) and I am sick of feeling like this. I called my NS earlier, he has two surgeries today. I guess I won't hear from him until later. I'm sorry that you are feeling so crummy too, but I am also glad that I am not the only one. Let me know here what your NS says and I will post as soon as mine calls back!
:angel:
DebbieMc
07-28-2003, 01:29 PM
Angelic,
Well, I just got off the phone with my neurosurgeon's nurse (whom I love) and she told me the she always asks how the surgeries go. When she asked about mine, he said I was difficult because I had so many things wrong. It took him twice a long to fix me than originally expected. With that in mind, she said I could expect a longer recovery. She also said that I should be experiencing "different" pain at this point, which I am. I'm glad she told me that because I was beginning to feel like a big baby still whining 28 days post-op. So, I just got an additional 10 days added to my disability.
I swear my husband better pad the walls of this house before I go completely nuts being stuck in here all the time!!! (Or accidentally burn it down...lol)
Hope your news is better than mine.
DebbieMc
Well, I just got off the phone with my neurosurgeon's nurse (whom I love) and she told me the she always asks how the surgeries go. When she asked about mine, he said I was difficult because I had so many things wrong. It took him twice a long to fix me than originally expected. With that in mind, she said I could expect a longer recovery. She also said that I should be experiencing "different" pain at this point, which I am. I'm glad she told me that because I was beginning to feel like a big baby still whining 28 days post-op. So, I just got an additional 10 days added to my disability.
I swear my husband better pad the walls of this house before I go completely nuts being stuck in here all the time!!! (Or accidentally burn it down...lol)
Hope your news is better than mine.
DebbieMc
AngelicMoon
07-29-2003, 02:22 AM
Deb~
I am glad that you got the call for answers. I'm still waiting :(
Not feeling well tonight, will post tomorrow~
I am glad that you got the call for answers. I'm still waiting :(
Not feeling well tonight, will post tomorrow~
tetons
07-29-2003, 11:27 AM
Saw my NS for 4 week post op visit last week and was really feeling bad. It was obvious in my eyes. She took one look at me and said 4 more weeks off work and then she will let me think about going back. She put me on stronger muscler relaxers, neurotin and started me in PT 3 times a week. I've been twice to PT now. It is amazing to me that just the smallest of movements in exercises can hurt like the dickens. I'm your typical overdoer and want to do more rather than less. I'm calling NS tomorrow and telling her the muscle relaxers are not working and I am back to not sleeping well. I've have back surgery twice and always felt so much better by now so this is new for me. Walking always helped me before for back surgery but with this it is much slower. I had ACDF C6-7 with titanium plate. I sure hope it gets better soon for everybody. This is such a great support board and I check it frequently but try to stay on only 20 minutes at a time at the most. Good luck with your recoveries.
AngelicMoon
07-30-2003, 01:37 AM
I am still waiting for the NS to call. I have been calling for two days now. I haven't slept but more than an hour at a time and my neck shoulder and head are killing me. I feel like he did the surgery and forgot about me, like I was in some kind of assembly line. I am so disgusted right now.
(Firefighter~I guess I have a surgeon like yours, who doesn't like to return calls)
(Firefighter~I guess I have a surgeon like yours, who doesn't like to return calls)
Memer
07-30-2003, 09:04 AM
I don't know if I've told this story before, but here goes. The day I got home from the hospital, I went downhill. I was in terrible condition. I had major pain in my neck and arms, but the worst thing was that I could barely walk because of the pain in my legs. I called the emergency phone number for NS. THREE DAYS LATER, I got a call from NS's nurse, telling me to go to the emergency room immediately, that something could be seriously wrong. You ladies will know what I mean when I say that I got so angry that I cried for about an hour straight. I didn't go to the ER, and I have regretted it since because I toughed it out and suffered. My way of thinking at the time was that if I were going to die I would have already died by the time they told me to go to the ER. Also, my legs didn't hurt if I didn't try to stand or walk, so I thought that meant I'd be okay.
p.s. The nurse did call me a few times in between my first phone call and the GO TO THE ER call. She had to wait the three days to see the NS and get his advice. It seems that they don't discuss this stuff with each other over the phone.
p.s. The nurse did call me a few times in between my first phone call and the GO TO THE ER call. She had to wait the three days to see the NS and get his advice. It seems that they don't discuss this stuff with each other over the phone.
AngelicMoon
07-30-2003, 11:43 AM
Memer~I know exactly what you mean by crying with frustration. I have been doing so for three days. Three days, three calls , and no return call from NS. I am calling my PCP this afternoon. I will NEVER recommend my NS to anyone. I think that patients should be treated with respect and common courtesy. I am seriously P!!ssed off.
AngelicMoon
07-30-2003, 05:30 PM
I spoke to my PCP. She is so mad about my NS not calling me back. She wants to see me tomorrow morning, said that my symptoms don't sound good :(
I will post when I return from seing her(keep your fingers crossed for me, I am scared)
:angel:
I will post when I return from seing her(keep your fingers crossed for me, I am scared)
:angel:
Bellybuttonlover
07-30-2003, 07:12 PM
AngelicMoon!
