NCC Happy New Year! with a personal update LONG

[Guest guest]

Hello all!

This is my first visit back to the eGroups site in several

weeks. I haven't forgotten you; I've just been keeping myself

distracted with other things.

In the interim, I discovered eBay and other forms of internet

shopping. I think I have finally satiated my pent-up shopping

deficit, which resulted from not being able to drive for the last 8

months.

Most of my Christmas gifts and groceries came to my door via the post

office, UPS, FedEx, and AirBorne. I had lots of packages to open

before the holidays arrived.

I have just one month (Feb. 2) to go until my next visit to Dr.

Heffez.

If my films look good, I should be able to remove the SOMI brace I've

been wearing 24/7 since my second surgery on 8/16 for osteomyelitis

due to a staph infection that destroyed C7. Then I can start more

active physical therapy, a somewhat scary thought after having been

immobilized for so long.

The second surgery was an anterior procedure; my earlier one was

posterior. As I have now experienced the " best " of both approaches, I

would be happy to answer any questions about either.

Overall, I'm doing much better in many ways than before my first

surgery on May 1, a cervical laminectomy and fusion C3 (partial) to

C7 (partial) for cervical stenosis with myelopathy.

I will probably always have some residual problems, but I have no

regrets about having had the surgery. The complications have been no

fun, of course, but I think most of the discomfort is behind me.

(Famous last words!) Even my husband agrees that my brain (sometimes)

works better now than it did when I was in graduate school.

Here's wishing all of you a brighter New Year, and warm hopes for the

Spring thaw (for those of us blessed with a white Christmas)!

Regards,

Lanora

LONG!!! history: skip this if you don't want to read some of the gory

details:

sx: 20+ years of fibromyalgia; constant and severe head pain, with

frequent multi-day migraines; poor balance; loss of strength and

sensation in hands

dx: cervical myelopathy due to cervical stenosis and spondylosis; NO

sign of chiari

treatment: posterior cervical laminectomy and fusion with

instrumentation, c3-C7, 5/1/00, by Heffez

recovery complicated by osteomyelitis at C7; new sx (PAIN!!!) began

appearing 7-8 weeks after initial surgery. Anterior corpectomy with

fusion and plating down to T2 performed by Heffez 8/16/00.

Follow-up care: 10 weeks' IV antibiotics + one month oral

antibiotics. Penicillin allergy developed after approx. 5 weeks.

Gentle physical therapy exercises while wearing brace.

Dreaming of lying on a beach somewhere unencumbered by orthopedic

appliances!! I'd even be willing to show *all* my scars!!!

My answer to people who ask if I've had an accident: " No, not really,

just too much hard living! "