Finally Home!!

[Guest guest]

Happy Holidays to all.

I just wanted to let you all know that I made it home after my

Decompression w/out Duraplasty as well as the Craniocervical Fusion.

This time, I was much more alert thru the whole process which really

helped. I also desinated my husband as the person to be in charge.

I have never used a Proxy before, and this time I really needed one.

Anyway, I was in the PACU for 2 days. Then NICU for another 9 days.

Somebody put a Philadelphia Cervical Collar on me in the operating

room and it gave me pressure sores in 3 locations: one over the

incision; one over the left rod; and one over the right rod. Not a

good thing. I really still don't understand how exactly that

occurred. Especially because I read of so many people getting the

Aspen collar. I also don't really understand how it could be missed

for a day and a half. Anyway, when saw it, she took the

collar off and I was put on strict bedrest. I could only lay on my

sides. Needless to say, this threw a wrench into the recovery. I

didn't get the whole " get up and walk " thing. But, I brought my

daughter's comfy cute flannel fitted sheet to lay on. I had my

favorite blanket and 2 stuffed animals. I had my favorite pj's. I

watched movies on my portable DVD player and just took it day by day.

The only difficult side effect that I have is that they talked me

into letting them put a halo on me. But, one of the screws must have

hit a nerve because when I asked to have it taken back out, it felt

like somebody cutting me across my right eyebrow. Now, whenever I

touch that spot, I get a pulling sensation across the top of my head

on the right side. The other fun thing is I itch everywhere. Drives

me nuts!! Ugh.

Just a question to anybody who has had CCF. When I'm tired or have

tried to do a little too much, I can't hold my head up straight. I

assume it is a whole new group of muscles that now must be used and

it will take a lot of work. ANYBODY EXPERIENCE THIS??

Happy Holidays!

Cassie