Cathie:

How kind of you to send those good thoughts to me. I really have no communication with him. Haven't heard anything. I don't even know if he actually had the operation.

Hard to believe right? But it is what it is.

I try and concentrate on my own health and my husband's health. That gets me through whatever I need to get through.

I hope you are doing well and are not in any plain.

Take care, and believe me, I thank you for your concern.

Melody

Hi Dr. Smith:

I found the link to the whole article on Wiki. Here it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterio...omy_and_fusion

Melody

I am fused C3-7 with just about the same kind of hardware. I do not think he is going to be up to doing anything for a few weeks. This was my second cervial fusion, and with both of them, the first three weeks, I was in a collar the whole time. This is some serious surgery as you know. He should take it easy and allow his body to heal. Even with pain medicatons, you wouldn't want to go jumping around to move the hardware before it gets a chance to heal. Time and TLC is needed. I am also sorry you are estranged from him. I know that feeling too, I am estranged from my daughter. I am sorry for the both of us in that department. If he would be willing to come to Neruo Talk, he could get better information on this forum. Most of us google our MRI's and ask about the results for the educational part. I do wish you son all the best. We will be here for him, and you anytime you need us. ginnie

Hi Ginnie:

I have not seen my son in ten years. We have absolutely zero relationship. It is what it is. I am also sorry that you are going through something similar. I have never been able to reason with him in 10 years and there is no possibility of that happening now either. I can't even say with any assurance that he definitely had this operation on Feb 6th.

So I do thank all of you for the responses. It's just very sad that a mom can't be a mom when she is needed to be a mom. But I can't change circumstances. Only he can and he never will.

Thank you very very much and I hope (at your end) you are finding peace.

Melody

Ok, digging a bit further, I find that there are actually 3 procedures. The main article has to do with Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) which many people on this forum have had or contemplated, and seems to get a lot of discussion. A less invasive procedure is called Endoscopic Discectomy (ED), which involves doing the procedure through two or three smaller incisions (vs. one large one in the front of the neck with ACDF) and using an endoscope to see what's going on. The third procedure is Endoscopic Microdiscectomy (aka Micro Endoscopic Discectomy or MED) which is even less (minimally) invasive.

The MED is the current gold standard, but is not always feasible, depending on where (in the spine and geographically) it's done and what all is going on in the patient's spine, but postoperative pain, recovery times, and complications are typically significantly less than ACDF procedures. It also appears (but I cannot say for certain) that EDs and MEDs do not (usually?) involve installing hardware.

Googling the above procedures will provide much better explanations (and videos) than I ever could.

Doc

I am sorry we walk the same shoes. There is no hope on my end eithor., regarding my daughter. I also have a grandson I am not allowed to see or know. I didn't even know my daughter was pregnant. Her husband made the decision for her. she was special education, and he took advange of a family trust, and then removed her from my life. Once you are a mother, I don't think you can stop loving, even though a situation is bad, but rather I accept it, and pray all the time for her. I hope you still keep your son in your prayers too. I think part of the reason I got so sick was over this issue, so I had to let it go, and get to a better place in my own life. so glad I found NT and the comfort I know here. I have received so much compassion. I do hope we will keep in touch melody, it takes another mother to know what this situation feels like when a child goes astray. I will keep your son and you both in my prayers too. Take care of yourself melody, you have a friend right here. ginnie

Know something, I LIKE YOU!!!

Thanks much Ginnie.

You (and your daughter) will be in my prayers tonight.

Take care

Melody

Hi there.

I have heard (via email) from my son. It was a long drawn out post indicating they did not want to discharge him with his meds but he fought them and caused a scene and so they gave in.

He also wrote the following:

" I take a pain med stronger then morphine. It is called Hydromorphone. I take 4 mg of that every 4 to 6 hours and 75 mcg fentinyal patch. "

I know what Fentanyl is because my husband who has peripheral neuropathy was on the fentanyl patch 10 years ago and got up to 125 but then had to titrate down. I had found him a chiropractic neurologist who literally gave him back his life and he was able to be weaned off the patch. He had to go into de-tox to get off the last 25 of the patch but once he was in detox, (and he wore the patch as he was registered for the detox), they gave him a urine test, found no opiates in his system and discharged my husband after 24 hours. He told them "are you nuts, I came in here wearing a patch) but they could not care less, they sent him home and he had to detox in his bed. Took one week. Hardest thing he ever did. But he did it. My husband does not take any pain meds. He just deals with his pain in his own fashion, using creams, and ben gay on his back. He says it helps tremendously.

And now I find out that my son is on hydromorphone and a 75 mcg fentanyl patch?? Good Lord. I have read up on hydromorphone but I have no idea how much 4 mg every 4 to 6 hours means.

My son has a lot of problems. I have no idea what is going on. Good Grief.

Melody

I always wanted to see what they did to me. Thanks for your research. I only have my MRI after it was completed. People can make better choices the more information they get. I appreciate what you do for us all. ginnie

I respect your husband going through de-tox. I was weaned down to minimal amount to deal with my pain. Coming down from large doses is terrrible, and I went though the same thing in bed. I still take the medication, but can't deal with the pain going down further. I would be in a wheel chair, and I am not ready to give up walking. My neck I could probably deal with. I do wish in a real way that this medication wasn't in my life. I am worried about your son. ginnie