last surgey, I hope, home and medicated

Hi all. I had my left CT release done yesterday and am home druggged up but feeling no better.  The anesthesologist asked about my medical history and said he would try not to aggravate the CSM when positioning my head and neck but I still ended up with neck spasms.  As i am allergic to soy proteins (weird side effect of being on synthroid) he had to use an older durg for sedation and it has a nasty side effect of post-op nausea, and the topper this morning is the "trauma" of the surgery has caused a costral-chrondritis flair.  hopefully this is the last of the surgeries unless they decide to do a lumabr spine decompression, but that won't be decided until at least mid December.
moeck

[Heather3418]

I am glad the surgery is over.  You rest as best as you can.  I hear you about the nausea.  This is one lady that does not do well from anesthesia.  Ugghhhh!

You are in my prayers for a speedy recovery.  Be well.

Heather

[moeck]

I noticed this morning that I have thin, purple striations on my arm that was not operated on.  I palptated my armpit and breast and there are no lumps or pain or fever.  The operative nurse called to see how I was and said they may be due to the tourniquet from the IV.  Weird I know, but what else is new.
Moeck

[mokibear]

I too am glad your surgery is over and hope you get feeling better soon. Sounds like you had a bit of a rough go. Just take things easy for a while and make sure you don't push yourself to hard.

Your in my thoughts
Moki

[LLWB]

I know, dumb question, but what were your CT symptoms? I just had disc removal and fusion at C4-5 in June. When the neuro did the nerve function studies, he also stated that I have CT in both wrists. About the last 4-6 weeks, I have been having left arm pain. My biceps feels like it has an inflated blood pressure cuff on  all the time, and after driving for 8 hrs at work, from my elbow down feels like it is vibrating, and crawly feeling all the time. My thumb and next two fingers feel numb. I spoke with my neuro today, and he is ordering a splint to wear for next two weeks. If that doesn't improve things, he wants me in for an exam. Hand also is always noticably cold. Did you experience any of those symptoms? I thought it might be from my neck surgery, but that went well, and back to work in a month. I really need to avoid my surgery! Thank you for any insights you might have.Maggie

[moeck]

Funny, it was CT symptoms that led to my neck surgery, and my delay in getting the surgery that led to my CSM.
Okay, first symptom was numbness of my right hand when playing the recorder, the musical instrument that most people only know of through the hedious plastic ones in elementary school.  I was playing with two groups at the time.  Trust me, it's one of the world's most beautiful instruments when played right, especially the alto (kids learn on the smaller soprano), hence my screen name.
Anyways, it got so bad the at after five minutes of playing I could not feel the holes under my fingers.  That progressed to pain and numbness when I tried writing for any length of time.  I still pay my bills by check and enevelope through the mail and I could not write and address more than two before my hand was numb.  From there it went to being numb when held up, like in using a telephone.  Then numb and painful when driving.
All along the docs (3 different specialties) said it's not CTS. They had me hold my hands in different positions, hit thumbs and wrists with reflex hammers and all were negative.  
They kept x-raying further and further up my arm until someone finally looked at my neck, saw the bone spurs and the spondylosis and said AHA, this is your problem.
When the cervical surgery did not releive the symptoms I saw my first neuro, the weanie, who did emgs and ncvs and pronounced CTS.
I then went to my old hand doctor who redid all the hand position and reflex tests and he found them all to be positive.  he explained that CTS is a "double crush" problem.  In other words, the nerve which causes it runs from your neck to the end of your middle finger.  Compression on EITHER END can cause the exact same symptoms.  In my case it was being compressed at both ends.
My new neuro says that duento the CSM damage I will probably never regan the speed and dexterity I had prior and that the fast "double runs" I used to play in some music is out.  Only time will tell i guess.  I emailed my main group that I will be back in rehearsal in mid November.  I received a returen email telling me I have a gig to perform in December.  think I'll skip the solos this time around :-)
Back on topic:  My hand guy said he likes to give the night splints six weeks to work before doing surgery, except my emgs were pretty bad.  He says they actually do more good than day splints because you tend to curl your hands up when you sleep and that puts more pressure on the nerve.
Is your hand cold only to you, but do others feel it when they touch you???  Makes a big difference.  Only to you is the nerves, if it really is cold than it's circulation which can be entirely new set of symptoms, not for CTS.
Hope this helps some
moeck

[LLWB]

My hand is noticable cold to other people. My neuro's nurse felt it yesterday, and she cold tell it was cold. Could it be heart circulation problems? Gee, I love all these problems! Don't know what I'd do without them. LOL Maybe enjoy the fall weather. Will get the splint today, and at least try that first. Thank you for your reply, hope you're not hurting too much today, take it easey this weekend. Are you left handed? I read that dominant hand usually causes more problems for CT

[moeck]

I'm right handed, I had the surgery on that one three weeks ago, and yes it was the worse of the two.  Check out Reynaud's syndrome, it is cirulatory but not related to the heart.  I had one of the post-op nurses ask me three weeks ago if I had it because my hands were cold as ice to her, but I didn't feel cold.
Moeck

[LLWB]

I'll check that out, thanks for the suggestion. Hope you're resting comfortably.

[grannyhotwheels]

I'm glad your surgery is over, now it's time to get some rest.  Take naps and let others wait on you.  I hope that your surgery was a success and that you don't have to have any more of them.

I'll be praying,
Carol