Prayers and wishes for a speedy recovery. C4-6 fusion 08/11, no easy at all! Reading this forum helps!

Great that you found Neuro Talk. Welcome. Lots of folks here with back issues for sure. No, fussion like that isn't any fun, and it hurts...I am C3-7. This is a great site to talk about conditions and concerns. Make yourself feel at home. Take care. ginnie

When your spinal cord is being compressed, you really don't have many options because if it touches anywhere, that could mean being paralyzed & some times could lead to death. By the time I had surgery, my left side was numb and I had pins/needles down both my legs and they were giving out on me. So I really tried everything from injections to P.T. to natural meds, wore a cervical collar but in the end, i had to have the surgery. Swallowing is a problem for me still. I guess with the plate and cage, something stops the flow down my throat. I have muscle spasms that feel like something that I will never be able to describe other than to say my body is really ****** at me for allowing the doctor to put something foreign in there...
However, we do what we must do. I have been told that I need to have the fusion extended down 3 more levels! Even though I have 3 fingers numb on my right hand now, I haven't made the decision to have the surgery and pray I can live with what I have without further surgeries. I best to you and I will keep you all in my prayers.

Still trying to navigate the site, the pains of being a newbie.

Thanks Ginnie,

I had spent almost an hour typing a post, I type a few minutes & stop, you know but lost it on a time out!! Fingers don't work as well as they did. But you are right about the fusion, hoping that I'm not going to have the extension of 3 levels that they say I need.

Frankly I'm dreading this op. The fear of not getting through it or coming out paralysed, no matter how low the risks of them happening are, is huuuugge!

I wish you the very best of luck Nahnie & hope you enjoy some relief soon
Best wishes,
Tender x

Tenderfoot--- Everyone is diffrent --I can only reply for me-- I have no regrets ---I was in so much pain prior to surgery morphine wouldnt touch it. The pain post op to me was much more tolerable-- actually a relief. I really handled it post op much better....looking back the one major thing I would tell you is dont fear it --- I wasted alot of time ---next thing you know you will be home and bored. When I woke up I actually feel like someone pugged me back in ---it gave me my life back. I wish the same for you !!!

Thanks mg neck problem for your kind reply .

The thing is, I don't have pain as such. I get pins & needles in my fingers in bed at night & my thumb & hands go to sleep too. Same goes when i try to knit or drive long distance, or I drop a piece of paper I thought i had hold of & my grip & strength aren't great either.

My elbows & shoulders now ache when I've been knitting for any length of time, it's infuriatinigly slow going.

The only pain in my neck is the occasional sharp twang sensation on the right hand side if I tilt my head on an angle. It lasts for about 30-45 seconds then settles.

I guess this is just the lead up to what will happen if they don't operate?
Tender x

I just wanted to jump in and give some hope to those questioning their surgeries. I was at risk of being paralized too, and had the symptoms you describe. I had two fussions. Even though it was hard to go through, there can be successful outcomes. Many on this site have had not such good outcomes. My surgery did releave much of the pain. I too may face more surgery if the ones below my C3-7 fail. I hope that day doesn't come. If this surgery for all of you, has a good chance of helping (after you have several opinions) don't" not "do it because of the negitive things you may hear. Lots of people get a real good outcome like I did. I am not 100% but definately better than what I was shaping up to be. I wish you all the best. ginnie

I left my go for several years in xmas 2009 it started to become 24-7 of pain . Every month I was worse then in 5 -2010 I finally got a mri -- results were severe and all the discs were pressing spinal cord ....doc said no choice without surgery I would become parlyzed so my surgery was scheduled end of july 2010 Then onr 7-4 weekend I went parlyzed on right and my pain level was thru the roof went to e.r my b/p 220/118 .They gave me morphine told my family it will knock me out for the night ---didint touch the pain!! Ginnie is right and I agree --dont let what u read scare you. Were not saying there isnt risks involved but without surgery I would have became parlyzed and no pain relief. I even got to a point I looked forward to the surgery. The longer u let it go the more you risk perm damage to the nerve. I remember the surgeon telling me you only have 18 months on the first onset of nerve damage to have it repaired usually after that it become permanent damage. This surgery gave me my life back --no im not 100% nor will I ever be I would say 90% improvement. I just dont want you to fear it ---because I honestly have no regrets!!