verniebird
09-14-2003, 12:30 AM
Hello everyone. I just had fusion at c5-6 on Monday Sept 9. Was having intolerable pain on left side of neck, back and arm. Since surgery, left side is terrific but now the right side of my neck and head have horrible pain that was not there before surgery. Throat is getting somewhat better, swallowing still restricted a bit. Trying to limit pain meds. Does anyone have any info about why suddenly now my right side has pain? Going to see surgeon Monday morning and would appreciate any experiences you may have had. Thanks. Mary Ellen
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canvaswriter
09-14-2003, 02:09 PM
Hello!
I am one week ahead of you, I had surgery on the 2nd, and came here to ask basically the same questions. I developed a severe headache and ear ache on the right side the 2nd day after surgery. First the doctor said it might be migraine and told me to double the percoset to 2 instead of one, which seemed to help a little after a few days but left the ear ache, which finally drove me to my general doctor because I thought it might be an ear infection, but he said there was no evidence of ear infection and that it was probably "trauma" to the eustation tube (sorry about misspellings), and gave me a steriod nasal spray for swelling, an antihistime nasal spray for drainage, and a round of antibiotics to err on the side of caution.
After 3 days more, the headaches are down to about 50% of what they were, and the earaches are a little less as well, but they both come and go...
someone posted here that the muscles they cut during the surgery reach up to the ear area and that they too had earache, so I'm going on the theory now that both headaches and earaches are experienced by some but not others, might be an ear infection or not, could be a muscular thing or not, and more than likely is just one of many post op things that some are experiencing, like the swallowing/breathing thing, that will go away with enough time.
Every day seems to feel just a tiny bit better, but not in leaps and bounds as in previous surgeries, this time it appears that slow is the norm, and is going to stay the norm...
I hope you begin feeling better soon, I hope we all do...
Susan
I am one week ahead of you, I had surgery on the 2nd, and came here to ask basically the same questions. I developed a severe headache and ear ache on the right side the 2nd day after surgery. First the doctor said it might be migraine and told me to double the percoset to 2 instead of one, which seemed to help a little after a few days but left the ear ache, which finally drove me to my general doctor because I thought it might be an ear infection, but he said there was no evidence of ear infection and that it was probably "trauma" to the eustation tube (sorry about misspellings), and gave me a steriod nasal spray for swelling, an antihistime nasal spray for drainage, and a round of antibiotics to err on the side of caution.
After 3 days more, the headaches are down to about 50% of what they were, and the earaches are a little less as well, but they both come and go...
someone posted here that the muscles they cut during the surgery reach up to the ear area and that they too had earache, so I'm going on the theory now that both headaches and earaches are experienced by some but not others, might be an ear infection or not, could be a muscular thing or not, and more than likely is just one of many post op things that some are experiencing, like the swallowing/breathing thing, that will go away with enough time.
Every day seems to feel just a tiny bit better, but not in leaps and bounds as in previous surgeries, this time it appears that slow is the norm, and is going to stay the norm...
I hope you begin feeling better soon, I hope we all do...
Susan
verniebird
09-14-2003, 02:43 PM
Thanks for the reply Susan. Going to see surgeon for 1 wk post-op visit tomorrow and I will let you know what he says. Problem is, I did not have this pain until I woke up Sat morning. Fri nite I thought I was almost home free and then Sat morning whammo! I seem to be having trouble after a nights sleep. I have tried sleeping with and without a collar, no pillow, 1 pillow, cervical pillow. Nothing seems to help. Have you had problems with extreme soreness as soon as you wake up?
Icaaa
09-14-2003, 05:14 PM
Hi
When I was coming out of the anesthetic I guess I kept saying "My left arm feels free, but oh no now my right side is in trouble." My incision was more to the right of the middle of my throat, too. Even the right side looked more swollen. I was surprised. I felt like if I had not been on pain meds I would have had a major sinus headache. I don't know why they go round the coppler's nest to get where they need to be. But, as I healed this lessened.
As many of us say, time and rest. Thsoe 2 do great.
Carla
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Ruptured retrieved 14 pieces ACDF with plating and donor bone C6-7. (7/18/03)
When I was coming out of the anesthetic I guess I kept saying "My left arm feels free, but oh no now my right side is in trouble." My incision was more to the right of the middle of my throat, too. Even the right side looked more swollen. I was surprised. I felt like if I had not been on pain meds I would have had a major sinus headache. I don't know why they go round the coppler's nest to get where they need to be. But, as I healed this lessened.
