Did TOO much - OUCH
 

I think I did too much. I have been feeling pretty good since my 2 level ACDF on 12/9/2010. I even thought about going back to work next week as long as I can drive without muscle spasms. We were running out of wood for the fireplace and our area was expecting another foot of snow. My son was getting wood from the pile in the back yard (there is still a good 8 - 10 inches of snow). He was using a tobaggon to drag it from the wood pile to the house then carrying it down into the basement. I wanted to help him, so I did. I tried to limit myself to the 5 pound limit but I failed miserably. I even shoveled a little bit. Now my neck is sore in the back probably by C7 and my lower back is sore. Probably lifted too much weight. I already took a hydrocodone which I haven't done for a long time. I guess boredom and the desire to help got the best of me. Hopefully I will only be sore for a day. I will not shovel any more.We are still suppose to get another 8-12 inches over night. YUCK !!

I will learn from your mistake
 

I will try to remember when I'm bored and feeling great 6 weeks post-op what you are feeling right now. I understand your boredom and wanting to do things... guess that's why WSIB doesn't want me back to work until 6 months post-op. I hope you feel better quickly! Try not to over do it too much for a while longer... feel better soon. ;)

I'll be more careful
 

[My son went out at 9:30 and shoveled about 2 inches of small hail. Now he is shoveling about 3 inches of snow and it is only 11PM. Coming down very quickly. Luckily it is a fast moving storm and should be finished between 3-5AM, although we could get an additional 8 inches of snow.

Good grief~~~ You're lucky you didn't undo everything you had done!!! :eek: It's going to be a LONG time before you're able to do any of that stuff - IF your even able to do it at ALL. I know you're going to be given restrictions on lifting, and I doubt you're going to be allowed to do any shoveling at ALL. ;) That's just not good for us spinies. ;)

I guess you'll just have to sit there with your whip and coffee - and delegate! LOL I live alone, so I have to hire all that done. :mad: Nuts.

Take it EASY --ok?? I sure don't want to hear that you're back in the hospital!! :eek: God bless. Hugs, Lee

A little sore
 

At this point I am only a little sore. I do not think I was too bad. I really don't want to go through surgery again, so I will be more careful and try an behave myself. I just have such a feeling of helplessness. I used to shovel and do so much that I am having a hard time not being productive. I also feel that I have to do more so that I can gain strength and get back to work. I put in for a substitute for my class for yet another week. Time will tell if I go back to work next Thursday. I want to start then so I only have a 2 day work week. Thanks for your words of advice.

frenchfri1003,

Consider yourself cybersmacked silly! Leesa's right; you could really mess yourself up worse than before by pushing too much too soon.

I get (commiserate) the feelings of not being productive. Right now, being productive is disciplining yourself to recouperate the right way: rest, PT, HEALING!

I'm sure you can find/think of ways of being productive other than physically (at this point). Take the opportunity to do some of those things you can never find time for (providing they're not physically unwise, of course). Write, design, art, sew/craft/quilt, computer work, read, watch all those movies you've been meaning to catch up on. When you're bored with all that, meet the challenge of finding more ways of being productive without physical exertion, then write it all up for other A-types in your situation.

Now do what ya gotta do, but stay away from that SHOVEL!!! ;)

Doc

I have been better
 

Consider myself reprimanded cyberlly. THe shovel will only be handed to my son who needs alot of pushing (LOL). We have had so much snow and I feel so guilty about not being able to help out at all. I think we have had 7 major storms so far this winter and we are still in January. We are due for another inch today (nothing) then about 3 more inches over the weekend and then there is a prediction for more on Tuesday. This winter is crazy. I am trying to recuperate the right way by completing my stretching exercises, using the 5 pound weights and wearing the cervical stim 4 hours a day. I was not given a script for PT. MY OSS doesn't believe in that until at least the 3 month mark. I just figured I could go back to work at the 4 to 6 week mark. I am not sure due to limited ROM when I can go back to work. I am not at 7 weeks. Thankfully I have enough sick time in order to still receive my paycheck with that I would have gone back regardless of condition. The hold up for me is I can't drive for 20 -30 minutes without getting a muscle spasm or tightness in my neck and should areas. Added to that teaching all day and the drive home, I would be beyond sore. So at least I am behaving myself and not going back to work too soon. I have read posts of people going back between 2 and 5 weeks. I have been trying to catch upon items and doing productive things when I am bored, but can't seem to get enough concentration to complete them.

