Please help anyone - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

drhmom · 05-07-2008, 03:09 PM

I am new here and trying to get as much info as possible. I will start by telling you what my MRI results in Jan of 07 were, and tell you that I am in worse shape now than I was then with pain all the time.
Herniated disc at c5-6 , right side. With impinged nerve root. Paraspinal muscle spasm. Cervical Lordosis, some osteoarthritis, and early arthritis. At the time of this MRI I was having some good days and some bad. Now I am in pain almost all the time. If there is anyone who has been through this, with any info or help at all please write me. I don't know where to go from here. I want to know about surgery or whatever anyone has done that worked for them or was a bad thing to do or have done. I am sick of hurting and not being able to do anything much. Thank you .

SpineAZ · 05-07-2008, 03:15 PM

I had significant pain down my left arm with numbness and neck muscle spasms. When this first occurred I saw a neurosurgeon and he suggested I try Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI) first. And I did a series of 3 ESI and the symptoms were alleviated for about 18 months. The next time the same symptoms arrose I tried the ESI again with no luck and then saw an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon who suggested a C5-C7 Anterior Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) which I had in May of 2006. The only reason I changed doctors from the neurosurgeon to the orthopedic spine surgeon was that my primary care highly reccomended the OSS.

The surgery immediately alleviated my symptoms. I have had a recurrance of some of the symptoms but at no where near the level of pre-ACDF.

drhmom · 05-07-2008, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpineAZ

I had significant pain down my left arm with numbness and neck muscle spasms. When this first occurred I saw a neurosurgeon and he suggested I try Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI) first. And I did a series of 3 ESI and the symptoms were alleviated for about 18 months. The next time the same symptoms arrose I tried the ESI again with no luck and then saw an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon who suggested a C5-C7 Anterior Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) which I had in May of 2006. The only reason I changed doctors from the neurosurgeon to the orthopedic spine surgeon was that my primary care highly reccomended the OSS.

The surgery immediately alleviated my symptoms. I have had a recurrance of some of the symptoms but at no where near the level of pre-ACDF.

Thank you so much for your reply. I am a nervous wreck about having anything done. My PCP told me when I got ready to go to a neurologist, he was pretty sure they would want to do surgery. I am subborn and told him when I started hurting bad enough I would be back, but until then I would wait it out. Well it has come to the point where I am not tolerating the pain very well and the otc meds such as tylenol or ibup. are not touching it now. I do not want to take any strong meds so therefore I am up for something that will fix it, or at least make it more tolerable. I started having neck pain when I was only 10 years old. The docs would NOT even check into it because they would play it off as growing pains. I am now 31 and I know with a few more years on me the pain is just going to get worse, as it does each year. I am very scared of surgery #1 because I have never had surgery of any kind before and #2- thinking I won't be able to walk again is very frightening. Thank you so much for the info. I really appreciate it.

SpineAZ · 05-07-2008, 03:31 PM

I know it's hard but you have to put the thoughts and fears out of your mind. I, unfortunately, am a surgery pro (knees, back, neck, feet, etc). So I can tell you that surgery can be easily tolerated.

It sounds like you are at the point where you know that to have a good quality of life you have to move forward and consider all options. Get an opinion from 1-2 neurosurgeons and/or orthopedic spine surgeons. If you go through the archives on this board you'll see literally hundreds that have undergone cervical surgeries. Keep in mind many people leave the board after they are recovered. I'm still here due to some symptoms returning and looking for advice from some of the other veterans...and some of us like to hang around just to provide new members hope and guidance.

As you go through the process feel free to post questions.

ember919 · 05-10-2008, 01:48 PM

drhmom,
I had a C5-7 ACDF in April of 2006. I, too, was stubborn and afraid and waited until I was a great deal of pain and not able to do much. Afterwards, I was glad I had done it and wished I had done it sooner.

One thing the neurologist will probably point out to you is that the longer you go on with that nerve root impingement, the more damage there is to the nerve root. That means a longer recovery and the possibilty of permanent damage. You don't want to risk that just because you are afraid.

In my case, I got online and started reading everything I could about the procedure, including the stories here of people who had gone through it. At first I was pretty freaked out and grossed out by the medical part of it, but after I got used to the idea I was a lot more comfortable. I went into the morning of my surgery nervous, but not afraid.

Talk to the neurologist and ask questions. If you don't like the first surgeon you meet, go to a second one or even a third. Ask questions.

And try to start envisiong yourself in the future, feeling better.

I'll admit that recovery is not a picnic, but you do get through it. Some people get total relief and some get only a degree of relief, but I think most end up better off after than they were before.

Hope this helps a bit.