Hello Tropical Fox and all, 10 week update - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

BDW2 · 06-05-2003, 07:08 AM

Hello to all,
Haven't posted in a while. Prayers have been answered and my voice is back close to 100%, throat and swallowing is pretty much back to normal. I am in my 4th week of PT and going to a pain management Doc. My neck is doing pretty good without any pain and good range of motion. I am still having some bad muscle spasms in my shoulder blade to underneath my left arm. I've been to the PM doc twice in the last week for lidocane shots in 3-4 trigger points and am wearing lidocaine patches on my shoulder blade. PM doc assured me that theres not shoulder involvement and that my muscles are still stressed from nerve inpingement, lack of use, surgery trauma, and trying to get moving again. My PT is great, but had started some strengthning excercises. PM doc said to stop them and just do stretching and deep tissue massage. He said the muscles will calm down with time. Any thoughts on how long? I hope to go back to work soon, but I am in alot of pain trying to get past this PT. My work is very physical and I need to have full function of my arm. Hope everybody is doing good, prayers to all.

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ACDF C6-7 with plating and donor bone (3/28/03)

melanie dawn · 06-05-2003, 06:43 PM

Hi , so glad to hear from you and that you are doing well. I have not had my surgery yet, and cannot answer your questions. In general our bodies heal and recoup their strength at individual rates, based on the exact procedure, the length of time of injuy pre-op, the amount of damage etc.
The best thing is to listen to your body, let it guide you, you'll get a message if you do too much. Be patient and kind to yourself, you have been thru magor surgery. ANd keep in touch and let us now how you are.
All the best Mel

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Congenital Cervical Stenosis,complicated by:
Paracentral Disc herniations ,bone spurs C4/5,C5/6,C6/7
Advanced myelopathy inc. walking difficulty, loss of gag reflex with swallowing problems, neurogenic bladder, occipital neuralgia, spacticity

TropicalFox · 06-06-2003, 08:40 AM

hi hon!!!

it's great news that you've recovered your voice so well... you were so concerned and tormented by the thought of not getting better!

i'm proud of you for sticking to the belief that you'd get better in the end instead of falling into a deep depression about it...

i still don't have my voice back completely, maybe half of what it was prior to surgery... but i have faith that God didn't give me the gift of a soprano voice that praises Him only to have me become almost mute... in His time i will sing again, i have no doubts about that!

kudos to you my dear surgery buddy!

God bless!!!

hugs

sandra

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" In the middle of every ocean of difficulty is an island of opportunity."
Author Unknown

Memer · 06-07-2003, 07:49 AM

Hi BDW,

I need your PM&R doc. Do your spasms hurt and burn at the same time?

[This message has been edited by Memer (edited 08-05-2003).]