Cervical Fusion Problem

[inslady]

I had Cervical Fusion Surgery 2/7/06 and I have had severe immobilizing pain ever since . It never goes away. Other symptoms include; my entire right arm down to my hand and fingers swell, neck sweats along with hot to the touch skin at the neck area, numbness in both arms and hands right being more severe than left. right leg swells and I have trouble walking at times (not constant), not able to lift right arm without severe pain, hot flashes around neck and right arm pit (frequent), the more I try to do the more pain I am in. What can be done? Can you suggest anything?
thank you!
inslady

[r2kidub]

I had 360cervical fusion c2-c7 on March 15&17 1 plate and 12 screw in front and 2 rods 12 screw in back. My head sit 15 degree forward if I lay on my back my head can't touch the table,floor or bed.content pain after 20 of standing or walking it reaches  it's peak 10.problems included eating,sitting,shower,bending,looking up,and the worst is twisting brings me to my knees. SSI A JOKE BEEN TURN DOWN TWICE. I two was sold out by lawyer AND INSURANCE COMPANY SIMPLE CASE SHOT TO HELL.11-13-2012

[BeeZee91]

Cervical Corpectomy from C6-T-1.  I'm 18 years old. Young,right? Sure. Yet I feel OLD before my time.

Its been two years since the surgery and it seems like the pain has come onto to me like a wrath.

Some days I feel normal (that is: not feeling the lingering reminder weighing on my neck-base and upper back muscles. PAIN)

But it seems that as time has gone on since the surgery...
i thought i was out of the woods....
....now pain and being "out of place" is a like an annoying, grieving pest!

Below the metal is where i feel all my vertabres gathers very closely and my muscles feel like a granite rock.

Do you feel better as your body "adjusts" to the metal? say like...3 more years from now?.....if i work out, stay active and let time pass.....will the metal not be such a burden..as it is now....?   :(


Help....Suggestions.....Concern Answers?

[inslady]

YES, YES, YES, !!! Especially the right ear pain! My surgery was also Feb of 06. and the white part is still dead does it effect your speech? my throat is real scratchy all the time . And yes holdiing my head up hurts! where did you have your surgery? Me Hughston Clinic in Columbus,GA.

[inslady]

Is your throat discolored? In FEB of '06 when I had my surgery the white dead part was at the surgical incision and below it about 3 inches. now after 19 months after surgery it is only 2 inches above the incision that is red , my skin and throat area are still 'dead' up to my chin and I have had right ear pain , sharp knife like pain in my ear that no meds take care of. Even thought it was an ear infection but it wasn't  dr. said it was coming from the damaged nerves in my neck? any one have that?
Do you find just the act of holding your head up hurts?

[inslady]

I can not express enough how much I am grateful to all of you I thought I was going crazy!. The past few days have been h_ll..My right hand and entire arm have been throbbing so bad I can't stand it! I take neurotin and percocet every 4-6 hours and it brings the pain down to I want to die now. sorry I haven't replied before now but I haven't been on computer. I have been in bed or on the couch prop'd up with pillows.  

