Hi Kathi,
Good luck on Monday! I hope you can get some relief.

I had 2 ESIs. I couldn't have the third since I did two rounds of Medrol. So far it's working and I hope it continues to until my surgery date!!

My surgery is December 13th. I've lost about half my tricep strength - and my physical strength is really important to me. I like working out, lifting weights - and I can't lift right now. My first three fingers are also numb, which is another reason he's concerned. So I'm just going to do it and then move on from there. Your posts have convinced me that waiting just is not a good idea: it can get worse!

Take care,
Kelly

You are welcome Kelly,

I just don't want people to get the wrong idea that I am advocating fusions. Basically, if it is a muscle problem, I definitely understand stretching, etc. But when it is neurological (such as your numb fingers, etc.), then that IS a concern. Actually, when I had the C5/C6 going bad I NEVER had pain in my arms at all...it was strictly at my neck and went right down to the base of my thumbs...bypassing everything else. I did have weakness though. And like I said...that was in May and by August I could really no longer write. It was just scribbles! So, just in that short amount of time I went from bad to worse and my NS said I would and that is exactly what happened.

Anyway, my whole point is...listen to the recommendations of the surgeons. They know this stuff inside and out and what can happen. I trust my spinal PM and NS implicitly and when they tell me what is what...I listen! And I have to add too my NS is the one that is called in when the Indy 500 drivers and NASCAR drivers have head injuries. Soooo...that was enough credentials for me! He's good, he's conservative but he will also spell it out for you in no uncertain terms LOL!

Sorry, I haven't been able to check in here lately as I have been working may hours to make up for my time away for surgery. The surgery is now 3 days away and of course, I am very anxious. The history on my problem (as requested by Kathi) is this: beginning over 2 years ago I had much pain in my middle of my back and shoulder blades, then eventually had numbness in my arm leading down into my thumb and first two fingers. Tried a round of steroids, then PT, which seemed to make my muscle spasms and pain worse (especially when they did traction). Tried about 6 sessions of accupuncture, which did not help at all, and seemed to increase the pain for a short while afterward.

Then tried 2 nerve root block injections into C 6/7. Pain eased off a bit, but I still had to take skelaxin 3 times a day, along with ibuprofren, though none of it in huge doses. MRI showed (and continues to show) a large bulging disc, bulging into the nerve and osteophyte complex. A year later, pain was still about the same, still on meds, propping myself up on pillows at night and unable to sleep well due to discomfort (though not intense pain). Finally tried PT again, with same results, and then this summer an epidural (cervical) with little help given, though it did calm the tingling I was starting to feel in my arm again. Later in the summer tried a facet joint block which caused tremendous pain in the area, rather than helping.

Now I am experiencing on and off neck and shoulder pain, though not at an intolerable level. Also have been having head aches off and on, pain at my occipital ridge (just below hairline in back of head), and very slight tingling off and on. NS says that it will "only get worse" and that I have lost some of the strength in my left arm/hand and that I will eventually "have to" have the surgery and noted that the longer I wait, the more damage I may do. He felt an ACDF was needed and that he could not fix this with a procedure from the back of my neck.

So here I go. I am not in agony, but when I consider having to continue to filter my life through this haze of on and off again pain, life seems daunting to me. I don't look forward to the recovery and worry about whether I am dooming myself to a life now of recurrent neck and back problems. But what else can I do? Haven't I tried everything?

BTW, I am a female, not a male...

You are singing to the choir, Trina. I totally know what you mean. My pain comes and goes, and hasn't been excruciating since the epidural shots. I'm not getting my strength back, though. And the whole "it will only get worse" scenario is the one that's put me in action. I really don't want it to get worse or end up back where I was in the beginning.

I also know what you mean about filtering your life through the intermittent pain. Me too. I'm tired of limiting my activities because of this, and not doing some things at all (like lifting weights) because I might make it worse. I worry too about whether I'm opening the door for a bunch of neck and back issues later.

But when push comes to shove. I think we just have to maintain a positive outlook about this.

Hang in there and good luck on surgery day.
Kelly

Trinab,

First I want to apologize if "I" assumed you were a man. And, YES, you have tried everything. So, see, there is more going on than mere muscle spasms and I thought so. No surgeon that I know of would EVER operate unless there was something really major going on. So, yes, I personally believe you are doing the right thing by having an ACDF.

Okay, both you and Kelly are talking about the C6/C7. I have issues there as well and it might be next. But you know what? If it gets bad REAL, I am going forth...that will make 3 fusions. And, yes, I have worried about the domino affect before myself. But as my NS says, it is NOT ALWAYS true that other levels will go...even though logically it would make sense that they would. But it has been since 2003 and 2006 and they are holding their own. I do think it is just a matter of time. But for now it is mainly facet stuff going on (medial branch nerves). But what is a person to do? You just CANNOT let the neurological deficits get to you as there is no going back if there is permanent nerve damage.

As of this morning I had facet injections at the C2/C3 (have facet degeneration on the left and an osteophyte complex on the right. As my PM says too...the C3/C4 fusion is causing the C2/C3 to compensate. But I knew this a LONG time ago before having anything done. So, if the facet injections take care of the occipital pain, I will have an RF done next.

I won't lie and sugar coat everything and say it is a walk in the park. It isn't. The surgery itself both times was just fine...no problems there. It is the spasms either shortly thereafter or later on that is what really hurts. But, hey, Valium kicks them out. Honestly, I was up and walking within hours of both surgeries and felt fine. When you both start to recover and after a period of time, the docs will have you stretch. They should give you a booklet that shows which ones to do.

