Quote:
Originally Posted by frenchfri1003
Try not to get too depressed. At least you have mainly nice weather. I had my surgery 12/9. Winter was horrible. Try to get out and walk as much as you can. Focus on your posture. Did you see your surgeon at all as of yet. I saw mine at 2 or 3 weeks post op. By this time I had weaned myself off of the major pain meds and was only taking muscle relaxer and hydrocodonce as needed. If you can try to wean yourself off of the oxycontin since I think that is the strongest of the meds. But only if you are not miserable. Actually you should talk to the surgeon if you feel you still need that much pain meds. It took me a while to feel better. I think it was the 6 week mark that I finally started to feel like myself. Until then I was still sleeping on the couch and only getting a few hours of sleep at a time. I couldn;t eat much either since I was having swallowing issues.
Do you only have a hard collar or also a soft collar. I had a hard one for a few days and then switched to a soft collar. Much more comfortable. I was told at 3 weeks to wean myself off of that also. Which I tried to do. When I was home on the couch I sat with my head back and no collar. It felt nice. I was told that being without the collar strengthened the muscles. I think it is true. Do you have a plate and screws, if so that will keep your neck stable and safe. I felt much better when I did not wear the collar. I still wear it when I sleep and I am at 14 weeks. When my neck is very sore I put it back on. I had to work in front of a computer for 4 hours today and was hurting badly. I wore the collar, took meds, iced my neck and relaxed.
I know it is tough, but try and stay positive. Get out and walk as much as you can. Do something or yourself : get your nails done, buy some flowers...something to put a smile on your face. You are not alone.
Hope this email helps.  |
Thank you... the email did help. I'm trying to stay cheery, it's pouring rain outside, so I'm sure that's not helping my mood. I don't see my neurosurgeon until 8 weeks post op, and I was told I have to wear the hard collar at all times until I see him. Once in a while I take it off and sit still and ice it, but then my head feels so heavy and I put it back on. I do have a titanium plate and screws. No soft collar at all though.
I was on the oxy's for so long before surgery, that I have to wean myself off of them slowly to avoid the withdrawal, I have been going down 5 - 10 mg a week, but my husband has told me to not do more than that since he is keeping track of how much pain I'm in everytime I drop a dose. I think the pain meds are part of the problem, it's hard to tell real pain from narcotic withdrawal. I'm determined to get off them in the next couple months but it sure is harder then I thought it would be.
I do try to walk everyday, except when our weather is like this of course.
I can't believe you're back at work so quickly, kudos to you, you're one tough cookie... this isn't easy. I didn't expect it to hurt this much for this long.
I am sleeping lying down now, on a cervical pillow, best if I sleep flat on my back, but then I get sore and spend a bit on my one side. I tried sleeping sitting up for the first week and couldn't sleep more than an hour at a time and was miserable. The cervical pillow has helped.
I'll keep trying to wean myself down, I think it's because I was on them before surgery that it is so difficult to come off of them now.
Thanks for the encouraging words...