Cervical Disk Pain with facial numbness, arm pain, shaking hand, leg weakness

[snapteach]

I am a 46 year old female and have had 2 cervical disk surgeries since November 2005 after a wreck in which I suffered a severe whiplash injury that caused bulging (herniated) disk.  The first surgery was done through front of the neck using a cadiver bone for C5-C6 herniation.  June 2006 was the 2nd surgery going through the front of the neck again.  Doctor had to redo C5-C6, because the bone did not grow correctly, and also fuse C4-C5.  After this second surgery, I had no pain until Dec. 2005 when I fell face forward after tripping.  Since that time, I have had severe, debilitating neck pain, left leg weakness, facial numbness and drooping on the left side, left eye blurriness, left arm pain, and left hand shaking with index finger jerking.  My GP did an MRI of the brain and cervical spine and the only notable issue was disk degeneration. I have since seen my surgeon (Ortho specializing in spine and neck surgery).  In his office, he put 2 Trigger point injections around C6.  This did not help at all.  What is going on and how can I get rid of or lessen this TERRIBLE pain?  Has anyone ever had these symptoms after surgery or after a fall?  I am very depressed because I do not think I can handle this pain, the thought of another surgery, or having to live with this kind of neck pain for the rest of my life. I see the ortho doctor again on Friday.  If you have any advice or have ever experienced anything like this, please share with me what was done and what diagnosis you were given.  Thanks so much.
Snapteach

[rambre]

I fell twice in a raw sewage plant and received a full blown raw sewage all over my body and had diarhea for two weeks and was given antibiotics for skin itch and also had a bruise on my left leg and some raw sewage went to my eyes and mounth. I also sustained head injury as a result of the fall and now my neck and shoulder is bothering me and I continue to have hours of headahes and had to depend on tylenol to relief the pain and I think three to four tablets daily just to minimixe the pain is too much. Anyway my family doctor has arranged for head scan and ask me to continue physio on my neck shoulder and the hand numbness.
Any advice for me , am currently off work.
Thank you

[snapteach]

I think I would insist that your doctor do at least another CAT scan to make sure your fusion hasn't separated.  My first one did  and you will be in as much or more pain than before surgery.  I also had a dicsogram that confirmed this diagnosis.  This may not be your problem, but as my doctor tells me, there is a reason why you are hurting.  Now, let's do some test and figure out together what it is.  As you can see, he is a wonderful, Christian, caring person, doctor,  and friend.  If it weren't for him listening and working with me, I think I would be a lot worse.  Also, don't forget that God is there for you.  I will be praying for you.  Please post and let me know what you find out.  If your doctor ignores your pleas for help when you are in pain, get one that doesn't.  Even though he may be a great doctor, maybe he isn't the greatest one for you.

[elliegrl]

Hi there!  I just searched pain after cervical fusion and found this thread.  I'm a 28 yr old Christian mom of two and I have no idea why my disc(s) went out.  I too feel bad for saying no to my kids about things most moms can do.  I also feel horrible about complaining about being in pain all the time.  =( I had anterior cervical fusion of C5-6 on Dec. 5th, 2006 but am still in a huge amount of pain.  They sucked out the disc (an 8mm by 3mm bulge that was compressing the spinal cord) but I still have pain down the arms, muscle spasms between my shoulder blades and in my neck, and I'm miserable.  I'm currently taking Aleve, Robaxin 750 mg(muscle relaxer), Vicodin 7/500, and Neurontin 600mg, all but Aleve 4x day.  The neurontin makes me very out of it, and I'm a work at home mom to 2 kids, ages 8 and 5.  My work is as a seamstress and involves a lot of handwork so I'm very depressed that I cannot work without lots of pain.  The past 4 days I've sat in a chair lying on a heating pad w/ a neck roll while my kids were at school and then at home while it's been raining.

I have an underlying neuromuscular disease (Charcot Marie Tooth) which my doc thinks is affecting my muscles and taking me longer to adjust w/out the collar.  I can't get into PT (they're booked) till the 23rd but I want to scream!!! I don't want to live on pain meds and clearly something else is wrong.  I don't understand why I'm still having all this pain if the nerves & spinal cord are no longer compressed.  The MRI showed a add'l minor non-remarkable bulge in C3-4 and bone spurs, but it was taken in June *just* before we moved into our new house.  My pain jumped through the roof after moving and I think maybe I made it worse.  I asked the doc for another MRI but he says I'm just out of surgery and he wants to wait.  He's the best in the area & well-recommended, but I really feel something is wrong.  Everyone else says the radiculopathy stopped post-surgery, but mine hasn't.  Anyone have any ideas?  I'd be grateful for them=0)
Noelle

[bev62]

Thank you so much!!!  Prayer and my faith in God are the only thing that has helped me to keep going.  I will be praying for you also and we will get through this, with God's help.

