How Long Do Symptoms Persist After Surgery ? - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

cadillacstan · 11-08-2003, 09:49 AM

Hello......
I had acdf surgery of C-5 C-6, 5 days ago and must admit I'm feeling pretty fine, throat pain is remitting and neck appears to be healing. My symptoms that brought me to surgery were numbness in fingers and through out my body, feelings of cold/wetness in feet and legs, and weakness and fatigue which caused some difficulties in walking. I never experienced excruciating pain as many people on this board seemed to.
At this point I still have numbness and feeling of coldness, though I think I am walking better. It's difficult to totally assess where my presurgical symptoms are, as I am taking Percocet for pain on a regular basis. I am wondering if there is anyone out there who had similar symptoms and what the recovery process was like following the surgery. Did symptoms gradually reduce or did it happen all of a sudden ?

Thanks and Good Health to All

Beeyes · 11-08-2003, 01:26 PM

Hi
I am 5 weeks post op and the numbness in my hands is about 95% gone..sometimes 100%. I also had stinging in my right hand..that also is slowly going away. There were days where it got better, and by the end of the day felt worse. It can take a few months to a year for the numbness to go away, so be patient. I started to feel improvement after about 2 weeks. Depending how long you had the symptoms, sometimes it can be permanent. I had surgury about 5 weeks after initial numbness. Nerves heal pretty slowly. I once was told an inch per month...dont know how true that is!

BS

Quote:

Originally Posted by cadillacstan

Hello......
I had acdf surgery of C-5 C-6, 5 days ago and must admit I'm feeling pretty fine, throat pain is remitting and neck appears to be healing. My symptoms that brought me to surgery were numbness in fingers and through out my body, feelings of cold/wetness in feet and legs, and weakness and fatigue which caused some difficulties in walking. I never experienced excruciating pain as many people on this board seemed to.
At this point I still have numbness and feeling of coldness, though I think I am walking better. It's difficult to totally assess where my presurgical symptoms are, as I am taking Percocet for pain on a regular basis. I am wondering if there is anyone out there who had similar symptoms and what the recovery process was like following the surgery. Did symptoms gradually reduce or did it happen all of a sudden ?

Thanks and Good Health to All

stircrazy · 11-09-2003, 09:42 PM

Dear Cadillacstan,
I am 3 weeks post op and am feeling quite well. The numbness in my left arm and shoulder is about 95% back to normal and comes and goes. A week before surgery my shoulder and neck would hurt so bad, especially to cough, laugh, or sneeze, those symptoms were gone immediately after surgery. Also before surgery, to look up made me feel like there was a string attached from my head to my elbow pulling on my arm, that feeling also subsided immediatley after surgery. My biggest complaint has not been pain, but just the fact that I couldn't get comfortable for the first two weeks. I had to be so careful about keeping my head straight. But now since I can move side to side, everything is easier. 3 weeks later I am turning my head side to side but not up and down until MRI comes back to see if fusion has taken place. I'm just so thankful this has turned out as well as it has, I really have no complaints-I have my arms and legs and am all fixed up, it could've been a lot worse.

JonInTampa · 11-10-2003, 09:48 AM

I'm 13 months post surgery and still getting gradually better.

Just wanted to give you another "data point".

I've been told by specialists that significant nerve recovery can occur a year and a half after the nerve compression is removed.

cadillacstan · 11-10-2003, 09:57 AM

Thankyou both for your responses....As I sit here a week past surgery I am feeling very optimistic about my recovery. It appears that return of function will be gradual and it is easier to be patient following the surgery than before. My symptoms began 5 months prior to the surgery with delays attributable to waiting for tests and diagnosis, and then waiting longer for appointments with Neurosurgeons and getting a Second Opinion, which I am grateful for as the second opinion recommended a less radical treatment (one disc removed instead of two).
I will be venturing out of the home for the first time today and look forward to having a new lease on life.......

Be Well, Stan