Cervical surgery

[Guest guest]

, I teach school (have since retired -but only because I hit the "age") so I had the surgery at the beginning of the summer.  I could not drive while I had the neck brace on and that was six weeks.  My surgeon did not go in through the front so I never had a sore throat.  I did do some curriculum work from home after about 3 weeks.  I was really happy with the result of the surgery.

[Guest guest]

I had one and C5 and C6 are fused with hip bone and it worked immediately. I

don't remember but the doctor came into the recovery room and I stretched my

right arm in the air and said " AHHH, that feel so good " . LOL I was so happy I

didn't swear or say anything incriminating. I had great success. Is your fusion

going to be with instrumentation or harvested bone? I was told about 3 to 4

months for me to get somewhat back to normal. I am now having the same problem

on the left side. The pain clinic I'm going to is doing everything they can to

avoid surgery and I hate to say it but I wish they would just do the surgery.

Next month they are going to do Cervical Facet Radiofrequency Neurotomy where

they go in with a flourscope and insert a needle like tube called a cannula to

the irrated medial branch nerves and administer a radiofrequency electrode and

give the nerve a weak electric current to recreate the pain and then they heat

and caulderize the nerve in essence burning it to interrupt the pain delivered

to the brain. Yikes. The only saving grace I see is that they sedate you if you

want. OH, I WANT!! LOL That's one of the many procedures they will do. I'd just

rather have the surgery and get it over in one procedure. But no. They want to

put me through all this.

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> I was having severe pain in my arm and shoulder and the latest MRI showed I

have three herniated discs in my neck. I noticed my speech had rapidly changed

and I catch myself stuttering a lot now. The doctor now wants to perform a

double fusion. I have already heard promises as I have had my L5,S1 fused in my

lower back. What can I expect on this type of surgery? How long can I expect to

be gone from work? I am not looking forward since it seems that I end up taking

all my vacation due to injuries or surgeries.

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