[besharpone]

I had a 2 level ACDF With Instrumentation done on May 9th of this year.
Prior to the surgery, I had severe pain in my neck, shoulders, traps and upper back. I also had severe burning in my neck and back, along tingling and cramps in my traps and fingers on my right hand.

I had almost zero range when attempting to touch ear to shoulder on either side and had very little range when rotating my head to the right, but a bit more when rotating my head to the left and up and down.

I have had a degenerative disk condition throughout my spine for about 15 years...at least that is when it was first noticed. Ocassionaly, I would have problems, but after a week off from work and medication, I would usually be functional without pain again.

In October or November of this year, the symptoms became quite severe and the remedies used in the past would not help. I was missing a lot of work because my condition was being even more aggravated by the work that I do. After physical therapy and many tests and forms of treatment, they realized that the problem was due to 2 cervical disks in particular. They were severly degenerated.

Well, after having surgery in May, I figured everything would be ok and I could resume a normal life again.

I wore a soft collar for 2 months and based on the advice from the doctor, I only took it off when I showered and never tested my neck while having it off.

At my first follow up, the doctor seemed surprised that my condition had not improved even a bit from what is was prior to the surgery and stated that I should be ready to go back to work with restrictions.

He never actually examined my neck to determine how restrictive it was until I told him that there was no way that I could go back to work with my neck the way that it was. He had me go to physical therapy for a month, assuming that I just had some stiffness from wearing the collar.

After a month of physical therapy, nothing changed. The therapist was surprised that the therapy did not work, based on the assumption that my problem was related to the surgery and the collar.

When I went in for my next follow up, I explained to the doctor that absolutely nothing has changed and he looks at the x-rays and says that everything is healing fine and totally ignores my concerns and complaints for the most part and only says that maybe it will take a bit more time.

I get the impression that he thinks because he performed the surgery and everything looks ok, then there can't be a problem. He never examed my neck to determine what might be the issue and basically ignored the final eval provided by the therapist which show his concerns.

He sends me back to work with only a limited lifting restriction in spite of my complaints that the repetative motion of my neck will present the same problems that brought me to surgery in the first place.

Now that I have gone back to work, my symptoms have gotten much worse precisely because of all of the repetitive bending and twifting of my neck.

I was frustrated to the point that I sought a second opinion, but the second doctor was reluctant to say anything contrary to the opinion of the first doctor. He only did the standard strength test and basically ignored my complaints about the pain, tingling and lack of range of motion.

He said that since I had very serious surgery, I couldn't expect everything to be ok in only 3 months...that it could take up to a year, but if it was not better in 6 months after the surgery, then it probably wouldn't get any better.

He too, completely ignored my question as to why I feel no relief whatsoever and whether or not there could be other issues that are beyond the scope of the surgery.

Needless to say, I left there even more frustrated.

Now, I am left with going to see my family doctor to ask for advice on what direction to go in to get someone to find out what is causing my continued problem.

He is usually pretty helpful in that he listens, shows concern and asks for your opinion on anything that he might suggest, unlike the surgeon, where there is very little interaction between us.

[lolo]

i had a three level acdf in september 06 with titanium plate and cage. i am in worse pain and limitations than before surgery. my neuro had xray, ct scan and mri and see that one of the fusion failed and the disc below the fusion is bulging but not bad enough for the pain that i am feeling. he can't figure out why i am hurting so bad. like you i am so frustrated.i cry because it seems like i am in so much pain and no one to help or believe me. i work but have a lot of restrictions but i don't know what to do. i thought of second opinion. i have all of the symptons problems that you are having. i hope you can find relief. keep in touch and let me know what happens.

[besharpone]

Originally Posted by lolo

i had a three level acdf in september 06 with titanium plate and cage. i am in worse pain and limitations than before surgery. my neuro had xray, ct scan and mri and see that one of the fusion failed and the disc below the fusion is bulging but not bad enough for the pain that i am feeling. he can't figure out why i am hurting so bad. like you i am so frustrated.i cry because it seems like i am in so much pain and no one to help or believe me. i work but have a lot of restrictions but i don't know what to do. i thought of second opinion. i have all of the symptons problems that you are having. i hope you can find relief. keep in touch and let me know what happens.

Thanks for your support and concern, lolo. I will stay in touch.

I am at the point now that I am asking why did I even bother to have the surgery, especially after missing 4 months from work and having to use money saved up to support myself during that time since I wasn't being paid by my job.

My doctor acts as though I am that pink elephant in the middle of the room...hoping that if he ignores me, I will go away...lol...or so it seems to me.

Again, there is little interaction between us. His nurse comes in, I tell her my complaints, she doesn't respond, gives her cursory, standard strength test. He then comes in, I complain to him, he doesn't respond, looks at the x-rays and says that everything is healing fine.

It seems that his only focus is the surgery and the results of the surgery and refuses to pay attention to anything that would fall outside of that, even when I ask if there could be other things going on that are unrelated to the surgery. I get no answer at all.

I would think that with my complaints, he would have another MRI done to see if there are other issues as well as check below my cervical spine to see if there are problems with the thorasic area, but no. I suppose that makes too much sense.

Each time, I leave his office totally confused and frustrated...wondering why I had even come in since nothing really happened other than his looking at x-rays and then sending me on my way.

[AK Kid]

Hello - I am sorry to hear that you are not getting the answers you are looking for from your doctor.

Possibly time for a different strategy. Instead of approaching the situation as you have been - I have a couple of questions....

1. Is this a hospital or private practice?

2. Do you have copies of the notes made by the Physical Therapist?

3. Do you keep notes?

The reason I asked the above questions is because.....

a. You can ask for second opinion in a Hospital, if you are seeing a Surgeon in a Private practice - can you go to a different office?

b. Notes made during Physical Therapy (about how you move, what is helping, what isn't) can show which path you should be going down - to healing.

c. Notes are extremely helpful, a pain journal can help your doctors "understand" exactly how you are feeling like this sample entry: Walked 100 meters today, while walking my left leg spasmed where I had to stop half way through. The spasm felt like a knife being jammed into my thigh. Pain levels today 8. Took X number of meds. To relieve my painful joints I spent one hour in the sauna. ETC.....


I keep a daily journal - rather I started writing in one again. I am finding it extremely helpful when getting into my doctor's office. He usually starts with a general question, like "how are you doing today...." I take out my journal and tell him exactly how I am feeling, what I was doing when the pain was the worst, the best and it gives us time to focus on strategies that help. He takes time to breeze through the journal and we have dialog about what I am going through and how he can help

Remember Doctors see many, many patients - in the hospital I visit - my journal helps any doctor understand what I am going through without sounding like I am complaining or getting frustrated. I have had that approach in the past, it just seemed to turn them off.

I am on my own path of healing right now, I am keeping a journal - I had a STEM trial done - but the machine had a loose lead where the doctor inserted it into my abdomen (to get to my ribs) and I decided to wait for a couple of months until I get the permanent pain stimulator inserted. The time was not right, plus - the trial was miserable. Now I have an infection at the insertion site (where they inserted the wires into my back into my spinal cord) and I am literally miserable. But this journal I am writing in has helped when talking to both my Neurosurgeon as well as the E.R doc that saw me this evening.

I wish you all the best....I hope that you find some relief and that your healing continues.

Kim