This was a workman's comp injury and I got royally screwed by the lawyers and the doctors. Since the docs don't get paid enough to go to court they simply dropped me as a patient saying There was nothing they could do for me. And the lawyers only pushed the paperwork though, they would not fight for me!  I sometimes believe they got paid to make sure I did not take them to court. you know working for the BIG INS COMPANY! NOT ME!
I would like to know about  SYRINX ? I did not have pain meds for about a month and the pain sweats as I call them still happened so I do not believe they are medication related. They actually got worse with out the pain meds ...The pain sweats are very localized. neck ,arm(entire right) down to my hand. My daughter has checked it and says it feels as if I am on fire and I say yes I am! Two Drs. think I might have RSD but when I look it up on the internet it looks different than me, Some of those pictures are aweful looking. I have all the symptoms mention by you folks, tingling and loss of feeling, sometimes I twich real bad. the throbbing I have had over the past few days has ben really bad. It is like having a throbbing toothache from the base of your skull all the way down to your fingertips! The headaches are better now that I have meds  when I was with out. the headaches were unbearable. (lots of ER visits) W/C  called me a drug seeker which I am not! I am just in real pain! Hopefully my PCP will get me a referral to Shands Teaching Hosp. I have heard they can fix other Drs. screw ups.
Please keep me in your Prayers and I will do same for all of you!
And I pray this is not Permanent, but if it is I pray SSD will eventually approve my file as I am sick and tired of being turned down and told your fine your neck is fused deal with the pain . which I can't.
There was one Dr. that said my bolts were to tight , and that he could see them compressing my spine but the MRI report stated "surgical changes" and that was all. I tried to get them to re-read the films and they would not! again paid of by BIG INS CO!
The laws in FL protect the Insurance Co not the injured worker!  I thank you for all the comments and look forward to more!
ins_lady

[patsy10]

Ditto.  I'm with you guys.  Worse after surgery.  I believe this is permanent.

[bev62]

I had an ACDF (C5-C7) in Nov last year.  And like everyone else here I'm in more pain than before the surgery.  I'm having the same symptoms as you.  My doctor has ran every kind of test he can think of, and everything looks good.  I'm still out of work and on muscle relaxers and Demeral every four hours.  I resently had surgery on my elbow.  My doctor thought that some of my shoulder and arm pain was being caused from an ulner nerve entrapment.  It's been 6 weeks and no releif yet.  

What is syrinx?  I've never heard of it.  What does it do and what causes it? I'm so tired of living in pain.  

My injury was the result of a fall at work, so on top of everything else I'm dealing with workers comp to.  That is really a messed up deal.  It is crazy what they put you thru.

[Syrinx]

I had a corpectomy with titanium cage reconstruction C3-7 on 2/6/04, so I am fused from C3-7.  I have sympathy and understand your pain and numbness.  The surgery was a complete failure and none of my symptoms have gone away and I have gotten more and worse symptoms.  I have the numbness, loss of temperature sensation, migraines, muscle spasm daily from the back of my head to my calves.  I also suffer from migraines, horrible head, neck and leg pain.  I am on pain medicine and notice after taking a dose that my face, trunk and sweating occur, so maybe the flashes are from medicine?  Just a thought!  Maybe I am way off.  I had an MRI done 7/31/07 and it revealed a syrinx.  It is a very serious condition in which there is no cure but surgery can releive some symptoms.  The syrinx from what I have read can cause alot of the symptoms, such as migraines, numbness, head, neck, leg and back pain.  The heat and loss of sense of hot and cold etc.  I have researched alot of articles and websites and a lot of people don't get diagnosed for years when they have a syrinx.  One cause is thought to be from trauma and you have had trauma!  I hope to hear from you and any progress with a diagnosis.  Oh, I am getting a referral to UCSF neurology.  Good luck to you.            

[Rutey]

I feel for you I had the same surgery in 1/06. C4-5 and 6 anterior cervical disectomy. I have alot of the same problems you have. My left arm goes numb, its not painful, but very annoying, I cant sleep at night, it wakes me up. I did have a cervical MRI two weeks ago. My C-7  T-1 is herniated and compromising my spinal cord. I did see a neurosurgeon with my films, he said I need another surgery. I opted to go back to my PCP to ask for a thoracic, and a lumbar MRI. I figured I better find out whats going on with the rest of my spine. WELL, it is awful, I have all my results posted on here somewhere, but basically my spine is a wreck. My problem now is constant "tingling, spasmy" feeelings in my legs. Im having trouble walking. I have an appt with a neurologist on Oct 3rd, to rule out MS. and a followup appt with the neurosurgeon on the 10th. I suggest you get to a neurologist and talk to your PCP, regarding some tests, and bloodwork. Good Luck to you. Keep in touch, we can swap stories!