Cardinal
Hi, I had an ACDF on C5,6&7 on Nov. 29/03 and did not get any relief at all from the pain. I was back in for several check ups with the neurosurgeon (I had a car accident (whiplash - not my fault) 6 weeks after surgery and the surgeon saw me that night in the hospital and said that my pins and plates looked good and that nothing had moved. I went to see him several times after that as I was still in so much pain. At 4 months he told me that he couldn't help me and that he was afraid that I had "Fibromyalgia". At 14 months after so many treatments and therapies and injections in between I went back to him and begged him to help me. He "then" sent me finally for a myelogram which showed him that C3&4 for were degenerating and he offered to extend the plate in my neck to include those vertabrae but said he would do the myelogram and get the results first. After getting the results he called me to say that I hadn't fused on C6&7 that my donor bone had disintegrated and he didn't know why. On the phone he offered me more surgery and said that he would take out the existing hardware and put in a metal cage this time with my own bone from my hip. I made an appt. for a consult and when I went in I questioned him why he hadn't sent me before 14 months to see if I had fused or not and he said that I didn't fit the profile for a non-fusion and I asked him what the symptoms would be for a non-fusion and he said "NECK PAIN"!!!! I have had nothing but neck pain and he knows it. My husband and my son were with my and we all just gasped at disbelief because he knows how much pain I am in.I asked him a few more questions that he didn't like and he proceeded to tell me that he couldn't help me to go to another doctor. He basically said he didn't like our line of questioning and he didn't want to be my doctor anymore!!!! I didn't realize that you weren't allowed to ask questions about your life!!!! Anyway before he kicked me out he told me that even though the donor bone had disintegrated that my neck was still very stable because the plate was still in place and it didn't matter that I hadn't fused. He offered me two different surgeries in two days and because I questioned him he told me he couldn't help me. How frustrating!!!!!!.
The pain management doc has sent me for medial branch blocks which are injections into C3,4&5 which are only diagnostic. He thinks the pain could be myofascial and these injections were put into my facet joints. The freezing comes out in about an hour but if you get some relief approx. 50-60% then he said that I would be a good candidate for burning of the nerves under radio frequency. Well I got some relief about 60% the first time and then they did it again about a week later and I got about 50% so I have an appt. to have my facet nerves burnt, youuucchh!!! This only masks the pain and it could last anywhere from 6months to a year so I am willing to try it. They only do one side at a time so it takes quite awhile for the whole procedure to get done.
What does your doctor say that he is going to do with your case? I am very interested. Sorry for venting, I am so sick of listening to myself but pain can be very upsetting and depressing when it goes on so long, I am sure you will agree with that.
Talk to you again soon.
Take care of yourself
Lyn in Michigan
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