I was born with a C-5-7 fusion but that fusion put stress on my neck, so then I had to have a huge cervical fusion from the occiput.
I was very active and did a lot of stupid things.
It started with softball, then a sking accident, then three car accidents and finally I fell down my stairs to really mess up my neck. I'm just lucky to be alive.

Laura

I've always been asked this question, my others and doctors, as for me I just got very unfortunate, young and dealing with cervical and lower back issues already, two fusions and probably more to come in the future.

DaisyMae

I just found this place. So, hello everyone. I see alot of faces/names from the old BT boards too.
Let's see, we had a motorcycle accident when I was 14 weeks pregnant ( and my first weekend off of 14 weeks of bedrest. ) That was the beginning of my journey, what a journey it's been too.....
Sandi

I was carrying the laundry down stairs and fell down to the bottom.

I never did any one thing to injure myself. My disk apparently spontaneously herniated. I had a lumbar micro-d, and then a few years later, it hernitated again. I can pinpoint the exact time symptoms started again...I went to bed one night, and woke up in the middle of the night with dreadful sciatica. I also have scoliosis, but not bad enough to require surgery. I've got permanent nerve damage, and a numb foot. I can't really attribute this to bad genes, because no one else in my family has back problems. I guess I'm just unlucky that way.

plenty of minor injuries over the years surfing and snowboarding, but the first major one that I'm pretty sure set things in motion was landing on the back of my head from a couple of metres up in the air after doing a jump on a snowboard. Didn't have to have surgery, and didn't have it MRI'd (not sure they existed back then) but always had aggravating neck pain since that injury.

Second one was surfing, driven headfirst into a sandbank, was paralysed from the neck down for a while underwater and thought I was probably going to drown but the movement came back in my legs first then in my arms. That was the first time I experienced very painful dermatome pain in the hands.

I think the knock from the snowboarding fall was actually a worse one than the surfing fall, but the surfing one must have been a more direct impact, and I suspect the disc was already out because I'd had neck pain for ages beforehand and always wondered if I was at more risk of injury as a result, and it seems that I was.

Well mine started as a teen I had appendix that burst on the table and that started my lumbar problems I got osteomyalitis from it I had surgery but still have a lot of pain,
my thorasic don't really know what caused that they say it is just degeneration,
my cervical well we think that was caused through a car accident l had 12 months ago,
so that is my story.

Hi Guys and Gals!!
Not a long story really.. I have been a printer for more than 26 years... heavy work, with much heavy lifting done with arms outstretched at or above shoulder level. Also...turning large printing machines with a manual hand wheel is very difficult when there is ink on the rollers. Granted, these are small sheet-fed offset presses...but don't let that fool you. On a day like I had last Thursday, I put 2 tons of paper through 1 press 3 times... then had to cut and box it for delivery... this only 5 weeks after having ACDF on C5/6, 6/7. I am feeling good, and no more pain... There really are success stories out there. If you want more info on my success, PM me or catch me on e-mail at hansmathias8@hotmail.com

Be Well!!
Hope everyone does good with their individual issues. I just feel now that I should show up here every now and then and give a ray of hope... I won't leave you all after all you have done for me. I will be around even when my healing is complete. I will never forget the pain I had, or the thoughts and prayers you all sent my way. I had a great success! I pray you all do too. Thanks a bunch for sticking with me and helping me through this most difficult time.

Be Good!
Dave

Printerhead, I am sold glad you came through with flying colors, really!!! I am a walking poster child for failed fusions. 19 months later and we are still waiting for it to fuse.

How I hurt myself. I was riding as a passanger in the back of a golf cart when the driver accelerated rapidly and then slammed on the brakes. Threw me up and forward into the golf carts roof. Ruptured C5-6 & C6-7.