Sooooo.... neck surgery?

[Skeen]

WTF you guys, I swear I never get a "normal" ailment.

I have a ruptured C6-C7 disc and a bulging C5-C6 disc.  I woke up like this in early February, no idea how I did it (just like every other stupid "you are too young for this" injury I have ever had).  The ruptured one is putting pressure on the nerves going into my arm so that various parts of it fall asleep in different positions.  For example, I can no longer look up or fold my arms without my arm going completely numb.  I've been to the neurologist and I'm having surgery this summer to shave off a bone spur bothering the upper disc, and to remove the protruding bits on the lower.  It's posterior, so keyhole surgery.  Hopefully this will buy me some time (maybe, like, forever) before I have to have the vertebrae fused, but that's also pretty likely if this doesn't 100% work.

So, any stories or advice from similar surgeries of your own?  I'm not bothered at all by the thought of having an operation.  I just wondered if anyone had personal experience with recovery time, especially since I live alone so I'm mostly on my own as far as taking care of myself (Aadra and my parents are nearby but I'm not going to call them just because I can't reach a shelf in my kitchen afterwards, you know?).  I know vaguely what to expect but know it varies by person, naturally. 

[Galactica]

I have no experience with this personally, but one of our very good friends had something similar- only she essentially had some numbness in her leg and suddenly she woke up one morning and couldn't walk!  She recovered very quickly after surgery and has not needed a fusion (it has probably been 6 years now).  There is fortunately a lot of blood flow in the spinal area so healing is quick! 

That is a little scary though that you are on your own- you should have someone stay with you on the day you come back from surgery and for a few days at least- You are probably going to be feeling out of it-  and seriously, if there is one thing that I learned from recovering from my own surgeries/injuries- is that, surprisingly, people like helping you out in these sorts of situations. Truly.  It just is hard to take help I think.

[Skeen]

I'm glad to hear your friend's recovery was so smooth!  OMG it's scary to think of being unable to walk suddenly.  I know I've gotten off relatively easy as far as spinal injuries can go!

This will be the first surgery I've been alone for, actually.  I know my mother will check in on me and Dad is usually available to bring me things on his way home from work.  Aadra just had a gorgeous little girl so I won't call her and make her pack up the baby just to bring me Gatorade, lol!  But I'll be fine, I think.  Usually after surgery I just sleep til it's time for food and drugs, then sleep again.

[rosierjay]

i have no stories to share as i've only had thyroid surgery,
but i'm sending you love and prayers. *hugs skeen gently*

[Galactica]

I'm glad to hear your friend's recovery was so smooth!  OMG it's scary to think of being unable to walk suddenly.  I know I've gotten off relatively easy as far as spinal injuries can go!

This will be the first surgery I've been alone for, actually.  I know my mother will check in on me and Dad is usually available to bring me things on his way home from work.  Aadra just had a gorgeous little girl so I won't call her and make her pack up the baby just to bring me Gatorade, lol!  But I'll be fine, I think.  Usually after surgery I just sleep til it's time for food and drugs, then sleep again.

Hmm, I don't love it.  Not because you might need Gatorade- but just because sometimes things happen after surgery- like you could throw a clot or something, and yes it is rare but if something like that happens you should have someone there who will be able to get you help fast.  But at least talk to the nurse for your surgeon about it...

Aadra can play with the baby while you sleep- and call 911 if something unexpected happens.

[kasin]

My dad has had 4 (I think that's where we are now?) separate spinal surgeries, my brother 1, my sister 1 and my dog 1. most of the procedures were fusion, but dad had at lest one that was more about shaving bone spurs etc. cant say much on sister, she is only a week post op, brother it was a huge help and dad, the first operation was a huge relief, second less and fourth was minimal. Doggie it was a miracle, he had lost all control of his hind legs and was loosing the front, in a lot of pain and the vet said to put him down, found a dog neurologist and 7K later he is almost his old self. now healing from the procedures varied a lot from person to person, but simply put its a invasive procedure that affects a sensitive part of your body, you will want someone around for at least the first week home to help you changing bandages and getting around, picking up some food for you etc. you will want to invest in a few good books, movies etc too because healing weirs you out and you wont feel like doing much.

if it make you feel any better my brother was in his early 30's when he had this done. He is unusually tall and it was just too much strain on his spine, he didn't do anything, it just sort of fell apart, my sister it just happened for no reason too, she isn't tall, but she is in her late 40's. hope this all helps, acupuncture was very helpful for pain for them BTW if you need something to help hold you over, it was enough that my dad was able to put off 2 of the surgeries for over a year each and that is worth it since everything you do to that area makes the surrounding areas weaker and more prone to problems.

