Hi I just had cervical decompression and fusion on c5-7. I am experiencing much weird headaches, numbness on and off, ears dull, eyes blurr. Dr says unrelated and now mri shows it still has spurs on cord and very narrow. So scared.Looking for new neurosurgeon in chicago area any help?

Have the surgery! The surgery is not a big deal at all. My spinal fusion went very very well. I was home the next day and the post surgical pain was very easily handled with oral meds. It will give you lots of relief! Of course, I had one of the best neurosurgeons in the country. Be sure your surgeon is the very best and you'll be fine.

I had C3-6 fused in 05. I can't say it was easy, I was expecting worse. Since all that has stableized, I now have scoliosis, khyphosis, radiculopathy, osetophytes. Unrelated to that, L2-5 S1 is giving me pain.

who is your surgeon?

I'm scheduled to have a spinal fusion surgery on 12/8/10 and was beginning to have cold feet about it. I am so glad I checked this web site and found some positive feed back. I would love to hear from anyone else that has had this surgery and know how they came out.

Did you ever have your surgery? How are you doing if you did have it? You would be at the 6 week post op point. Hope all is well. Keep us posted.

I have had two different surgery's now. First was 2 1/2 years ago, C6 & C7, the fusion didn't take very well my Dr said. We used my own hip bone because it is supposed to fuse better than using somebody else's bone. Well my hip is numb as you know what, you can put cold or hot on it and I couldn't tell you what temp it is.

I had another one done this past May for C5 & C6, and he said he would drill out what started to fuse from the 1st surgery....well I do have to say from both surgery's I am better but I still have massive numbness when I sleep, I can't put my head down for more than 30 seconds without it hurting really bad. I still have muscle spasms in my shoulders and still have pain in my elbows.

SOOOO do I say have surgery, well it depends on how much pain or how uncomfortable you are now. Just beware that you might have different systems after the surgery, so which is worse I ask myself. I say the symptoms before the surgery were worse.

I also have Fibro so that kicks my butt I have RLS which the pills do help with and my arms are so weak it drives me nuts.

My question now is because I have had savior nerve damage will surgery really take care of all my numbness??? NO it won't, that's my opinion.

I have had two Dr's only one has done both surgeries, i went to the second one for a second opinion before the 2nd surgery. He said he couldn't do anything for me, he was a NS, my actual surgery Dr is an Ortho; he is the best in my area.

But I really want to know is there anything else I can do? I'm only 39 and feel like I am 89.

I am waiting for my first consultation with my neurosurgeon in two weeks. My symptoms and MRI read similar to yours. I am off work since I use my hand to draw and the neck problems have resulted in such severe pain running down my right hand I can no longer hold a pencil for more than a few minutes. My fingers are always numb and pain is unbearable.

How well do you cope with the pain meds they have you on? I'm currently on high doses of oxycontin, which dulls the pain, makes you sleepy, but really doesn't work well for nerve pain. Just helps you tolerate it.

Have you been given other options besides surgery? Being in Ontario, Canada we have different type of health care, with little options for choosing doctors and second opinions, we have to be put on referral lists and wait to be called. It's a very slow process.

I sympathize with what you are going through, my entire life has been put on hold because of this. Keep positive and smiling!

I had C4-C5 disectomy and fusion five years ago. it helped a lot and took away the pain. I was losing the ability to use my left arm which is now fine. Unfortunately I now have arthritis in the area where the nerve comes through the vertebrae on the left of C4. I got a shot for it, and this helped, but one day I may need for them to open up that hole so the nerve is not being pinched.

I also now have herniated discs at L1 and L2 and bulging discs at L3 and L4. I was told two years ago I needed surgery, and now I can barely walk. The pain if horrific, and my legs have gone numb. I do not want to develop paralysis from the waist down and will be seeing the neurosurgeon next Tuesday.

Hello, My first surgery started w/severe cord compression C-5/6. #2 Surgery C4/5. Both surgeries collapsed because of non-union of bone, my own hip bone. Both hips, and they sure do flare up when it"s cold and rainy. My #3 surgery was to repair the two non-unions w/ hardware. Somewhere between a screw indenting the thecal sac and the reverse kyphosis, I did not know I had. I Stuck my hand up for the big revision C-2/3 to T-2/3. This is where the first lammy was aborted because of a hole in my esophogus. They waited two months for that to heal and then proceed w/ the big lammy. Well, I never quite recovered from that, I was in and out of hospitals more than my underwear for 6 months. Osteomyelitis, a non-tuberculin acid fast orgaanism was eating away at my C-spine bones and also broke my collar bone. I was in the hospital for three months with a total of four surgeries, mainly to clean up the infection and restabilize w/hardware internally and a halo. I then went onto a Rehabilitation hospital to learn how to walk w/20lbs. on my head and chest! So, when signing a consent for these surgeries please remember me. I wish you the best and please keep us informed! WTR Nymph