Sorry you are struggling with pain & NS.....
Please let us know what happens tomorrow!
Fingers & toes are crossed!
Keep the Faith!
BBL
Sorry you are struggling with pain & NS.....
Please let us know what happens tomorrow!
Fingers & toes are crossed!
Keep the Faith!
BBL
AngelicMoon
07-31-2003, 12:30 AM
BBL~
Thank you for your good thoughts. I need them! I am running on no sleep , saltines , gingerale and peppermint tea. I am nauseated partly from the pain and partly from being so upset with my NS.
I will post after doc appt tomorrow.
:angel:
Thank you for your good thoughts. I need them! I am running on no sleep , saltines , gingerale and peppermint tea. I am nauseated partly from the pain and partly from being so upset with my NS.
I will post after doc appt tomorrow.
:angel:
magtize
07-31-2003, 02:00 AM
So sorry for your troubles with NS.Hope you get some relief tomorrow.
lostsoul15204
07-31-2003, 07:36 AM
Hi A.M., If your pain and symptoms get worse, get to the ER at Shadyside ASAP. That is the only way I got any satisfaction . My surgery was in 12-02 there to treat an infection in my spine and l-3-4 disc. I have been to the ER 3 times and it's got me to see my docs asap to address whats going wrong. Just a suggestion neighbor O.K.?
------------------
Rick
------------------
Rick
mel333
07-31-2003, 12:01 PM
Hi ,
So sorry to hear of these symptoms and I certainly understand the headaches. I was crying over htose the other night wondering if I had made a mistake having the surgery untill my NS said my disc looked like crab meat(horrid) and I felt that despite the pain I hope to settle (one week post op). One thing that has helped me was an antinflammatory. Are you taking these? It is really quite rude your NS has not called. I would go see someone else in the mean time or any dr to perhaps get some strong meds at the moment. Take care,
Mel
So sorry to hear of these symptoms and I certainly understand the headaches. I was crying over htose the other night wondering if I had made a mistake having the surgery untill my NS said my disc looked like crab meat(horrid) and I felt that despite the pain I hope to settle (one week post op). One thing that has helped me was an antinflammatory. Are you taking these? It is really quite rude your NS has not called. I would go see someone else in the mean time or any dr to perhaps get some strong meds at the moment. Take care,
Mel
AngelicMoon
07-31-2003, 01:24 PM
Hi everyone...first off thanks for all the support!
I just got back from seeing my PCP. She is furious.
She asked me if I wanted to switch to another NS. I said no because i want to tell this jerk exactly what I think when I go back(August 20th). That is if I don't end up back in the hospital. The doc gave me stronger pain pills,,a muscle relaxer, and nausea meds. If I don't feel better in a few days I am to call back and she will change the course of action. She said that if this pain gets much worse, she will put me in the hospital. She did blood work to check for an infection as well. She also told me that I should NOT be having this much pain 4 weeks post op and that the way my NS is treating me is totally unacceptable. I am wondering if I should call the NS office and tell them that I saw my doc and this is the treatment I am geting for my problems. Any of you that are still in extreme pain this long after surgery, DO NOT let your NS tell you that it is normal. It is not. This has been a nightmarish experience for me, I hope none of you ever have to go through something similar. I mentioned to my doctor that I didn't want to mask my pain with meds, but she said it is necessary to take this course of action now until my NS appt. So, on this note, all these meds will make me drowsy, I am apologizing already for any insane things I may post here...*LOL*
*sending hugs to you all for your kind support*
Rick, may I ask who your surgeon was?
:angel:
I just got back from seeing my PCP. She is furious.
She asked me if I wanted to switch to another NS. I said no because i want to tell this jerk exactly what I think when I go back(August 20th). That is if I don't end up back in the hospital. The doc gave me stronger pain pills,,a muscle relaxer, and nausea meds. If I don't feel better in a few days I am to call back and she will change the course of action. She said that if this pain gets much worse, she will put me in the hospital. She did blood work to check for an infection as well. She also told me that I should NOT be having this much pain 4 weeks post op and that the way my NS is treating me is totally unacceptable. I am wondering if I should call the NS office and tell them that I saw my doc and this is the treatment I am geting for my problems. Any of you that are still in extreme pain this long after surgery, DO NOT let your NS tell you that it is normal. It is not. This has been a nightmarish experience for me, I hope none of you ever have to go through something similar. I mentioned to my doctor that I didn't want to mask my pain with meds, but she said it is necessary to take this course of action now until my NS appt. So, on this note, all these meds will make me drowsy, I am apologizing already for any insane things I may post here...*LOL*
*sending hugs to you all for your kind support*
Rick, may I ask who your surgeon was?
:angel:
AngelicMoon
08-08-2003, 05:48 PM
*bump*