[C5/C6 GF in need of]

Hello out there... my boyfriend (age 47) had c5/c6 surgery about 5 weeks ago, they fused his neck together, with his actual bone, just wrapped it in a plastic band, and then screwed everything back together. Prior to surgery his symptoms were agonizing pain through his right arm, problems lifting and gripping anything with his hand, numbness, and weakening of the entire arm, along with severe pain in his shoulders and neck. A highly recommended neurosurgeon preformed this surgery, this same surgeon did lower lumbar surgery on him, just this past April.
My darling is as far from a good patient as can be imagined, he is a former football player, body builder and all around athlete... he has been lifting and moving and just all around doing, granted not as much as he would be with a clean bill of health, but none the less, he's doing what a normally average healthy adult would be doing. He doesn’t have what it takes to just sit still, and nagging, yelling and pleading doesn’t change his physical actions. So please don’t give advice on telling his to take it easy, trust me, I do.
It's been 5 weeks now and he feels just as bad, if not worse than he did the week prior to surgery, and the pain is in the SAME arm, no pain in his left, all still in his right. He's continued to take the muscle relaters, recently just came off a week of steroids to reduce swelling, and is back on percoceit because of the severity of the pain over the past week. Has anyone out there had a similar experience? Any help or suggestions at this point would be greatly appreciated.

[Jomar]

What was the original reason for the fusions ,as shown on MRI?

I'm asking because of his history - football player, body builder and all around athlete.
Also any car accidents - whiplash etc?

It's possible that he also could have Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) with the sports/hits, lifting, and if any car accidents are a factor?

I'll give the link to our TOS forum useful sticky thread so you can look thru the links & info to see it it fits or not.
Post #1 is pretty much a crash course on it full of info links-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread84.html

[Leesa]

The problem is that his doctor did NOT inform him that he might come out of surgery with the SAME pain or worse! You should never have surgery for pain -- cause it doesn't always help the pain. Surgery ONLY corrects mechanical problems -- it doesn't insure that your pain will be relieved.

I've had 2 open spinal surgeries, and I ended up with worse pain afterwards than when I began! I'm now disabled due to it.

He might benefit from seeing a pain management specialist. Have him ask for a referral to one of these doctors. Also, physical therapy can help too -- but he'll have to wait awhile until his healing is more advanced.

I wish him the best of luck. God bless & take care. Hugs, Lee

[eva5667faliure]

i really mean what my title clearly says. hello, no going back, move ahead, get 2nd, 3rd as many opinions as possible. as for myself i had no options in the matter. i at first diagnosis ask if we could hold off opening me up and the answer was "wait much longer you will be in a wheel chair" i was hoping two years at best. i woke up one day with a stiff neck feeling that took me to the hospital. AND SO IT ALL BEGAN 2-1/2 years later. keep moving ahead, get help if depression sets in, you do NOT want to wait. get help asap. best of luck. keep searching......

[Dubious]

Originally Posted by C5/C6 GF in need of

Hello out there... my boyfriend (age 47) had c5/c6 surgery about 5 weeks ago, they fused his neck together, with his actual bone, just wrapped it in a plastic band, and then screwed everything back together. Prior to surgery his symptoms were agonizing pain through his right arm, problems lifting and gripping anything with his hand, numbness, and weakening of the entire arm, along with severe pain in his shoulders and neck. A highly recommended neurosurgeon preformed this surgery, this same surgeon did lower lumbar surgery on him, just this past April.
My darling is as far from a good patient as can be imagined, he is a former football player, body builder and all around athlete... he has been lifting and moving and just all around doing, granted not as much as he would be with a clean bill of health, but none the less, he's doing what a normally average healthy adult would be doing. He doesn’t have what it takes to just sit still, and nagging, yelling and pleading doesn’t change his physical actions. So please don’t give advice on telling his to take it easy, trust me, I do.
It's been 5 weeks now and he feels just as bad, if not worse than he did the week prior to surgery, and the pain is in the SAME arm, no pain in his left, all still in his right. He's continued to take the muscle relaters, recently just came off a week of steroids to reduce swelling, and is back on percoceit because of the severity of the pain over the past week. Has anyone out there had a similar experience? Any help or suggestions at this point would be greatly appreciated.

If he has burning pain now, explore RSD