Almost 3 years since my fusion surgery...

[Deja Q]

Because my neck's motion is limited, I have to get massage therapy.

My doc okayed that and to do certain stretching exercises, if I'm careful.

I've done those stretching exercises and can hear the joints in my neck crack. Sometimes loudly, sometimes quietly, some times more than one - *crack* *crack* *crack*. Sometimes after this I'd swear I feel a slight but generalized numbness that improves after a while.

I can't do the ones the masseur recommended as the fused vertebrae make it impossible.

I can do some mobility exercises, but I've got to be damn careful.

I can play around with 25lb weights decently AND do up to 40 push ups per day now.

Due to the ring of eczema around my neck, it's hard to tell if any tingling I feel is due to a new disc problem (I had several at the time of the surgery but only one of which required removal) or the sensitive skin burning by eczema.

I do have migraines from time to time.

Yesterday I did 40 pushups and today I noted I couldn't grasp a computer for very long. But I did the pushups last night and more than I had done before.

Of course, if I didn't have the surgery I'd be a quadriplegic by now.

I still have hopes for the future.

Getting physically fit in of itself is going to be a challenge; I have seriously thought quitting work and living off savings/retirement just for the sake of it, amongst pursing one of two dream careers. After all, life is short.

But I'm keeping my job and doing the best I can and hope that will last a while.

While having to live with a fused neck isn't always appealing, and how I might very likely need the same surgery again in a few years (1 of not 2 more discs were badly degenerated and I know they've gotten a bit worse since then), I'll let you know right now it was better than the alternative - collapsing, losing balance, and would have led to paralysis.

Oh, avoid chiropractors too. Stick with masseurs or osteopaths for any disorder.

Sorry to be opinionated.

[crim son]

1. I'm with you re: chiropractors, only because I've looked into

the philosophy behind the practice and it... it... well, you know. But Hypno, it sounds like you are doing prety well. I haven't been around as much as I once was. What has happened with the weakness in your legs? Has that improved? Should I be PMing this?

[Deja Q]

4. The legs? Not better...

Especially the knees.

It's probably due to not exercising enough combined with improper computer desk setup, and the more I delay what's necessary (walking/jogging) the worse I will get.

Feel free to PM. But I'm really not asking for advice (the doc had told me what to do and I want to make good on my promise.)

[Bucky]

2. Not inquiring about your personally, but why in general do people need vertabra-fusing?

I'm unfamiliar with this.

Oh, and if this is just a complaint thread, my knees have been stiff all day. I may be getting bursitis.

[Deja Q]

5. Mostly a complaint thing, but as to your question,

a slipped disc can require surgery. Especially if other forms of therapy fail. This one disc was so badly lodged into my spine, and keep in mind the neurosurgeon spent 4 hours just to remove this one disc. That's how bad it was, I genuinely am lucky...

People with hernias, severe disc degeneration (often from too much computer work), and other related issues can require this sort of surgery.

[redqueen]

3. Wow... that's impressive...

I know someone with fused discs in her neck, and she acts as if she can do NO exercise at all due to that.

Thanks for the tip re: chiropractors... my ex has degenerating discs in his neck and has been putting off having his neck fused in favor of having the artificial disc replacement surgery. I'll warn him off them.
:hi:

[Deja Q]

6. When I had my surgery, the artificial discs were starting to be talked about...

Of course, I couldn't wait 5~10 years either... sometimes it has to be done.

They're still in development and I'd hate to fear what would happen if a fake disc popped. :scared:

Many exercises cannot be done, but many others still can - slowly and with time. But with the added pressure of the fused vertebrae, we do have to take care and do things slowly. (I don't know her situation, but she might have a valid point. Especially if it's more than one disc that had been removed; surrounding vertebrae fused.)

Walking is still the best form of exercise, and jogging/elliptical trainer can be used once the fusion is complete and verified, but lifting can be an issue at times (pro weight lifters have to be careful not to strain their necks or damage their spines) and the lack of neck mobility makes some stretching exercises flat out impossible.