Good Luck!

[kaoskat]

Yikes! No advice, but I wish you luck! I hope everything goes well!

[Leave a Whisper]

That sounds really scary, but I wish you a successful surgery and a full recovery skeen.

[melodys_angel]

I..hope my back never gets to that point.  Ive had a few nasty accidents and run ins with it (try being 12 and your chiro saying that you are the second worse case scenario hes seen in his life..and hes been working for over 40 years...)but it never resulted in surgery.

I would second having someone there with you for the first day or so--just to make sure nothing happens and you are ok.  Also ask about what they are going to give you pain wise.  They may not give the strong stuff to you but in my experience what they do give does not break the pain for the first day (it gets better after day 1)  Other the that, I cant really suggest much.  Ive had surgery, but not on my spine.

Best of luck!

[Skeen]

Thanks for the replies, ladies. 

To hear my doctor talk, I'll be up walking and able to do most everything almost immediately.  He said don't plan on being out of work for more than a few days, if I even need that long.  It's an overnight stay in the hospital but then I'm free to do whatever doesn't hurt to do (no lifting, no high-impact anything).  I know he'll be giving me narcotics, because we've already discussed which I can and can't take, and which make me nauseous but are tolerable with anti-nausea drugs too.  I think the worst surgery for me so far pain-wise has been my breast reduction, and even then 4 days post-op I wasn't taking any painkillers.  This one shouldn't hurt worse than that! 

[FantasticFirefly]

Ok, this is from my spouse and a knee surgery. What his dr told him. "Do not wait until you start to feel pain to take your meds post op. take them when we tell you." The dr. wasn't lying about that apparently. once it starts to hurt, it'll really start to hurt and meds don't work as well. but since you've had surgery before needing meds you likely already got that part under your belt.

I hope it goes smoothly and you start to feel better (and total relief) soon. I deal with pinching/tingling/shooting sensation in my hands(mostly ring finger area), from my shoulders holding onto stress and getting all knotted and pinching stuff it shouldn't. and that's intolerable enough on it's own. Don't feel like a pain for having a family member stay with you to help out either, especially if the dr. wants someone around to watch over you for the first couple days at home.

[Galactica]

Thanks for the replies, ladies. 

To hear my doctor talk, I'll be up walking and able to do most everything almost immediately.  He said don't plan on being out of work for more than a few days, if I even need that long.  It's an overnight stay in the hospital but then I'm free to do whatever doesn't hurt to do (no lifting, no high-impact anything).  I know he'll be giving me narcotics, because we've already discussed which I can and can't take, and which make me nauseous but are tolerable with anti-nausea drugs too.  I think the worst surgery for me so far pain-wise has been my breast reduction, and even then 4 days post-op I wasn't taking any painkillers.  This one shouldn't hurt worse than that!

Oh I'm glad to hear you are staying the night in the hospital! I was afraid it was outpatient

I sure hope you are feeling better fast, and I do agree you should take pain medicine regularly before the pain gets out of control.

Also- if you ARE going to be taking pain medicine- make sure you are getting a LOT LOT of fiber in your diet !  (also keep in mind - in the event of such potential, unmentionable problem, that warmed up prune juice sounds disgusting but works miracles that very little can beat)

[Skeen]

Oof, I know.  I had my hip scoped last year and forgot about that side effect.  Will never forget it again!! 

[Galactica]

Oof, I know.  I had my hip scoped last year and forgot about that side effect.  Will never forget it again!!

Yeah, I really don't think hospitals/docs/nurses actually do a good enough job usually of educating people on that score- 

[Skeen]

Well to be honest they could have told me but I was so drugged up I would have forgotten.  Ask Aadra, all I did for a week was eat macaroni and text pictures of my cat to people.  I don't remember that AT ALL.