[snapteach]

I found out after my 1st surgery and I was in so much pain, that an MRI doesn't always show everything.  My doctor did a CAT scan and after that looked suspicious, he scheduled a discogram (discography).  This is what showed that my bone had not fused correctly and was causing all my pain.  After going back to my doctor today, he said that it is a possibility after my 2nd surgery.  Because of my fall 6 months after my surgery, the pain started back and he said all of my symptoms point to a possible non-fusion or a seperating of the fusion.  He has scheduled a CAT scan to see if it shows anything.  If it doesn't, he said we would go from there.  He sincerely cares about my pain level.  If I ever had a doctor, nurse, or anyone that told me the pain was in my mind or imagined, I would find me another doctor as quickly as I could.  Only YOU know how you feel and only YOU are having to deal with the pain.  Just remember that when someone tries to make you think there is nothing causing that pain.  There is something causing it, but it has to be tested  and found.   I know you feel badly about your time with your children, but they do understand more than you think, even at their young age. My children are 19 and 15, so they worry about me constantly.  Yours aren't old enough for that, yet they will pick up on how you feel.  I don't know if you pray or not, but I do and I will remember you in my prayers.

[bev62]

I'm sorry for your pain.  Sometimes it makes you think is there ever an end to it.  I know how frustrating it is.

[bev62]

Thank you

[snapteach]

This is the wonderful thing about this forum.  I feel as if someone out there understands because you are experiencing similar things.  My family tries to understand, but they really can't because they don't know how it feels.  It is hard to even function sometimes.  I didn't get to teach today because I could not fight the pain again.  My body is worn out from struggling to make it through each day.  My principal has been wonderful, but I don't know how much longer he will be this way.  Doctor bills mount up, job worries are on my mind constantly, guilt about not being able to be with my daughter and do all she would like to do, guilt about not being the kind of partner my husband needs - all these things added together with the pain can almost be too much.

[bev62]

I can relate to everything you are saying.  I have two small children ages 6 and 3.  I feel so bad sometimes because of all the the things that I can't do with them.  With my hands being so numb, I can't even turn the pages in a book for them.  My husband has been very supportive and he tries to understand the pain I'm in but I know he can't.  I also feel bad because I can't spend time with him like I need to.  We went through 10 years of fertility treatment before we finally had these children.  Now I feel like they are being cheated because of me having this surgery.  The doctor assured me that I would have an 80% improvement after the surgery.  Instead I am 80% worse. I called the doctor about getting my pain pills refilled, I have been taking two at a time so they haven't lasted as long.  The nurse finally called me back and told me that I should be getting off these pills by now, that my MRI looked great so I shouldn't be having any pain.  I was so mad, exactly what I think.  So if everything looks so good why am I still having so much pain?  You would think that they would want to find out.  My appt is not until Feb 7, and they did'nt even mention coming in before that to try and find out what is going on.  I'm sure the doctor will try to send me back to work at the next appt. but there is no way that I can go back to work yet.  I'm not even driving myself yet because of the pain and the meds that I am on. I know that my doctor is very good, he is one of the top Neuroligist in Tn so I hope that there is not an ego to deal with when thinking that something may have went wrong with my surgery.  Thanks for letting me vent, it's good to talk to someone that understands.

[snapteach]

The only things I can think of are that your bones are not fusing correctly or something is still pressing on a nerve and it it not showing up on an MRI.  My bone not fusing after the first surgery did not show the extent to which there was a problem on my MRI.  The doctor did not realize how bad things were until he got back in there.  Also, before my 2nd surgery, the MRI showed no problem with the 2nd disc.  My doctor knew that I was in terrible pain and ordered a Discography.  This showed exactly what the problem was and he was able to fix it during my 2nd surgery. Sometimes other test are called for because the MRI does not always give the whole picture.  I hope this helps and you feel better soon.

[bev62]

I am so sorry for your pain.  I have no idea what could be going on.  But I do have some questions about you cervical fusion.  I to had a cervical fusion in Nov.  I had a two level fusing C5-C7.  They also went through the front of my neck.  Before the surgery I had pain in my neck and pain and numbness in my right arm.  Since the surgery I have pain and numbness in both arms and my ring finger and pinky finger on both hands are numb. It's like I don't have control of them when trying to pick up things or even turning the pages in a book.  My neck and between my shoulders burn like fire.  I have a headache everyday, that starts at the base of my neck and goes up.  I am still sleeping on the sofa because if I lay down both hands go totally numb, even being elevated.  I am taking 2 Percocets 7.5 and muscle relaxers every 4 to 6 hours.  I am also taking Neurotin 300mg 3 times a day.  I have been in PT for 5 weeks with no help.  My doctor said that my post-op MRI looks great but something has to be wrong.  It has been almost 3 months.  Did you have any of this.  Do you have any suggestions on what may be going on.