As many of us say, time and rest. Thsoe 2 do great.
Carla
------------------
Ruptured retrieved 14 pieces ACDF with plating and donor bone C6-7. (7/18/03)
canvaswriter
09-14-2003, 06:05 PM
Sleeping and waking...
Along with everything else this seems to vary widely as well.
Sometimes I actually wake up BECAUSE of the pain. Pain in my ear, pain in my shoulders, pain between my shoulder blades... And other times sleep is the only thing that seems to help the pain go away and I wake up feeling absolutely wonderful.
This is the strangest post op I've ever had, in all of the surgeries I have had on my leg and arms, it was pretty much cut and dried, every day it was a little better, when one thing was done, it was done for good. But this time it's just about as whacky at it could be.
I am getting a handle on how far I can go however and today realized that when I am at my most tired, my shoulders, between my shoulder blades, ear and head all chime in at once, and if I just stop trying to do anything at all and lay down and sleep and make sure I'm doing the pain meds every 4 hours faithfully, I wake up and feel much better.
I'm trying to become at one with the song of my body again and give it what it wants. The first week I was so out of tune I couldn't tell what was what, but each day I feel I'm getting a little more in tune and can tell when I'm overdoing it and when it's time to just give it up and go to sleep and let it heal.
So to answer your question, yep, sometimes I wake up very stiff and very much in pain, and don't know why yet, and sometimes I don't.
Not much clarity there, but it's the best I can do at the moment...
susan
And p.s. the pillow thing is the same with me, sometimes I am more comfortable with the ortho pillow, sometimes a regular pillow, sometimes on my back, sometimes on my side, it isn't a sure thing that what i did the previous time is going to work again, so I start out one way and just keep adjusting the sleeping position until I guess I'm either exhausted or find the one way that time that will work.
I have noticed however that if I fall asleep on my right side with the right side of my head on the pillow that the earache/headache thing seems to worsen, so I've been trying to avoid purposefully laying in that position..
Along with everything else this seems to vary widely as well.
Sometimes I actually wake up BECAUSE of the pain. Pain in my ear, pain in my shoulders, pain between my shoulder blades... And other times sleep is the only thing that seems to help the pain go away and I wake up feeling absolutely wonderful.
This is the strangest post op I've ever had, in all of the surgeries I have had on my leg and arms, it was pretty much cut and dried, every day it was a little better, when one thing was done, it was done for good. But this time it's just about as whacky at it could be.
I am getting a handle on how far I can go however and today realized that when I am at my most tired, my shoulders, between my shoulder blades, ear and head all chime in at once, and if I just stop trying to do anything at all and lay down and sleep and make sure I'm doing the pain meds every 4 hours faithfully, I wake up and feel much better.
I'm trying to become at one with the song of my body again and give it what it wants. The first week I was so out of tune I couldn't tell what was what, but each day I feel I'm getting a little more in tune and can tell when I'm overdoing it and when it's time to just give it up and go to sleep and let it heal.
So to answer your question, yep, sometimes I wake up very stiff and very much in pain, and don't know why yet, and sometimes I don't.
Not much clarity there, but it's the best I can do at the moment...
susan
And p.s. the pillow thing is the same with me, sometimes I am more comfortable with the ortho pillow, sometimes a regular pillow, sometimes on my back, sometimes on my side, it isn't a sure thing that what i did the previous time is going to work again, so I start out one way and just keep adjusting the sleeping position until I guess I'm either exhausted or find the one way that time that will work.
I have noticed however that if I fall asleep on my right side with the right side of my head on the pillow that the earache/headache thing seems to worsen, so I've been trying to avoid purposefully laying in that position..
verniebird
09-14-2003, 11:21 PM
Ha Ha Ha Susan....we could be twins! I feel like a schizophrenic sometimes. I was in absolute agony all day Sat and Sun morning and now Sunday nite I feel terrific....almost no pain at all. I dread going to sleep because I dont know if I should sleep on my side, my back or suspended in air! My post-op appt is tomorrow and the doctor is probably going to think I am nuts. I am trying to stay off the pain meds because I believe that masking the pain will not help me find out what is causing the pain. I have to keep remembering that I am less than a week out of surgery and these things take some time. It does help me to have someone to talk this over with and I really appreciate the time you have taken to correspond with me!
magtize
09-18-2003, 02:24 AM
Susan
I also had surgery on 2nd(adcf c4-5)
been feeling good in no pain since coming out of recovery except for sore throat.