Anyway, there is just no easy way around any of it. My BIGGEST thing was...I don't want to lose use of my arms and the headache pain was unreal...not like any migraine I have ever had. They termed them cervicogenic headaches and those killed me for about 3 years. So, I do NOT regret the fusions at all. Sure, I have residual pain and sometimes I can feel it in my index fingers (C6/C7) but I am really much, much better than I was back in 2003. Back then I just wanted someone to take my head off!

Oh, and Kelly, ask about the weight lifting later on. After your surgery they will NOT want you lifting more than 5 lbs. at first, then maybe 10. But again, and I will be honest, I am NEVER to lift any more than 20 lbs. for the rest of my life. But remember too, my whole cervical spine is affected...not just one level. What I do is use thera bands, go to massage therapy, get injections from time to time and just stretch in a hot shower.

I wish the both of you much luck. And you are right...keep your chin up so to speak and carry on. I think a positive outlook is the best thing you can have right now. It is scary but I am glad I had them! Living the way I was was pure he##! At least now, even though I have some residual pain and have to limit some activities, the aches and pains went from a 10, and no I am not lying a definite 10, and dropped to maybe 3...sometimes 0.

Mine is one level - but my shoulder doc told me that I've lifted all the weight I'm going to lift. I'll be able to go back to weights, but it will take time. My OSS told me as soon as I'm fused, he'll let me do whatever I want. But now I'm worried about the weight and figure I should lift less to avoid more problems in the future. Mind you, I'm not talking that much weight - 70-100 lbs on the bench is all I was doing before all of this happened. I really just want to get my tricep strength back after all this.

Therabands are a good answer, though, too - I just read an article in Prevention that said they're better than using weights in a lot of cases.

And Valium sounds like a good plan, I'm going to ask what they do about the muscle spasms.

So chin is up...thinking positive.... with five weeks to go!


Kelly

Thanks to you both for the encouraging ideas and comments. I am feeling pretty good at this point - very little pain and fairly relaxed after a massage tonight after work. A friend suggested this as a way to get my body ready for the surgery. Neck is still crunching, though my actual pain level is at about a 1-2 right now (makes it hard to think about having surgery - it's been good for the last few weeks). However, I am committed and it's onward ho Wednesday morning!

Hey you two,

I wish you both the best of luck.

Just remember...go easy!

I should have said earlier that the C3/C4 was the most horrific pain I had ever had in my life. Glad I had the fusion. The C5/C6 was different...didn't have much pain at all except in my thumbs. But, geez, if you could have seen that disc pressing on the spinal cord, you would know why I said to my NS...get it off there!!! Even my Neurologist who hates fusions, said, you HAVE to do something about that one! And my spinal PM, who is a goofball said, hey, even a monkey could spot that problem a mile away...and was kind of laughing. He is just crazy but makes me laugh all the time. If he ever retires I think I will just die. He is that good at what he does!

Anyway, yep, you can have very little pain and then see your MRI's and say...whoa!!! And the reason I mention therabands is that is what the PT folks have had me use to get some strength back...no weight lifting. The biggest thing is...when you are somewhat past recovery...keep moving...no matter what. It was amazing to me, I had the C5/C6 fused last September, that when I went to lift a potted plant in the spring, I couldn't do it. But know too, I was wearing a bone growth stimulator for 6 months as well...4 hours every day! My NS apologized to me about the restrictions; they will make you weaker. But then said...since you are completely fused...get out there and plant some flowers LOL and that was at the 6 month mark! So, I pushed past it every day until I got stronger and it took TIME...so just go easy! You don't want to undo anything. The hardest thing I think is to keep the muscles loose yet strong. So, that's why my NS suggested PT...but mild PT at that...nothing at all aggressive. Oh, and massage therapy. THAT really helps. But they made it clear...LIGHT massage therapy...not the deep therapeutic kind...not right away.

Anyway, again, I wish you both much luck and success. I firmly believe you are doing the right thing. Just be prepared for those spasms. You may or may not have them. My NS's PA explained to me that once things are freed up the nerves are ****** off. Sorry, but that is what she said. And true enough...once freed, they were mad. And it does take time for them to calm down. She also said they "plump up" after surgery which is probably why I felt like my left arm had been sawed off. But ONE Valium kicked that right out...never to happen again. Anyway, at least those levels are stable and that was my biggest concern...pain or no pain. The thought of going on without doing anything..scared me more. Hang in there...I think just with the one level being done you should be fine. Just follow the surgeon's instructions to the letter and ask a bunch of questions.

.... and it went really well (at least so far!) I am able to talk, have no pain when I am taking my meds as prescribed, and am feeling so well that it's hard to believe I had surgery just two mornings ago. Not many throat symptoms, able to walk around, and just generally feeling A= ok. Will keep you up to date as I feel better able to taype for a long time on the computer.

Good for you Trinab!

See, I told you it wasn't all that horrific. So, hang in there. What meds did your doc prescibe btw? And yes, stay away from the computer as much as you can. And I don't mean that we don't want to hear from you LOL! I just mean it can aggravate things. So, be careful. Glad to hear you are doing just fine. And keep up with the walking as much as you can. That is one of the biggest things they stressed upon me. But I also know the meds can make you sleepy. And it is hard to believe isn't it? I know after 3 years of SEVERE headaches; the minute I woke up from the C3/C4 fusion, they were GONE! Just continue to go easy and TAKE THE TIME it takes to heal and fuse. Keep us posted only if you can tolerate being on the computer. Again, I am so glad to hear you are up and about.