Thank you for the support and scolding. I will be BETTER :)

That's fine for guidelines, but don't compare yourself to others or try to compete (get back sooner). Your body is going to heal at its own speed, and that is out of your control.

Rather than feeling guilty about not helping out, I think you should milk it for all it's worth. Sit back, put your feet up, sip on a hot chocolate, smile big, and gloat while everyone else waits on you hand & foot between the shovelling. While you're at it, pile on a little "mother's guilt".... Are you ever going to have another opportunity like this? :p

Oh.... and stop watching the weather channel....

Doc

Staying Positive
 

I hope I never have an opportunity like this again. I have heard that 5 to 10 years down the road above and below the fusion sometimes have issues. Can't help listening to the weather when it is on and the forecast is bad. I am doing my best to stay positive.

Hi French Fri...sounds like it's difficult to tame the wild beast. I live in upstate NY and understand the need to shovel, etc as part of the daily part of living here in the great Adirondacks during winter. Yep...sure has its consequences. My 2 level C5-7 ACDF is 2/7 and I am worried that I too am going to overdo it. Mother nature can sure call the shots. Hope that your pain is well controlled... NO more shovelling! I can totally relate to the boredom and desire to help...you're in the home stretch. Make the best of it. I soon will be there too. :)

Doing well
 

I guess being in upstate NY you have gotten as much if not more snow than we have on Long Island. We are due for some snow, sleet, ice and rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. I am not sure if you will have all snow or it will be south of you. Oh Joy! How long before you felt better after your surgery or is your surgery upcoming? If it is in a week let me know and I can let you know what I learned. I am going on 7 weeks now. I don't have daily pain, burning or discomfort, but there are times if I over do it, sleep funny I am in pain and take a flexeril or hydrocodone. Have a safe day.

Good luck with surgery adkpegleg
 

Good luck with the surgery tomorrow. I had the same surgery, so if you have any questions I can share my personal experience although each person is different. Just remember to stay on top of the pain and do not try to do with the pain med too soon. I'll be thinking about you.

Keep us post.

muscles relaxers not prescribed?
 

So, I had my final appt. with my neuro yesterday to discuss surgery and post-op pain control, etc... we must have different docs in Canada then you because he did not want to prescribe me muscle relaxers, said I shouldn't need them after surgery. I hope he is right, but I can get them through my family doctor if need be. Is that what the flexeril is? Does Robaxacet do the same thing, I have a prescription of those already? Or is the flexeril stronger?

How much should I push for the muscle relaxers I'm wondering, I have lots of oxy's saved up since they have played with my doses so much I have unused prescriptions of higher mg's that I haven't been taking.

How are you feeling now anyway? It's been about a month now for you right?
Take care,
Cathie

Cathie
 

Cathie,

So what are your plans as far as the surgery is concerned? Levels? when? plate screws? etc...

Once I was home I took hydrocodone for pain for about 4-5 days and the flexerial for muscle spasms for about the same time frame. I am not familiar Robaxacet so I can't compare. I still take the flexeril if I have a spasm. I would get some if you can. I did not take oxy once home only in the hospital.

