I just had ACDF for a C5-6, one disc. So far so good. Some days the "charlie horse" feeling comes back in my elbow, and the back of my neck feels the same pain as before (I slap on a Salonspa patch to dimish the pain) but otherwise, I can tell the good it has done for me, even now, at week three. I am thankful for the Doc's skill and my body getting this under control. Now the bad news, Last year I had a lumbar disctectomy, that did absolutely nothing except relieve the right leg droop. Did nothing for the left leg or the excruciating pain for the lower back. Cannot walk more than 10 mins, without pinching beginning and back swelling and a terrible raw sensation. I have a great Doc, he just does what I imagine others do...says, he does not know why. Simple tasks, like cooking dinner and cleaning, shopping, create havoc on my lower back. I still, as you can tell, cannot accept that this is happening to me.

I am so sorry for all your suffering Evreux. Welcome to NeuroTalk!

I started reading this forum before Aug 2006.
As I understand from reading others online here, explaining the problem, and others that have it, is a support system. This forum has helped me alot when I get depressed. As I stated I am on week three recovery from ACDF on C-6. Today I did some leg excercises and 5 min later, bam! The lower back started hurting and the spot where I was operated on L5-S1(Aug 06)right side shot a pain thru me that put me down. I am so frustrated that a simple excercise puts me in this condition. If I knew then that I would be in the same condition now (except for the right left relief) I seriously would not have gone ahead with the disctectomy. I have always been active and am a small framed individual, so being inactive has put some weight on, nothing I can't handle. So I am doing everything on my part to get this under control, losing the extra weight, drinking more water, moving around alot (with no weights or strrained activity, just walking around the house really). But the normal things I did before, that we all used to take for granted stress my lower back so bad, I have to stop sit down on a recliner and just plain stop, the pain is debilatating . Absolutely ridiculous, but if it has not happened to "you" then it is hard to understand. Sitting in a chair for any amount of time swells up my back. Well, again, thank you all for this forum, you all are helping me deal.