Hey My name is Jamie and i'm 24 years old. I live in california. I'm legally disabled due to CRPS and other various conditions.

I'm scheduled to have major surgery on January 19th to remove a spinal thoracic arachnoid cyst measuring 1 foot long going up my back!

I'm scared and could use support and any advice or experience you all might have, anything would be great, good or bad. I dont like it sugar coated lol. I don't have anyone to talk to who understands and i'm overwhelmed with 5 more drs appointments before my operation.

Ive never had anything this invasive or major done before. I don't know what to expect as far as pain and recovery goes. I also wonder how long the surgery is.
I know everyones different but if anyone had any advice or experience with this type of surgery, i'd love to hear all of it! If i know what's next, i'll be able to chill out some.

So im going to try to be a brief as possible.
Firstly, i have CRPS full body- Dx'd 15 years ago at age 9. No Tx's left to try.
Large Spinal Thoracic Arachnoid Cyst, 1 foot long set to be removed 1/19.

ISSUE:
In september 2014, an MRI found a one foot intradural Arachnoid Cyst on my Thoracic Spine. The cyst is in between the layers of my spinal cord.

The cyst was found while looking for a cause to severe pinching, sharp and radiating rib/neck/upper back pain.
The pain from the cyst has now become worse than my CRPS pain, which is awful. That scares me. I can't be upright or walk too long, or a spasm starts around the cyst and it feels like vices are crushing my upper back. even laying down hurts.

FINALLY: After three doctors appointments and a wrong diagnosis; i found a Doctor (out of town) who recognized the severity of my pain could equate my pain and other issues to my cyst. This doc was very kind and took an hour and fifteen minutes to examine and inform me of the current situation with the cyst.

SOLUTION: 1/19/15 at 12:00pm-Surgery to remove the cyst, it will involve a 7 inch incision on my thoracic spine, then the removal of 4+ dorsal vertebrae to access the cyst on the cord in the middle layer. This all may change and be more invasive depending on what he finds and how bad it is in there.
After the cyst is oh so delicately excised, and removed he will put the vertebras back on with plates and screws. Im set up to be in the hospital for a full week; but i know my body, and i know it will be possibly a longer recovery because of the CRPS and other conditions. Doc wants me up and walking within 24 hours after surgery- we will have to see about that.

TERRIFIED!
I've had a lot of surgeries, upward of 40 but mostly SCS's, donor ligament replacement, Pain Pumps etc.
This upcoming surgery has me more nervous and uneasy than any other before.

The most invasive thing i've had done was a double Spinal Cord Stimulator implant done in Colorado in 08'.
Ive never had anything this invasive done before. I'm terrified mostly because i don't know what expect. I also Don't have hardly any emotional or physical support through this all. Im also nervous ecause i must remain self sufficient and be able to keep up my apartment and care myself and my service dog.

I live upstairs and i can't/don't drive so im forced rely completely on my father who is unreachable past 4pm because he's a closet alcoholic from 4pm till 6am the next morning.
The Dr/Hospital im having the surgery at is out of town, of course.

Now my last major surgery (and EVERYTHING else i went through) my late mother (a retired nurse) was with me 24/7- even when i asked her to go home and sleep during my many hospital stays. Amazing woman she was, she fought my pain with me for 12 years, even took me to the Mayo Clinic, she stuck by me until she couldn't watch me hurt anymore and took her own life in 2011.

So yeah im pretty scared. I haven't ever had anything like this done before.....
I have so many questions but i haven't found many people on NT with the sort of spinal cyst i have due the its rarity.

PLEASE HELP ME!
I hope you guys can share your stories and experiences with this type of operation. Any and all advice or emotional support you have in any way would be so very greatly appreciated. Im pretty much on my own with all this, Which totally scares the C*** out of me.

Hope you are all doing okay, and i really hope to hear from you soon!

Hi Jamie,

Sorry for your situation. I am nowhere near where you are at in terms of situations, however I have had a single level fusion and as a result of a messed-up shoulder surgery, have permanent plexus damage and CRPS. I am not sure where to begin, but I guess I would just say that I have observed scores of spinal surgeries, most not as involved as yours, a few more complicated. I would assume that you have had a second opinion or two and a plethora of neurodiagnostic tests to confirm that your spinal surgery is absolutely needed. Assuming it is, then you just have to be okay with the idea of surgery as continued compression on the cord especially in the thoracic spine could lead to more severe and permanent neurologic issues that you don't need at 24 not to mention what could happen if you sustain subsequent trauma to that region! I would not think CRPS would be a factor in that type of surgery. Speaking of CRPS, have you gone the route of ketamine (in various forms)? I have seen posts from people who were on their last throws become asymptomatic (obviously there is no panacea for CRPS, though). You will need a good support team following surgery...I am sorry about your mom and dad. You need to converse with the surgeon and the hospital that you will NOT have a support team once you are post-surgical and will need help, and a good plan in place that has been pre-authorized for you. It is true that they will have you up as soon as possible, which will be likely uncomfortable, should not be impossible as from what you are describing, they won't be hugely affecting stability of the spine with what they are doing. Surgery probably will be longer rather than shorter since you have so many levels affected but at least you will be "sleeping!" I wish you the best!