This Thursday will be 9 weeks post op. Generally I feel fine. My ROM and strength is still limited. I get sore and muscle spasms more than I would like. But I made an appt with Dr's office today because I want to get cleared for work. Tired of being home.
Good luck and keep me posted.
Gail

Hi Gail,

I'm so anxious to be 9 weeks post op... it seems like an eternity waiting to get better. I understand you being tired of staying at home, I've been off work since last May and I'm literally climbing the walls!! And with all this winter white stuff it is much worse! Blah. I hate snow and ice. :p

We decided to fuse C5, C6 & C7... he was undecided about C4, but we are going to cross our fingers and skip that one to allow me for better ROM. He has decided to lower my incision in the front and go horizontal to allow for a possible second surgery through the front if C4 starts giving me more issues later in life. But he feels that with a lifestyle change I have a good shot at avoiding future surgeries. I hope he is right. The surgery with be anterior, with cadaver bone (bone bank) and titanium plates. I don't remember about the screws? Doesn't really matter at this point I just want to be healing instead of coping. Surgery is March 2nd at 6:00 am.

Really like my neurosurgeon, he's so easy to talk to and explains everything so calmly it made me feel so much more comfortable about it all.

The hardest part about this last month is staying cheery and out of pain. The weather is cold, and I'm stuck at home (car rides cause me so much pain with the pinched nerves) I'm working really hard at not getting sad. I'm usually such an active & happy person, but this has been the hardest thing I've ever endured.

I'll have to talk to my family doc about flexiril, since my neuro said just Oxy and Percacets once I leave the hospital.

I hope you get cleared for work.... I'm sure you are excited to get back to a normal life again!!
Take care,
Cathie

Flexeril vs. Methocarbamol
 

Robaxacet is methocarbamol plus acetaminophen (paracetamol/tylenol).
Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) and methocarbamol are both muscle relaxers, though they are different classes and work differently. I wouldn't necessarily categorize one as "stronger" than the other, because that depends on dosage, patient tolerance, and other variables. See:
http://www.ehealthme.com/compare_dru...rbamol-2974474
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methocarbamol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexeril

Doc

adkpegleg
 

adkpegleg, How are you doing since your surgery? Hope you are handling the pain ok. How is sleeping and eating? Keep us posted on your recovery.

************************************************** *****12/9/2010 ACDF C5-6 C6-7 with plate, screws,
BMP & bone fragment filled cages
2/14/2011 trying to go back to work as a teacher
2/17/2011 starting PT
wearing bone stimulator 4 hours a day
DDD, arthritis, herniated disks, pinched nerves

Hello Cathie and evveryone else
 

Good luck with the surgery. I may not be on the site too often if going back to works out ok. Feel free to send me a private note which I think goes into my regular email.
Went to the PA at OSS office to talk to him about returning to work. He originally wanted me to go back 2/28 which is after a week holiday and 11 1/2 weeks post op. I wanted to go back last Friday. We comprised on Monday 2/14. This way I have 1 week of work and then 1 week off. After that I will go until the end of April when there will be a week off again. i am lucky to have the breaks as a teacher. I am very nervous but excited.
************************************************** *****
12/9/2010 ACDF C5-6 C6-7 with plate, screws,
BMP & bone fragment filled cages
2/14/2011 trying to go back to work as a teacher
2/17/2011 starting PT
wearing bone stimulator 4 hours a day
DDD, arthritis, herniated disks, pinched nerves

Progress
 

Went to the PA at OSS office to talk to him about returning to work. He originally wanted me to go back 2/28 which is after a week holiday and 11 1/2 weeks post op. I wanted to go back last Friday. We comprised on Monday 2/14. This way I have 1 week of work and then 1 week off. After that I will go until the end of April when there will be a week off again. i am lucky to have the breaks as a teacher. I am very nervous but excited. ALso got approved for PT. Went to a few places and spoke to the therapists. I wanted one who would really work on my posture, strength, ROM and sitting properly at the computer and driving. Only a few places were willing to go out to my car and help make sure I had everything in the proper position. That made choosing a location easier. Wish me luck.
************************************************** *****
12/9/2010 ACDF C5-6 C6-7 with plate, screws,
BMP & bone fragment filled cages
2/14/2011 trying to go back to work as a teacher
2/17/2011 starting PT
wearing bone stimulator 4 hours a day
DDD, arthritis, herniated disks, pinched nerves