ArcAngel

Hi all,

I was travelling on business three weeks ago andd was staying at the Hampton Inn's. The first night had terrible night mares and awoke the next morning w/ a stiff neck. I thought I had slept wrong and was going to wait for it to improve. The second night, I had nightmares again and awoke with a pain in my forearm, painfull neck, right shoulder and tingling index and middle finger on the right hand. The pain was so bad if I looked up and turned my head to the left that I would sweat and almost passed out. At that time, I had a friend at work take me to a Chiropracter (big joke) who xrayed my neck did an adjustment and said good luck .. needless to say after that charleton I went to emergency room when I flew home (on southwest .. very bad). The immediately put me into observation awaiting MRI and gave me morphine, God bless them. The Doctor came in that friday night and said I had a buled or herniated disck at C6-C7 and that it was impinging my spinal cord. If I did not have surgery, I could become paralyzed if I took an impact there. He could do surgery Sunday morning. In fairness, a PT Dr. came in and said I could do therapy, I asked how that would remove the bulge disk and he said it wouldn't. In my case he'd recommend surgery. So surgery it was. I went out quickly and reawoke, not in much pain. I had an ACDF C6-7 with a donor bone and a plate w/ Titanium screws and no collar. I asked him about work (my Doctor) and he said " go back when ya feel better". Being a type A personality in a Directors position ( a new job too boot) I suffered at home for the first week. Ate 120 pain pills in 9 days, felt brand new and went to work. Well truth be told, I ran out of the pills, had real bad back spasms that night, with electricity running down my back and right arm that I couldn't sleep and stayed up all night crying from pain. The next day, called my Doctor who was in surgery for 8 hours and waited. Ice packs, aspirin, etc. didn't work. Finally, he prescribed a sleep aid and a muscle relaxant. Helped a little but not withthe pain. He did not give me another pain reliever which is probably a good move LOL. So anywho.. here I sit .. back pain and fingers tingling and now my right foot at the front pad of the 2nd, 3rd toe and it hurts like heck....

My question:
1. I have an office job and am gonna try and go back next Monday (3 weeks post op) is that too soon? Office job.. and I travel a week from Monday to do a workshop.

2. What's with the foot pain?

3. Any other methods for pain relief?

any advice from ya all .. I would appreciate it. Thanks