pillows, rolls, and ACDF
 

I am not sleeping worth a hoot. Prior to my surgery ACDF 5-6-7 I got help sleeping from a contour cervical pillow and while sitting in a recliner it helped to put a rolled up towel under my neck.

Now, I have given away the cervy pillow, have tried to neck pillows and all seem to give me pain. How about you others with fusion? Do you think it is the now one bone over three vertebra that will not allow me to have neck support without pain?

I am using a teeny flat pillow at present about and inch thick. I bunch it up a bit for some side neck support but the regular cervy pillow seem way too tall now.

Lord...I wonder if it is the thorax spine causing this now. Afraid to get a check up..what they will find.

Oh...can you have an MRI with a titanium plate in your neck? I've heard MRI's are all over for some people with hardware. Anyone know about that?

JB outta here to Canada Mon. ohhh...plane rides.

cervical pillow
 

I am about 2 months post acdf and can only sleep with my contoured cervical pillow. All other ones cause me grief.. Before my surgery I couldn't use the cervical pillow.. go figure..Sorry I am not much help..Hope you get some relief soon!:)
Valerie

I have not been able to find a comfortable pillow either. I have bought a few of different types but none of them are all that great.

About the MRI yes you can get an MRI with the titanium plate, at least I could. They did use contrast though because of it, to get a better picture. ...Sue

I can't find a pillow either JB and Sue. My neck and shoulders and rt elbow, and lower back hurt so badly I can't seem to get much sleep lately. Am wondering if the Welbutrin I started 2 days ago is keeping me awake too. Haven't slept since Istarted it! I took a sleeping pill last night...tonight....?
Hope we all find a good pillow soon! Gaye :eek:

I have cervcial, thoracic, and lumbar problems...I sleep on about four pillows propped up ...I have asthma too so being in a sitting up position is a breathing issue for me as well...I have two really soft pillows that I can squish into almost any position and I use those to cushion around my head, but it is very difficult to get comfortable. I have an even more difficult time because I just had the lumbar fusion so laying flat on my back sometimes hurts..but the hips hurt too...so you just have to hope the pain meds knock you out for a few hours...

As for MRI's ...Look at my signature...I am fused 360 or around the world as someone so nicely put it...in both the lumbar and cervical spine...Cervical spine has the plate in the front with screws and rods and screws in the back...The lumbar is fused with cages in the front and screws in the back with rods...I go into the MRI machine without any problems ...Since my last fusion in April I have had a cervical MRI and a brain MRI without any problems and they were able to get good pictures....So you should be able to get an MRI...You aren't getting out of it that easy...:D

JB-

I don't even use a pillow anymore. But I do get some extra relief from a leg roll that I use to remove pressure from my lumbar spine. I got it at www.healthyback.com .

joe

pillow..sleep
 

ejb.... think your ACDF ws after mine if I can remember from BT1. I'm back to the Vicodin at night to help with sleep

I doubt you can call that flat pancake thing a pillow? it has a lovely case on it but looking like a pillow, no, it only pretends to be one
Sleep, my neck is back to buzzing again, which is scaring me to death. Neuros say NO MORE surgery. My lower back is out, and the discs are getting worse.
so how's your world
tere

I have a memory foam pillow which is working very well for me. I too for the longest time had trouble with pillows, but this pillow conforms to you head a neck, even tho it was very expensive I'm so glad my husband talked me into getting it just to try, and it's working.

Daisymae

JB,

I have yet to find a comfortable sleeping position with or without a pillow ever since my ACDF 5-6-7 three months ago. I've been propping myself up on many pillows and making sure I support the back of my head as much as the back of my neck. If I allow my head to tip back or to one side or the other, I pay for it with pain by morning. Unfortunately, I never wake up in the position I went off to sleep in and wake up stiff and hurting. I can't imagine that this is as good as it gets, there has got to be a better way/position to sleep.

Best wishes,

Kim

Kim,

Can you go back to the cervical pillow at all? I have a cervical pillow and also a memory foam pillow...they are both good ones. From what I understand you don't want to prop yourself up too high. Anyway, I couldn't use my cervical pillow right after this particular surgery even though I have been using it all along prior to surgery. But just about a night or two ago I was able to use it again. The memory foam pillow was just too high and made me hurt worse. I think the key is is to get it tucked up right where it should be at the base of your skull and more or less get centered on it. I also bought a new mattress about a year ago and yep, it was costly. But my back was giving me such fits I went with a pillow top and memory foam mattress. Anyway, when I kind of sink into the mattress...not too far though..then my lumbar gets a rest along with my hips. Then the cervical pillow seems to mold right where I want it. And, again, I think I read somewhere you want your whole spine in alignment so propping up too high would probably make you hurt worse. I just don't really know what else to tell you because I know how hard it is to get situated. Try the cervical pillow again if can and hang in there! Kathi