[I'm 7wks post op from Rotator Cuff Tear and am still sleeping on my back with lots of pillows. Some medical professionals will suggest sleeping in recliner but that wasn't an option for me due to having a lumbar fusion in November. Basically whatever makes him most comfortable because sleeping is definitely a problem after this surgery. Also make sure he takes his pain meds as scheduled because once the pain gets out of control it's hard to get on top of.
its hard for me to use the computer. i am not yet 3 weeks after surgery. i sleep on my back with pillows. i reclined the first week. we have two twins put together so i let my husband stay! you just have to see how it goes.
Thanks for the advice! I do have a recliner as I had an ACDF in October and spent a lot of time on it. I have lots of pillows as well as a wedge pillow, so hopefully I can keep him comfortable. We aren't doing the surgery until mid-May because we have yet to get the approval from worker's comp & we are going on a cruise in early May. So he's been taking his pain pills and Celebrex.
Thanks for the advice! I do have a recliner as I had an ACDF in October and spent a lot of time on it. I have lots of pillows as well as a wedge pillow, so hopefully I can keep him comfortable. We aren't doing the surgery until mid-May because we have yet to get the approval from worker's comp & we are going on a cruise in early May. So he's been taking his pain pills and Celebrex.
Hope you both are doing well and healing quickly!
How are you doing after your ACDF surgery? I'll be 4 weeks post op on Wednesday. Still don't feel great, however a lot better than 2 weeks ago. Still have quite a bit of pain across my shoulders and my neck gets tired easily. I wear a hard collar 7x24 with the exception of my daily shower which I cherish. I'm really hoping that I'll see a great improvement in the next couple of weeks. Still take the odd sleeping pill to get me to sleep.
I slept propped up on 4 pillows, however if I had a recliner I would have slept there .Laying flat was impossible and my husband slept in the guest room as I was so afraid he might turn over and bump my shoulder. What saved m was a cold machine. Let me know if you would like more info abot it. It was a very painful surgery and I will be having it done again as mine was not successful. I wish ur husband all the best. Any ? just ask. Linda
Dave - sorry to hear you had to have an acdf. how many levels did you have done? i had 4-5 and 5-6 done. i did have the shoulder pain for a few weeks afterwards, it seemed the muscle spasms were the worst. i wore my hard collar for about 8 weeks. i didn't feel comfortable taking it off at 6 weeks so asked if i could keep it on a little longer.
i have been having some tingling pain in my shoulder again lately. however, i have been told that it takes awhile for all the nerves to get going in the right direction after the surgery. overall, i was very glad i had it done as i had the pain from it for about two years prior.
have you been on the spinal cord board? that's where all the cervical questions are and there are a lot of very knowledgable people on that board. take care and good luck! jill
Dave - sorry to hear you had to have an acdf. how many levels did you have done? i had 4-5 and 5-6 done. i did have the shoulder pain for a few weeks afterwards, it seemed the muscle spasms were the worst. i wore my hard collar for about 8 weeks. i didn't feel comfortable taking it off at 6 weeks so asked if i could keep it on a little longer.
i have been having some tingling pain in my shoulder again lately. however, i have been told that it takes awhile for all the nerves to get going in the right direction after the surgery. overall, i was very glad i had it done as i had the pain from it for about two years prior.
have you been on the spinal cord board? that's where all the cervical questions are and there are a lot of very knowledgable people on that board. take care and good luck! jill
Hi Jill,
I had the same surgery, C4-5 and 5-6. I'm 4 weeks post op tomorrow! I definitely feel better, however I thought I would be feeling better by now, however I may have been a bit optimistic. Still have numbness in left arm and lower right leg at times. My NS did warn me about this. Still difficulty swallowing which can cause me to choke when eating. I'm REALLY hoping things really progress between 4 and 6 weeks I don't go back to my NS until June 21st for xrays. I have to wear my collar until then. Hopefully once I take this off I still have some strength left to hold my neck up!!
PS Did your medical insurance cover your entire procedure? Just curious about US medical system
I had the same surgery, C4-5 and 5-6. I'm 4 weeks post op tomorrow! I definitely feel better, however I thought I would be feeling better by now, however I may have been a bit optimistic. Still have numbness in left arm and lower right leg at times. My NS did warn me about this. Still difficulty swallowing which can cause me to choke when eating. I'm REALLY hoping things really progress between 4 and 6 weeks I don't go back to my NS until June 21st for xrays. I have to wear my collar until then. Hopefully once I take this off I still have some strength left to hold my neck up!!
PS Did your medical insurance cover your entire procedure? Just curious about US medical system
Dave
Calgary, Alberta
Dave - Yes, my insurance did cover the whole thing. I'm very lucky that my husband works for the State, and we have very good insurance. I had difficulty swallowing liquids on and off for a few months afterwards. I still occasionally have the feeling that the liquid is caught in my throat. I have to remember not to overdo activities, as I still will have some of the old symptoms if I'm not careful. My doc told me when I took the hard brace off that I could wear a soft one occasionally if I felt I needed it. I only did that a few times, as I felt pretty good without the brace. Just take things easy and walk as much as you can and hopefully everything will be fine!
The Following User Says Thank You to dunerkat58 For This Useful Post: kelownabc (04-12-2011)
Re: Sleeping after surgery 
I don't go back to my NS until June 21st for xrays. I have to wear my collar until then. Hopefully once I take this off I still have some strength left to hold my neck up!!
