Thank your your reply, no I was not the pilot just the passenger on the plane. I am hoping this kind of subsides. I realize I will have pains, I just have been doing pretty good in my recovery since my surgery.

Hello I had a fusion similar to yours back in 2005, same area, cadaver bone, etc. I don't know if it's pertinent or not, but I had the worst pain after surgery, hurting my left shoulder the most (right side was more affected pre-surgery). The surgeon told me that the cadaver bone was larger than the space previously occupied by the disc, b/c he expected some compression over time as the fusion took hold. This caused some stretching of the nerves which really irritated them, but it did eventually go away. I also ended up on prednisone b/c of swelling inside my neck. Both of those issues occurred pretty soon after surgery, not months later, but everyone is different. I was also pretty young for my surgery, only 33, and pretty active w/workouts, which may have helped me 'bounce back' quickly.

Hope you get to feeling better soon!

eta: About 6 months post surgery I had a horrible neck spasm that happened simply as I was rolling over in bed at night. It was severe and made me scream out, scaring my husband LOL I thought I had somehow managed to re-injure my neck. I requested physical therapy at that point which I would suggest you do if you can...they have stretches and exercises they can teach you that will help increase your range of motion (mine had gotten stiff, apparently) and show you movements to avoid. I have also since been dx'd with peripheral neuropathy, so my lingering nerve pains in arms, hands, etc are likely explained by that. I do NOT have all the same pains/etc that I'd had pre-surgery, though, so I do think it helped.

I thank you so much for your experiences you have had and suggestions. I am going to ask my surgeon about the cadaver bone size also, along with some therapy. I do have a hard time sleeping and getting comfortable, I am lucky if I get 6 hours of broken sleep a night. I am still very grateful that I believe my surgery is a success that got me out of my bed. I will still have damage in my neck and just need to preserve what is left. I don't think the surgery fixes the spinal stenosis, which was 5 mm narrowed to spinal column or the disc degeneration I have. Its just important to be careful and learn to preserve and maintain what I do have with not promoting the degeneration speed process. Have a great day/evening! God Bless!.....Kim

I had a cervical fusion of 6/7 about 4 1/2 years ago. It was the best surgery I'd ever had! My surgery pain was next to none and it relieved 80% of my symptoms.

I few months later I did begin having what I considered "bone pain" due to new hardware. That pain seemed like it did make my neck spasm and I felt alot like you're explaining. It was off and on again and never did progress or become something more than "uncomfortable" from time to time. I did just fine for a couple of years and I hope you do just fine forever.

For the following, please don't think I'm being the bearer of gloom and doom, but I wanted to share to help others as they move forward.

I read at the time and having just one level done as I did, when there is degenerative processing in place, will often times lead to additional surgeries as the fusion destabablizes the adjoining levels.

I'm here to tell you that I bear witness to that as we speak. Two years after surgery I began having new and different pain, spasms, etc. I then had more problems. I blew it off because I knew than my MRI's showed DDD. I was going to have aches and pains, right?

I wish I'd listened to my body more.

Please remember to do the same and listen to your body. If you start having increased or different symptoms, please go back for an MRI and check how things are going. Even if I weren't having problems, I'd have "check on things" MRI's every couple of years.

If you'd like more information on my journey, I have a post here as to where I'm at right now.

Good luck with continued healing!

I just wanted to tell you I agree with the post to be careful. If you notice any new pain as the years go by, don't wait but go in to have it checked on. I did indeed need more surgery due to DDD. Fused now C3-7 and T1-2-3 is being watched. I am more careful than I want to be! I wish all of you the best. Less pain, and successful outcomes. ginnie

I do not look at it like gloom at all,I so welcome your experiences. Thank you forevernana4,ginnie,and all. I am trying my best to take it easy with my neck,I have been taking more pain medication for the past 2 weeks. I was hoping the pain in my plate area and into my right shoulder blade was from my quitting smoking.I know it sounds odd but its been since i quit i have experienced discomfort at a high level. I thought the cadaver was possibly fusing now.lol..I may have over used it,and its just coincidence. I will keep in touch on here as I appreciate everyone,and what we are going through. I am not feeling better yet.I thank goodness for my ice packs and heat bean bag!! And I cannot forget my wonderful animals keeping me company while healing!!

I was also just wondering...I am taking Percocet for my pain when I go out. I do not take anything else.Is there something that may help with the Percocet? Would I benefit from Gabapentin or Muscle relaxers?