Hi I just had surgery on jan 24 of the cervical 4,5,6,7.fusion.cadaver bone.pins plate.Today is week 2 post op,i am still on pain meds,take them usually every 6 hrs,I am sleeping alot,also having some issues with swallowing,but getting better.also having numbness tingling in right arm,but not constant.Prior to the surgery,and this sounds strange,but i had issues with sucking my tongue,however after surgery,this disappeared for the first week,however,the symptom is now back.I really cant comment yet ,because i am not off the pain medication,the first week was intense,so,i think in a week or so i will have a better idea of the outcome.

Hi Tiny,
The swallowing problems for me didnt last long. I never heard of the sucking of the tongue. Possible the meds? They do make your mouth dry. Good luck with your healing, it will be awhile. Give it all the time it needs and make sure you follow doctors orders.
Saucer

Hi Saucer, It was also called swan neck deformity, and another word I forget how to spell. All in all it looked like the letter s, with all the upper vertebre falling like dominos. Have your doctors even mentioned getting your neck fixed like I did? ginnie

Hi Ginnie,
You are so lucky to have your curvature fixed. No they could not fix mine as I have what they call congenital fusion. Started with 2 fused in C spine, now fused from C2-T3. I was recently told not good to fuse C2 as driving is very difficult. I'm still in hard collar since October so havent even tried car yet.
I'm glad for you the pain has let up. I find the pain is the most unbearable part of this lifestyle. I started fusing at 19 and am 51 now so should be use to it.
Wishing you the best,
Saucer

Hi there, I just had my final pre-op appt. with my neurosurgeon yesterday, my ACDF is scheduled in three weeks (Mar. 2nd). I have almost the same issues as you. I'm having C5, C6 & C7 fused, and it was up for discussion to whether he would fuse C4 also. But he is going to leave that one out for the time being.

I'm very anxious now to get it done, I'm so tired of the pain. My dr. was very reassuring and hopeful that it will solve my issues, although lifestyle changes are in order to avoid more surgery in the future. I will let you know how I do, but given the choice to live with the pain I'm in now, or the chance to gain my life back I choose the surgery. Good luck with your decision.

Take care, Cathie

Hi Cath,
Are they going in posterior or anterior for your surgery?
I understand the pain but not just that but the damage that is being done to spinal cord. I was so worried about that my Dr. woke my up after my last surgery telling me over and over your not paralyzed, you are good. Move this, move that, so needless to say this is what I remember most after the surgery. It is a very scary thing, these surgeries but being fused is nothing compared with being in a wheelchair.
Good Luck to you,
Saucer

They are doing my anterior, and my neuro is going to adjust my incision to a lower horizontal incision in the front to allow for possible surgeries that may be needed later in life (tryint to avoid ever having to go in through the back of my neck, my father had that done 15 years ago and it was terrible!). He was unsure about my C4 being fused, but by lowering my incision and reducing scar tissue he says he'd be able to do a second surgery through the front if I ever needed it. (I'm only 40 and I'm pretty active, so there will be a lot of stress put on other discs if I'm not careful, for many years to come). But for now we're just fusing C5, C6, C7.

I'm hopeful and thinking postive, I'm so exhausted from the relentless pain everyday I just want a shot at being better. It helps that I totally love my neurosurgeon, he has a wonderful bedside manner and is very easy to talk to about concerns. I went from being terrified to comfortable after my last couple of appts. just by getting more at ease with the surgeon. After all, they have our life in their hands, literally!

I am very scared about the paralization risk also, but have to remain hopeful that everything happens for a reason, and I am very healthy otherwise.... here's hoping this will give me some mobility back to my life.

I wish you the best! Where are you from btw? I see BIG differences in healthcare from Canada (I'm in Ontario) and the United States. There are pros and cons to both I believe.

The pain is horrific, I don't believe anyone can fully understand how bad this sort of nerve pain is unless they have experienced it themselves. That's one thing I like about this forum, others can relate and understand how you feel.

Take care.... wishing you a low pain day! Cathie

Thank you Cathie,

I am in the states. I belong to an HMO and have to see their doctors.
I was so lucky to be refered to the head of neuro. He is a shy man but he really knows his stuff. He was very honest with me, and I know he did everything he could to help me. He told me, he has never seen anything like this before. I apparently have bones growing where they are not suppose to grow. The pain in the neck and arms is gone but the back is a mess.
I know people dont want to rush into a surgery like this but in my case it was very serious. My head was bent so far forward I was having trouble breathing.

I believe you will see a difference right away with the pain. Follow directions from the doctor to the T.
I wish you luck, and please let us know how you are doing.
I always thought I was the only one like this lol, until I found this and other boards.

Good luck!
Saucer

hi,i had surgery on my c4 thru c7 3weeks as of today.mine due to an motorcycle accident almost 2yrs ago.they removed dic=sc,fused wth cadver bones,pins and plate.following surgery,my first week was good,Probably because of all the pain meds.this is week 3,and i do feel somewhat better,but hard to tell because i am not allowed to do anything, and am stillon some pain medication.i will keep u posted,sincerely Tiny1

I had my C5, C6 & C7 fused on March 2. I had a lot of your issues, my biggest complaint was the numbness/tingling in my right hand, pain in my right arm and wrist and pain in my traps and shoulders

The surgery was not an easy one, but I'm doing ok. I have no more nerve issues that I know of, still a lot of swelling, still swalling issues from the surgery, and I'm still on narcs for pain at my fusion site and in my shoulder, but it's a different kind of pain. I'm doing pretty good. Nice that I can use my hands again! I would do the surgery again, I'm grateful for the nerve pain to be gone.

My next appt. for a followup and Xrays is not until April 26, which is 8 weeks post op, so I will be wearing my collar until then. I wear it day and night, and shower with it. If it weren't for all the incredible help I got from my husband I would not have survived this, he washes and dries my hair, and helps with so many simple tasks that I was just too weak or not allowed to do.

I have a titanium plate with 6 screws at my fusion, and I chose to use cadaver bone from a bone bank. My incision is healing very nicely, you can hardly see where the stitches were, there is a bit of a scar, but I'm not really concerned about that.

My main issues right now are how uncomfortable it is to have my collar on all the time, especially sleeping, and I still have difficulty swallowing, always feels like a golf ball is stuck in my throat, but other than that I'm doing ok.

good luck with your consults, and I hope all goes well for you!
Cathie