Hi from a new member (who's glad to have found this virtual community).

I hope you're continuing to heal and feeling better with every passing day.

I'm scheduled for an ACDF (C6-C7) on 4/22 and, given my MS-related challenges, I'm a little anxious about the post-op recovery period. No -- make that *really* anxious.

I first saw a neurosurgeon who suggested doing C5-C6 as well as C6-C7 and said I'd need a hard collar for at least a couple of weeks. A doc friend suggested a second opinion from an orthopaedic surgeon. He thought I'd only need to do C6-C7 since the bone spur there was really pressing on the spinal cord and C5-C6 was arthritic enough that "adjacent disc disorder" might not be a problem down the road. Doing just the one, he thought I might be able to get away with a soft collar. He also said that this approach would make things a bit easier given my mobility-related challenges.

I wear an AFO on my weak right leg just about all the time. (I wasn't wearing it very much but then discovered that I've been stressing the knee by hyperextending it. So my PT strongly suggested I wear it whenever I'm on my feet.) I can put it on by myself now but my wife's going to have to help so I need to find some easier-to-don shoes.

I understand it's important to walk around a lot while in recovery. Do you have difficulties walking and, if so, how did you cope?

Did you sleep in a chair or in bed?

Sorry to ramble on with so many questions but any/all tips you'd like to pass along would be *most* appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Jim