I had the neck fusion on 8-7-08 and all has went well. Still can't drive and a little sore. Thanks for all your prayers that was submitted. Thanks Stanley
Wow....a four level fusion. That is the most levels at the same time I have heard of in the neck.
I had a one level fusion at C4-5. Cadaver bone was used. I remember that my recovery time was shorter and easier than when I had a two level laminectomy.
Seems you understand the importance of following doctors orders.
Wishing you the very best. Andrea
Andrea and Rommel the large gentle Rottie
Inga, my 1989 Winnebago Class A 27 ft (454 P30) with 100,000+ miles and going strong!
Please keep us updated. My Dr. says I will need one in the next few years as my spinal canal continues to narrow and the disks continue to collapse.
I will be anxious to see how you do over time.
Good luck and my throughts and prayers are with you.
DW had a tripple lumbar fusion that did not do well at all and received damage to some major nerves. She is now disabled and is in constant pain. I pray no one else ever has to endure what she does.
2008 42' Tiffin Allegro Bus, Xantrex RS3000 Pure Sine inverter, Garmin 2730 GPS, Cobra CB, Toad-2001 Acura MDX, Blue Ox base, Blue Ox Alexus LX towbar, SMI Silent Partner.
my neck surgery was a cake walk compared to my level 2 back fusion. since my back surgery i have become diabetic, neuropathy in my legs and feet, can't stand up but about 15 minutes. I had the surgery to get better but now i am in a power chair most of the time. I was on long term disability, but they cut my benefits off in march, saying i could do sedetary work but dr. says no work at all. I am waiting on a court date for social security disability. They have me on oxicotine 4 times a day, it gets boring sitting at home. Think twice before having back surgery. Hope your wife gets better.
I had my c6,7 done in 2001 and I still have problems. I work for my self because I most likley be fired some days good some bad. I have had both shoulders worked over and low back problems L 4,5 and s1 RF once a year to control pain and rt knee surgery and left ones acting up. That neck thing 2 weeks of misery after that started getting better. The worst thing was the stiff neck collar 8 weeks. I found myself ripping that off in the middle of the night a few times.
stan-2 wrote: my neck surgery was a cake walk compared to my level 2 back fusion. since my back surgery i have become diabetic, neuropathy in my legs and feet, can't stand up but about 15 minutes. I had the surgery to get better but now i am in a power chair most of the time. I was on long term disability, but they cut my benefits off in march, saying i could do sedetary work but dr. says no work at all. I am waiting on a court date for social security disability. They have me on oxicotine 4 times a day, it gets boring sitting at home. Think twice before having back surgery. Hope your wife gets better.
Dear Stan,
I underwent an 11 level spinal fusion, (T7 - L5/S1), in 2002, and had to have it redone in 2004. It has been a h**l of a ride for sure sir, and I can understand a little of what you are going through. My days revolve around frequent stretching, and trying not to become stagnant. As a result, I'm actually able to function fairly well, but I certainly have to adjust my pace and ask for help, (when I can swallow my pride). Standing for any length of time is the most difficult thing for me still.
I'm 63yrs. of age and am still able to travel whenever and wherever I want to.
Please feel free to PM me if you'd like, or e-mail me at: Hutch73r@yahoo.com. if you'd like to share experiences. I've found it to be quite helpful at times.
Stay with it buddy,
Enjoy the journey....
"HUTCH" '07 SILVERADO 3500HD 'CLASSIC' DRW - CC - 4 X 4
'07 NEW HORIZONS 35' 5th.Wheel 'MotoMover'
'06 HONDA 106hp.VTX1800 w/'HANNIGAN' Sidecar
"PRIMO" The Boxer
We hear ya, too, Stan! Dh had C3-C7 fused in Jan. '08. Like you, that was the easiest surgery compared to his L1-5 fusion w/lami and foraminotomy. The lumbar was the worst-even compared to his knee replacement.
He did successfully beat the system and after 3 denials and a lawyer, was able to get SSDI. His long-term disability company realized that he wasn't going to improve after he had so many other problems so they hired a lawyer for him to win his SSDI with an 'on the record' decision. The SSA even sent him to one of their physicians who stated he couldn't work and he was still denied! The process was a long one and nearly wrecked us financially, but we're slowly digging ourselves out.
I truly hope that you find the same results in your challenge. Best wishes! Be well!
Just getting started in the bad neck department here.
Dropped by Blue Cross left us reeling to try to keep up with MRIs ect. Most recent (summary) shows loss of height of four disks A doctors term of disk size shrinking because of loss of moisture,also a 6 mm bulge pushing into my brain stem . The symptoms are 24/7 and heavy meds and biofeed-back help a little . I am fighting S.S. Disablity ,they denied me (State too) an have appealed .
Cant even get to the "chopping block " because the amount owed on my property in higher than market value(join the club!!)
Surjury is in the future but when??? Also L5 S1 -2 protrusions stenosis ect,fibomialgia diagnosis(for what its worth ) I felt it years before the "pro's" finally took me seriously and agreed
Kaybee looks like Im going the distance like your DH. On appeal number one right now, after 8 months into the application / process. My case may be hard to prove and the medical costs(cash patient) have exhausted most our every rescource. Just the root nerve block injections were 2k eack ,three in two week intervals .Money down the drain. Good old America ,now we wont retire like planned,while we dig from the bottom of the pit up ward!!!!
Glad it sounds like thinks looking up for you Kaybee!!!
Stan -I feel you bro ,sitting esp and standing 10 -15 min max.for me . Walk with a can e ect ,hold handrails -feel 75 years old !(at 45)
Im there ,and I have an energetic pre-teen to father . Hurts so bad to not do the things I was doing 10 years ago ,snowboarding ,mountian
biking,bodybuilding ,martial arts
I feel shes getting robbed of these things because I am no longer the lead dog!
My wife is busy working ,feeding us and I am stay homefather ,very limited .basically its really tough on all of us at home . Best wishes to all you guys and gals out there suffering "HOPE" .... and God Bless, Nor-Cal Dave
HMMM, this is close to what I am going to have to have done. After a serious Helicopter crash in 2004 in Iraq, I have serious disc damage at t5 thru t7. This is begining to cause problems, as now the vertabre is resting on the nerve root that exits out through T7. My hands hurt and shake baddddd.
Well I guess if you can do it, this Marine should beable to handle it. But darn, it is going to likely be a Navy Dr. You were probably lucky enough to have a civilian specialists. I will likely get a Corpsman to do mine..
Gotta smile at it, and take it with a grain of salt and a smile. Neck and back pain is nothing easy to deal with, and I am glad that you as well as the others are doing so well. You will be back on the road soon!!
Your Deere-Oshkosh Specialist
It's A Marine not reporters
Who has given you freedom of the press
It's Marines not profesors
Who gave you freedom of speech
It's Marines who salutes the flag
serves beneath the flag
& whose coffins draped by the flag.
Good luck to you all! I blew out two discs in my lower back a few years ago and with intensive PT I was able to avoid surgery. Not so my sister. She underwent C5/C6/C7 fusion Monday. They knew it was bad from the MRI but when the surgeon got in there he wasn't prepared for the debris field--bits of disc & bone resting on the nerve roots and stuck to the spinal cord. Yikes! The weird thing is, she's a music teacher, not a paratrooper. She has no idea how this happened, but one day she just couldn't move. Anyway, the surgery has completely alleviated her pain and numbness. Only 8 more weeks to go in the neck brace~yay.
"Those who dwell...among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."--Rachel Carson, environmentalist, 1956
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