Re: C 6-7 anterior fusion

[Guest guest]

Hi Carol! Welcome to the group.

I had a two level ACDF in January. C5-7. I was able to take off the

collar after 5 weeks (my first check up.) It feels kind of wierd at

first, and there were times that I put it back on because I felt

" weak. " But that only lasted for about a week!

I found my greatest pain, and sometimes still is, was the muscular

pain from having my head " positioned " for all those hours during

surgery. My incision is on the right, and most of my pre surgery pain

was on the left, so now I had all the pain on my right side. It was

tough. I waited 3 months to go back to work, and had to quit after 3

months of working. The pain was too great, and the job wasn't worth it.

I am still not completely fused, so I still need to be careful about

activities- My second level, C6/7, is taking longer, which they say is

to be expected. I still have pain on my right side if I over-do

things, and I still have the original pre-surgery pain. I just

started PT a couple weeks ago (they waited until the second level was

at least a little fused). The therapist is very hopeful, saying it's

just a matter of re-training my muscles and nerves. He says the

nerves are much like muscle in that they get tight with less use and

need to be lengthened and strengthened before they will feel better.

He makes sense, so we'll see.

Unfortunately, I can't give you much help with the sleeping. I spent

all of my nights sleeping upright on the couch after surgery, and I,

too didn't sleep long. I propped myself up as much as I could with

pillows and got a body pillow to kind of hold me up. Sometimes it

worked, sometimes not.

Anyway, if you have any questions, feel free to email me.

Take care,

cd

>

> Hi. I just found this group tonight. I had a cervical fusion 5 weeks

> ago and would like to hear from others who have had anterior fusions.

> My questions are about what to expect in the coming weeks, months as

> far as activity, going back to work, rehab, how it feels when the

> collar comes off after three months. I haven't seem my doc yet for the

> six week check-up, but find that people who have experienced similar

> surgeries can often give a better picture of what to expect.

>

> My most immediate question is how to get through nights and sleep in

> the collar. I don't sleep more than a few hours and wake up with neck

> spasms. I have to get up and go to my recliner. Also, how long does it

> take for the feeling of a lump in the throat (from the plate/screws, I

> assume) to go away?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Carol in Minnesota

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Mark from Boston here, it's not so much the plates and screws as it is

when they do the surgery they have to move everything over to get to where they

need to get to if that makes any sense to you???? They have gone thru the

front on me twice the first time I lost my voice for 2 and 1/2 weeks the second

time they damaged a nerve which runs your tongue and swallowing function

which needed to be repaired. As long as your speech is fine and your swallowing

function is working then after about 4 to 6 weeks the lump which is your

larynx they moved over should settle down and resolve the lump feeling.

Mark from Boston

more on some work I've had done take a stop by my journal page some great

pic.

_http://journals.aol.com/immort1/PAININTHENECK/_

(http://journals.aol.com/immort1/PAININTHENECK/)