Definitely wait as long as you can for this sort of surgery. That I wholly agree with. But if he can't wait, do it now and hope for the best for the future. Seriously.

[redqueen]

7. Thanks... I think it was more than one, actually.

And yeah... he's been putting it off for about three or four years now... but he seems willing to wait, for now. If he loses any more mobility, I still don't know that he'd have the fusion done, he's heard too many horror stories.

I'd like an elliptical myself, actually. I'm too weirded out in public to go to a gym. :P

[Deja Q]

8. Heh...

Buy one. :D

Good ones cost $400 on up. Mine's $700, used it, then put it away for a while, and now I'm using it again.

At one point, he might want to consider trading between one form of horror for another. :(

[redqueen]

9. I'm considering it!

I've thought about splurging on myself for my birthday... but it's a lot of money... maybe Christmas.

I've gotta do something... the step aerobics and kickboxing is too hard on my knees nowadays.

Does yours take up lots of room? They looks so BIG!

[Deja Q]

10. We're talking about elliptical trainers, right?

:rofl:

Aye, they are big. 5 feet long, 3 feet wide space is required. I keep mine in my apt's living room area.

Get one with an adjustable incline at the bottom. This will add extra layers of difficulty to the usual resistance settings on the keypad on top.

[redqueen]

11. ahahahaha... you nut!

I already have a space picked out. :) Better wait till after christmas... cause that's where the tree's going. :P

Thanks for the tips!

[skygazer]

12. I'm very grateful my fusion turned out as well as it did

It sounds like mine was more straightforward than yours, however. How many bad disks did you have? I had one badly herniated one that was replaced (with a piece of bone from my thigh - is that how yours was done?) but I've had no complications from it. I have a little less mobility but my mobility was limited anyway because of the pain and numbness in my arms. I have no numbness now and rarely any pain so I'm happy with the way it turned out.

I am prone to arthritis which I imagine will come into play in the neck soon enough (there's already some there but not enough to make me notice it over the stuff in my lower back, wrists, fingers, shoulders and knees - right now, they all ache because its damp and overcast outside :eyes: ) but I hope I won't have any more disks fail.

Anyway, I'm glad you got the relief you did and sorry you still have to put up with so much physical shit. :hug:

[Deja Q]

14. Hmmm

The disc between C4 and C5 was jammed in my spinal cord.

The disc between C2 and C3 was badly degenerated.

C5 and C6 also had some degeneration.

I don't recall the status of C1/C2 and C6/C7. Probably better than the others...

The neurologist was amazed at how I could handle that dislodged disc for so long. He only opted the bad disc's removal, through the front of the neck.

I had the surgeon whittle out part of my thigh as well - same procedure as yours; one's own material tends to graft better and I did not want to go through the procedure again.

When he tested my legs for muscle neuropathy, he found no nerve damage but unresponsive tissues. (Born 3 months too early, I did come out with a few defects; my legs and lungs being my weaker points. Plus some congenital vertebrae fusion of my lumbosacral region (which isn't uncommon under the circumstances I was born through...) Good thing I wasn't made in China...)

The MRIs also had shown, again in my neck, signs of arthritis and bone growth between vertebrae. I forgot the technical term, but that's another joy I'll get to deal with in ~10 years.

Today I learned that moist heat does a much better job than dry heat for strained muscles.

Compared to paralysis, I can deal with the discomfort. The occasional tingling is an annoyance, but I still think it's by and large the eczema and the muscle tightness - I hope it isn't because the exercises or my latest fall at work didn't cause a new problem...


:hug:

[pitohui]

13. you're doing just fine

you have the right to your opinions and your decisions and i have a feeling you're doing just fine

a toast to the toad!

it took a lot of courage to get that surgery, don't you ever crap on yourself over it