I was fine before I went to the doctor!

About a hundred years ago I played high schol football and was known for sticking my nose in and trying to break my facemask when tacking. It backfired with what was initially called a sprained trapezius but was really a broken neck (they never x-rayed it ;) ) My current doctor has helped me with managing it and has never been worried about my neck or spine.

A few weeks ago I went to the doctors office for my physical. My BP was a little high so I went down and had the blood work done. All is fine, but when I went back to the doctors I made the mistake of mentioning that I have been having headaches lately, a little extra numbness in my extremities and the base of my skull was tight. He sent me out to the next room for another of many x-rays. After a few minutes I was told to clear up the rest of my day. I spent the next 5 hours waiting for the nice lady in the room at the hospital to call me into the MRI machine... It seems that I get to have a procedure on my spine including fusing vertebrae. I am freaking out because of the risks involved.

I was feeling pretty good about where I am at and this kind of hit me from behind. I am talking to the surgeon tomorrow to get information on how long I will be down. Not looking for sympathy, just need to vent a little.

I, literally, know what you are going through. I am purposely avoiding my doc so they don't do the neck fusion to me (also from an injury).

A good friend of mine just had this surgery. He had gotten so bad he almost couldn't walk and was having headaches all the time. He kept putting it off for years. Within 24 hours of the surgery he was 100% better. The neck brace is coming off for good in another week. Says it was the best thing he has ever done.

Before you do a fusion talk to the doc about disc replacement - it's not always an option and it's not a magic bullet but its something to be checked out before you proceed with a fusion. I have had lots of clients have cervical fusions with good results, but it's not a trivial surgery. I've seen fewer disc replacements but they preserve motion, and generally the worst case is you have to go back and get the fusion later. Either way good luck!

Without a real good reason to rush, I wouldn't rush. Research, second opinion, etc.

This isn't trivial surgery. Don't treat it cavalierly.

Headaches and numbness are bad for one so young. Imagine 10 - 20 years from now. Medical folks know more about this stuff than we do, we know more about cars than they do. Do the homework and do the deed.

You want to be healthy as the kiddies get bigger.

Good luck, we have the technology.

Dan

My wife had neck fusion after a car wreck damaged her spine, they put in a metal plate and a piece of cadaver bone, While it initially had relieved her pain from headaches, but the pain comes back after time. Now she suffers from extremity numbness, intense pain in cold weather and now is being told the adjoining vertebrae are wearing and she will require another surgery.

That's our experience YMMV

First, don't take anything said here (including what I say) as applying to you - Everyone is different. But in my case, I have two ruptured discs, have had a discectomy on one of them, and have advanced disc degeneration on all my discs. About 8 years ago they wanted to do a fusion. I did a bunch of research and decided to go to physical therapy instead. I'm glad I did. Then about 3 years ago I started having major sciatica. They again wanted to do surgery. I was relentless in trying to find an alternative because what I really need is a disc replacement, which I'm not yet comfortable with doing (once you have a fusion, you can't have the disc replaced later). I finally found a medication that completely takes away the pain. And here I am 14 years after my first surgery and I feel pretty good.
Fusion may or may not fix the problem. And if you ask what the odds are, I'm guessing they won't be that favorable. But one thing it will do for sure is put more stress on the discs and vertebra on either side of the fusion and will reduce your flexibility. These aren't insignificant side effects. My advice is don't act quickly. Take your time and completely vett this out before making a decision.

In 1995 I started experiencing pain and numbness in my left shoulder and arm. Cliff notes version: results of an accident in 1974- stenosis at c5&6, canal narrowed to 9mm. I had surgery to fuse the vertebrae and open the spinal canal. I went from the certainty of eventual quadriplegia and a feeding tube, along with great pain, to 6 weeks after surgery being told I could go racing the next day. My surgery was performed by a team from Hershey Med Center and the doctor is now at John Hopkins as head of department. Do your research and weigh all your options, but don't be unnecessarily afraid of the surgery.

My issues are at C3 and C5 and C6 as well. I am heading to the surgical consult right now.

SOMEBODY'S gettin' an ACDF.

If given the choice, go for cadaver bone. Most of the time, when using your own bone, the donor site hurts more and longer than the operation site.

Take your time and explore your options. Cadaver bone? Salvage parts! Never heard that reference before, always heard 'donor'.

I can say all the surgeons around here with these surgeries do indeed choose to go the cadaver bone part.

Most people are doing alright - I'm sure you'll feel better when this is over and done with.

I have spondylolisthesis (say that 3 times out loud! LOL). Had been dealing with a stiff back and "numbness" down my left leg. Was slowly getting worse. Finally went to the doc, and he informed me of my issue. Only fix for me is fusion. I am doing what I can to strengthen my core, which will help the back pain, but the sciatic issue won't go away until the surgery is done. Doc says I will be down for over 3 months. He said, with what I do for work, he wouldn't want me back at that for 6 months. Which means I am just going to suck it up as long as I can.