Have hard time finding position to sleep also. try all pillows ,recliner,bed ,or sofa.Just can't find that nitch.Wearing Miami J collar til post-op visit on Oct 15.Walking 1 hour a day and not doing much else.No lifting,no arms above head, no bending.Everything that I was told.
Thought I was home free then last night started with muscle spasms between shoulder blades and headache Started up neck to base of skull.
Guess its 2 steps forward and one step back
Hope you start feeling better real soon and be pain free
Elaine
Mary Ellen
Sorry to hear of you pain. You said you were trying to stay off meds.I was told to take pain meds for at least a week every 4 hours even if I didn't think I needed them.So I did then quit taking a week after surgery Did really good until last night now back on Will try for another week.
Hoping tomorrow will be a better day for you
Elaine
[This message has been edited by magtize (edited 09-18-2003).]
[This message has been edited by magtize (edited 09-18-2003).]
I also had surgery on 2nd(adcf c4-5)
been feeling good in no pain since coming out of recovery except for sore throat.
Have hard time finding position to sleep also. try all pillows ,recliner,bed ,or sofa.Just can't find that nitch.Wearing Miami J collar til post-op visit on Oct 15.Walking 1 hour a day and not doing much else.No lifting,no arms above head, no bending.Everything that I was told.
Thought I was home free then last night started with muscle spasms between shoulder blades and headache Started up neck to base of skull.
Guess its 2 steps forward and one step back
Hope you start feeling better real soon and be pain free
Elaine
Mary Ellen
Sorry to hear of you pain. You said you were trying to stay off meds.I was told to take pain meds for at least a week every 4 hours even if I didn't think I needed them.So I did then quit taking a week after surgery Did really good until last night now back on Will try for another week.
Hoping tomorrow will be a better day for you
Elaine
[This message has been edited by magtize (edited 09-18-2003).]
[This message has been edited by magtize (edited 09-18-2003).]
sroman127
09-18-2003, 07:44 AM
Hello, I am 7 months postop and going for a EMG today. I too had left sided problems before surgery and after surgery I am still having terrible problems on right side. I still don't know exactly why. I will let you know if I get any answers. Hope you feel better soon!
verniebird
09-19-2003, 11:26 PM
I am happy to report that as of today Friday eve Sept 19 (11 days post-op) I am off all pain meds and muscle relaxers and I am feeling pretty good. Some tightness in the neck and shoulders and still some swallowing problems but almost totally pain-free. I do not wear a collar....my 1 wk post-op visit the phys asst said take off the collar....I dont need it with the interior brace. I would absolutely love to go back to work but doctor says not so fast. Lets look at your XRays and then we will see. Hope all of you are feeling better! Thanks for the support.
magtize
09-20-2003, 12:22 AM
Great news so happy for you but remember not so fast all this healing takes time and you don't want to mess it up.I am 17 days and need to wear Miami J till Oct 15.Did not have any pain pills last week until 2 days ago when Isabel started moving in,now that she has left I'm hoping to start feeling better.
So envious of you and can hardly wait till I can say no more collar
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car accident 72 S2 fused 76 Surgery 96 c5-6 fused
Aug pains in neck and shoulder returned.PCP,MRI Mylagram,PT Epidorals,Facet block,
C4-5 C6-7 HNP C4-5 Spinal stenosis
c5 Radiculitis Meds.Celebrex200mg 1 a day Lexapro 10mg 1 day Neurontin 300 4xs day apap/codine 300mg as needed oxycod/apap 500mg as needed neurontin 300mg 2 xs a day.
ACDF C 4-5 on 9-2-03 titaium plate 4 screws
So envious of you and can hardly wait till I can say no more collar
------------------
car accident 72 S2 fused 76 Surgery 96 c5-6 fused
Aug pains in neck and shoulder returned.PCP,MRI Mylagram,PT Epidorals,Facet block,
C4-5 C6-7 HNP C4-5 Spinal stenosis
c5 Radiculitis Meds.Celebrex200mg 1 a day Lexapro 10mg 1 day Neurontin 300 4xs day apap/codine 300mg as needed oxycod/apap 500mg as needed neurontin 300mg 2 xs a day.
ACDF C 4-5 on 9-2-03 titaium plate 4 screws