Should I have Tethered cord Surgery?

[Guest guest]

HELLO:

I can tell you about my experience. I would do it all over again

knowing what I know now. Yes, it was painful, but any surgery hurts.

They took good care of me at TCI, but I spent most of my time in CCU.

I had some wierd complications that not everyone experiences.

Many of my symptoms are gone. My bladder issues are gone. The burning

on the bottom of my feet and shooting pains down my legs are gone. My

feet going numb for no reason, gone. I have only had 2 CM HA's. My

neck and back pain still comes and goes.

I still have days where I feel like crap, but I still have a chronic

illness. TCS is a treatment, not a cure. All of our surgeries are a

treatment. There is no cure. We have to get awareness out there so

more research is done so maybe they can find a cure.

I went back to work after 3 weeks and 4 days. I sit at a desk at a

business I own, so again everyone's situation is different. If I

stayed at home looking at my dirty house, I may have set myself back

by doing housework. I had my surgery on 1/3/08 and still can only do

very light cleaning. My body tells me when to stop. I feel so much

better than b4 I had surgery. There were no good days then, just days

that were not as bad as others. Now I really enjoy my good days and

tolerate the bad as the good ones are coming back. I have my meds, my

heat and ice, my good bed and pillows, my wiener dogs, my dh, my

sense of humor and CCI to get me through the bad times. These are my

tools. Maybe we have a cure somewhere down the road.

Having surgery is a personal choice and one not to be made lightly or

in the spur of the moment. Only you can decide. Read all the other

posts. Do more research on the web. Evaluate how bad you feel. Know

that it is not a cure, but a treatment and no guarentee that it will

not have to be done again somewhere down the road. Yes,the bad news

is, you can be retethered and need to have it done again. Only you

can weigh these things in your mind and decide. Whatever you decide,

you have us to stand beside you all the way.

Peace my friends!

Wendi in PA

ACM 5.5mm

TC

TCS @ TCI on 1/3/08

[Guest guest]

,

Where in MA are you? I had TC surgery on Feb 7th in Springfield MA done by Dr

Kaye at Baystate Medical Ctr. If you are going to have it, I would

definitely recommend him, unless obviously you are closer to the Boston area, as

they have some wonderful dr's and hospitals there too! I would recommend having

it, but it's a decision you have to make on your own. I feel SO much better, and

happier since having it. The previous symptoms i had are completely gone. I have

aches and pains from the surgery site, but otherwise, no problems. I was out of

work 2 months and a week. And I am doing part time for 6 weeks. I am also doing

PT 2x a week for 4 weeks. I cannot even begin to tell you how much my life has

improved from having the surgery, and I'm not even fully recovered yet. Like you

will read elsewhere, it is NOT a cure for anything, its a treatment. But for me,

it worked wonders. There is also the chance that A) It might not work; and

You could retether and need the

surgery again down the road. It was by far the biggest decision I've ever made.

Even bigger than buying my first new car and getting married! But I think that

was because the decision was made completely on my own. Good luck, and let us

know what you decide to do!

Mark in Westfield MA

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