Cadaver bone! I want this done and I don't even have a neck injury! Is it less money if you pick and pull?

where do they pull the donor bone from? I have some bone in my wrist that came from my hip - no pain whatsover in the hip area afterwards.

Mofo, Im sure Im speaking for everyone here when I say that we are all rooting for you man, and we hope you get good news!!!

The usual donor site is the Anterior Superior Illiac Crest, err, yur hip bone. It doesn't always hurt, but it does a lot of the time, from my observations. They probably only needed a little piece for your wrist. A 3 level fusion neck bone job will need a good bit of donor bone.

Personally, I'd only go to a neurosurgeon neck expert if it was my neck. Not that ortho surgeon neck experts couldn't do just as good a job, but that's what I would do. Either way, make sure they are the neck guy.

I have a personal question, JB, answer it if you want. Was playing football in high school worth all the pain it has given you and the pain you are about to receive? If you had a choice to go back in time and not play football, would you do it?

I don't have any experience or advice to offer, but my thoughts are with you for a speedy recovery whatever you choose JB!

Dr. Hess wrote: I have a personal question, JB, answer it if you want. Was playing football in high school worth all the pain it has given you and the pain you are about to receive? If you had a choice to go back in time and not play football, would you do it?

Personally, knowing what I know now I would go back and play again. I would also pay more attention and prepare myself better to play. EVERY sports injury that I have (ankle, elbow, neck) came from improper technique or improper fitness routine/stretching. I was always flying around at 11/10ths but slacked off in the weight room and scoffed off stretching properly. At 17 years old I was 6'2" 285lbs and ran a 4.7sec 40yd time and I was by far the least conditioned, least prepared and least trained person on the field. One of the things that I had taken most advantage of was the fact that I was surrounded by pro atheletes that never TRAINED like pro atheletes when I was with them. I impressed my brother, my coaches and our friends with talent but no one showed me the way I need to prepare and I never made the connection. A short trip to the University of Florida showed me my lack of regiment would not allow me to progress further. Among other things it cost me a scholarship and a really nice car.

I will spend more time preparing the boys for physical play then my father and coaches did. But I refuse to push them the way my father pushed my siblings and I.

Dr. Hess wrote: The usual donor site is the Anterior Superior Illiac Crest, err, yur hip bone. It doesn't always hurt, but it does a lot of the time, from my observations. They probably only needed a little piece for your wrist. A 3 level fusion neck bone job will need a good bit of donor bone.

The piece they took for my wrist was a disc approx 2" in diameter, about 1.5" deep...think a good sized stack of half dollar coins. I could feel the hole in my hip bone for months, but no pain. I hope Johns situation is the same...

The surgeon I spoke with is a neurosurgeon, I need to spend a little time with him before he decides wether I am going under immediately or if I need to kick around with PT for a while first. He had a few more pics done and I have another meeting with him Monday.

Thanks to all of you standing behind me.

foxtrapper wrote: Without a real good reason to rush, I wouldn't rush. Research, second opinion, etc. This isn't trivial surgery. Don't treat it cavalierly.

This is what my moms spine doctor said. She had gotten so bad before she went in that she said she felt better with the freshly slit throat after the opt and the missing chunk of her pelvis (used instead of cadaver bone). He said she'd need more surgury in the future but since that procedure will basically fuse her whole neck, she had better not rush anything. That surgury must suck but both my mom and uncle who had his lower back done said it helped a great deal.

My father had his done in 97 with cadaver bits. He went from constant pain, headaches and limited movement to normal in about three months. The worst parts for him were wearing a hard plastic collar for a while after the surgary and being driven around all summer by my brother who got his license the day before the operation. He went back to work in about 5 months and was jumping in and out of trailers like it never happened. He's 62 now and his neck is still holding up fine.

Mother had it done three times. Third time worked, for about a decade. Now she's looking at round four.

Friend was having a disc worked on in her neck, they slipped. Oopsie! Your a quad. Enjoy your life! She's not happy.

Don't treat this as trivial stuff with no risks or downsides.

John Brown wrote: The surgeon I spoke with is a neurosurgeon, I need to spend a little time with him before he decides wether I am going under immediately or if I need to kick around with PT for a while first. He had a few more pics done and I have another meeting with him Monday. Thanks to all of you standing behind me.

Damaged C4 and 5 in a car accident many years ago. Went through the numbness in the arms and the whole deal. The doctor I saw sent me to a great PT place and within 3 months I was better than ever. If they are suggesting to try PT then do it, and stick with it. It really can do wonders if done properly and consistently. I slacked off after the "official" PT time was up and didnt continue my exercises at home and everything came back. I am now back to doing the exercises and feeling much better.