Katie,

I had cervical stenosis last year in Sept. I needed surgery due to the severity of the spinal cord compression and I was having trouble walking (I am a 50 yr old athlete) and I had constant muscle contractions in both my forearms causing my hands to want to be in a fist all the time...at one point my bowels stopped working for 8 months...yeah it has been a journey.

I am one year out of my surgery C2-T1 with fusion and lamni posteriorly - the doctor did it all from the back, not the ACDF thing (I had one of those in 1993). It is the best choice I made even though I was very frightened about surgery and about what was happening to my body.

I have to be honest and say that much of what has transpired since surgery last Sept 2013 is a miracle. My legs are back and I can't really describe it to anyone but the relief I got from the surgery was miraculous. I had surgery in Sept and did not get total relief of the leg and hip issues until March 15, but I knew from the way I walked right after surgery things had really changed.

I am currently having problems with my neck which ironically I did not have prior to surgery. Prior to surgery I had pain in my shoulder, arms and problems with my hands and legs but no neck pain. I am going through some tests to see if I have stability in the neck area and what is causing these new symptoms.

Regardless of what is happening right now, I wish I would have done the cervical surgery much earlier and not waited and waited hoping things would get better.

I will pray for you and you will be much better after surgery. Kelli