May this surgery bring back some of the life you lost. Sending comforting and healing thoughts your way for a successful recovery!

I'm guessing you're home since you're online -- hope friends and family are taking good care of you.

Take care,

Judy

I'm glad your surgery is over and that you're doing well. I hope you continue to do so. Take it easy and take care.

Debbie

I was walking my dog two days after surgery of c4,c5 and c5,c6. I was getting nuts in the house. I have had neighbors doing drilling work and then fireworks last night so I walked my dog to try to distract myself from all the insanity since I've gotten home.

The surgery went well but I feel it now and really need to rest. Did you still get shooting pain in your neck and head after they did surgery? I'm scared and I really need this to work.

I know it's too early to tell but I really wanted instant relief. I'm just depressed and sick and tired of it all.

Thanks,

Cindy

Hi Cindy -

I am scheduled for 7/29/09 and I have four children and I just finished my masters in May. I wanted to have the surgery last year, but with four children I put it off and I am paying for it on a daily basis. When I take my children to the beach, just lifting up my arms to put my cover up on and off is horrible.

The great news is that it is summer, I would assume you have off regarding your masters? If not take one semester off (now) and then make it your goal for Sept to return back to school.

After reading all of these boards at times I am scared, but I will just make little goals and follow through with them -- this way I wont have time thinking about anything else

Keep me posted - I am in the dark if I need ACDF or a multilevel fusion or not -- dr will let me know depending on how bad it is.

Try everything before surgery. I did but all failed and this was my last hope.

I did over due it since I got home and yes your body will let you know it when the pain meds wear off. I am also trying to stop smoking and I'm cranky! My mother too is a major pain in my butt. Comes over to help but then annoys me about stupid crap. I have people coming to see how I am and I just want to rest and be left alone. My husband went out with his friends last nigth and came home when I was flipping out because of the construction next door and my inlaws and parents driving me nuts. I swear when I get better I am going to save and pack my bags!

I never saw such inconsiderate people for someone who just had surgery! I am not in a good mood or maybe it's the pain meds making me really upset, hard to tell! Sorry but I need to let this out.

Cin

My Therapist told me to say to people "I appreciate your concern and I'm healing well and I will call you if I need anything but right now my Dr. told me I needed to get my rest to heal." "Love you Bye"
I hope you feel better and it's great to vent we understand. Charry

Cin -

Trust me, I am sure I will be in your shoes the end of the month having a large italian family, there is no doubt they will be causing me more issues than the surgery itself

I hope your having a great day!

It is so great you understand. They are actually leaving me alone and I'm getting rest! They are more painful then the surgery, trust me!

Oh and cherry cough drops are a must for your throat. It's not bad but the cough drops make you forget you had anything done. It is day 5 and I'm limiting the pain killers and feel tired but really good! I wish you luck swim and my friend told me after to put mederma and vit. E for the scar.

I also have a friend at work that has had this done and I didn't know she had it until she told me. I had to get really close and could hardly see her scar so that is the good news.
My prays are with you and if you need anything, let me know! It really isn't that bad at all. Remember pain killers, cough drops and ginger ale, it's the best meds after and you just pray for the long term success!

Cin

Cin

Cin-

I forgot to ask you, did you use a wedge pillow? my dr mentioned it would be great since it will help me rest better....

I had ACDF C5/6 on 06/15 and I'm having alot of strange feelings going on. I too expected instant relief and so far not sure what's going on. The back of my skull feels like someone's beat me with a baseball bat. It wasn't so bad the first two weeks after surgery, but this week has been tough. My shoulders are tight and hurting. The shooting pain and something like icy hot on the inside of my scalp and skin. It's hard to explain. I guess it's nerve pain. The RN that I saw postop said it was all normal. I had lots of bone spurs removed. I've been worried that some of the strange feelings are almost like the spinal headache that I had once after getting an epidural steriod shot in my low back or when I had a myleogram. I don't know how you are supposed to tell between a problem and what's normal with all of the neck stuff.

I hope you get to feeling better soon. I've felt really rough today with the headache. Have you had headaches too?? My ears are almost like popping from the pressure. Maybe my sinuses are just screwed up, but the back of my head is really painful.

Cindy,

I also had surgery 6/30.... I had an ACDF c5-6 with instrumentation and posterior fusion with laminectomy at c5-6 and c6-7 with rods and screws. But my NS told my husband I actually had screws from c4-7 in back and I had bone on bone, so things were painful......

But my husband can't handle things too well, either. My surgery ended @11;30 Tuesday night. He stayed the whole time, but my mother had left the hospital before dark. I ended up in SICU over night because my throat swelled up and I couldn't breathe and they had to intubate me. I woke up to my mother in SICU...freaking out.

She told me my husband didn't go into work Wed because of staying up late, right, but I learned from a neighbor that he played golf first thing wed am. My mom said my hubby would be bringing my kids (14 & 18 for the afternoon visit)....completely not what we had discussed. So I asked her if I was dying or something...because I didn't know why I was in SICU!!!

Then he did get off Thursday afternoon when I moved to my own room, so that was nice.

Friday at 6am the resident came in and asked if I wanted to go home that day and I said of course! So I called my hubby on the cell phone (since it was same area code as hospital)...and told him to keep his cell phone available so I could contact him when I knew more.....well he went to play golf Friday morning before I came home....It took me several tries to reach him on his cell before I knew for sure he got the message.

But then he went to play again on Saturday and again today while my kids went to church.

My mother keeps saying she can come and stay and help and that would drive me nuts, too. My kids have really kept things going for me.

She will be staying with me for a week though when my kids go to the beach with my husband's family.

So if you've read through all this thank you......I had to vent too! I know how you feel......

But i tell my kids that i have big shoulders and they can blame things they don't want to do with their friends on me....I think in this instance we can use our doctors' big shoulders and use them as an excuse:

My doctor says I need quiet to rest.
My doctor says I can only have one or two visitors at one time.
etc. etc.

I go back to see the NS on Mon, 11/13. When is your post-op? Let's keep in touch and compare notes!!