Re: Anterior Cervical Discectomy

October 6, 2003

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I had fusion with plates screws and wires in April and Oct. of 2000

from c-3 to c-8. I still have pain, numbness, and weakness. I take

neurontin, zanafelx, vioxx, and more everyday. Altho these meds

help, they have not made be feel normal again. My doc said he

doesn't see me going back to work any time in the next 10 years. I

still don't have my normal voice all the time. I lose my voice in

the middle of a sentence. Its very annoying. I wore a hard, hot and

very uncomfortable Miami J collar for 42 weeks. I slept, or tried to

sleep in my recliner for most of this time. But i am alive and

walking so i try not to complain too much. I could be in really bad

shape or dead.

Irene

-- In spinaldisorderssupport , pargolf9022

<no_reply@y...> wrote:

> Hi all, I went thought this less than comfortable procedure just

this

> past Sept. 23rd. and doing well. It took however almost 8 weeks

for

> my voice to come around, doctor said that was pretty unusual.

> Anyway, the reason for my joining this group, which appears to be

a

> very informative group, is for those who's forearm, hand and

fingers

> to loose strength and mobility. What are others arm's and hand's

> progressing. I have been told that regen of nerves is approx.

> 1mm /per day (0.025) and could take you to 12 mo's...I just read

an

> article and it claimed that this doctors advises his patients that

it

> could take as long as 5 years. Can anyone shed some light on this

> question?

>

> Thank you...Pargolf9022

October 6, 2003

Hi,

I am two years post-surgical from a C5-C7 ACDF with allograft and

hardware. I had an EMG on Oct 1, 2003 and the finding showed that the

nerve function from the elbow down was either very slow to respond or

permanently damaged beyond hope of returning. The results are similar

in both left and right arm but worse in the right arm. The time frame

between injury when I suffered the onset of nerve impingement and

surgical removal of the discs from the nerve root was just short of

four months.

For Beth: I do know others in another group (SCI) that have been

instantly paralyzed from a cervical disc injuries. There seems to be

no rhyme or reason to why some are and some are not. I would be glad

to help you in any way I can.

> Hi all, I went thought this less than comfortable procedure just this

> past Sept. 23rd. and doing well. It took however almost 8 weeks for

> my voice to come around, doctor said that was pretty unusual.

> Anyway, the reason for my joining this group, which appears to be a

> very informative group, is for those who's forearm, hand and fingers

> to loose strength and mobility. What are others arm's and hand's

> progressing. I have been told that regen of nerves is approx.

> 1mm /per day (0.025) and could take you to 12 mo's...I just read an

> article and it claimed that this doctors advises his patients that it

> could take as long as 5 years. Can anyone shed some light on this

> question?

>

> Thank you...Pargolf9022

October 6, 2003

Irene,

I also still have problems with my voice following my C5-C7 ACDF

surgery, which had to be corrected for a surgical error. I am taking

speech therapy now for the muscle tightness in my throat and my voice

hoarseness and weakness when talking for a long time. The muscles in

my throat and neck will spasm just from chewing food, a sneeze, a

cough or talking and are so severe that they clamp down like a charlie

horse in your calf would be and I cannot move at all. Will your PCP

or other Doctor refer you for an assessment with a speech therapist

for an evaluation or swallow study? If they won't keep asking other

Doctor's you see until someone will listen and hear or see the

problems you are experiencing. There is no excuse for not treating

the " whole " person following surgery since repairing one thing often

damages other parts of the body and creates other complications in the

process. Good Luck and I love your attitude, it is great to be alive!

In September my Doctor gave me a medication meant to lower my blood

pressure, and it did....so low that I had none and nearly died. I

went code blue by ambulance and spent a night trying to be revived in

the ER. Living with pain for such a long time, and the series of

medications that I have been given has caused my body's blood pressure

to raise and now trying to lower it nearly cost me my life.....so

indeed, just surgery on the neck does affect the entire body. Fight

for what you need and never stop until someone listens to you.

> > Hi all, I went thought this less than comfortable procedure just

> this

> > past Sept. 23rd. and doing well. It took however almost 8 weeks

> for

> > my voice to come around, doctor said that was pretty unusual.

> > Anyway, the reason for my joining this group, which appears to be

> a

> > very informative group, is for those who's forearm, hand and

> fingers

> > to loose strength and mobility. What are others arm's and hand's

> > progressing. I have been told that regen of nerves is approx.

> > 1mm /per day (0.025) and could take you to 12 mo's...I just read

> an

> > article and it claimed that this doctors advises his patients that

> it

> > could take as long as 5 years. Can anyone shed some light on this

> > question?

> >

> > Thank you...Pargolf9022

October 6, 2003

It sounds like after surgery I'm going to have a lot more to deal with. Was this

a complication or is this normal for this type of surgery?

~Beth