Fusion at c-5-6

[P.J.]

I had a disc removed between c5-6 in Sept. 2001. I am still in alot of pain and having trouble moving my head from side to side looking up or down. My x-rays and MRI both show everything is healing, my Dr. is now sending me to a pain management center for some kind of shots in my neck. I am very concerned about this and worried. I thought once i had the surgery done I'd be on my way to getting my life back to normal. I don't get a full nights rest everytime i roll over i wake up. Will i ever be pain free what about my ROM? this has been a very upsetting time for me. Now to top it all off my job is at risk they have told me that if i can't come back 100% then i no longer have a job with them. My job requires me to look up for long periods of time I am a smoke and fire tech. removing smoke and odor from burned homes. It also requires alot of heavey lifting. I am in a panic. any words of wisdom?
Thanks,
P.J.

[able]

dallen,hi, when putting my e-mail address in the last posting I forgot to put the . between the stu and wcc just saw this,

[Antigone]

Hello to all of the brave people I have just learned about. I have just had an anterior cervical dec. fusion on c5,6 last week-10th march, 2002. I came home from hospital five days ago with no information about my recovery and no idea that I would still be in some pain. My surgery was unplanned and treated as urgent after going to three different G.Ps for one month of increasing and debilitating pain. I was finally taken to hospital and had an MRI late on Friday night and was told first thing the next day that I had to have an ACDF and fixation. The neurosurgeon told me that I was lucky I was walking. I am a working 37y.o Australian mum with two young children and am very lucky to have received hospital treatment so quickly. I am scared of the pain that I still have in my left arm - at night I get really alarmed by it and I have to admit that I feel pretty depressed about the situation I am in - hope is great to hear about and I wish everyone well and hope you all stay hopeful in getting well.

[able]

Any and all information you do have i would find grateful to obtain, as this is a life long battle we are up against.  I seem to be having a day like you did when i last posted to you.  was up at 4 am stressing about every aspect of my life, and how i am going to seriously be able to have "quality" time with the years to come....My e-mail address is ***@**** if you'd like to contact me by this address instead of posting feel free.. thank you for your offer of literature!!!!!!!!!!!!!Judy

[able]

it sounds more like fustration then whining to me!!! everyday I try and come up with a way that might aid me in going back to being physicallly active, I so much want what live offered me before all this neck trauma came about.  I am limited to next to nothing myself...am going to try a round of acupuncture here soon, in hopes it can bring some relief...am tring to avoid surgery at all costs right now...my loss can be overwheleming at times, and pain mangement...huh........learned all of that through 2 years of yoga years ago....it only applies to certain situations..and its not a fixall...been told to find some new hobbies that require little physical demands to pass the time with.not sure what this would be...hard to accept this all as a life time commitment..am 39 years old and feel trapped..I have to go deeper inside myself more and more to find new founded strengh to get through this all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!goodluck and keep some faith...

[Dallen]

Thank you for commenting back to me.  It sounds like we have very similar situations.  I pray that the accupuncture will work.  Please let me know how it goes.  I am willing to try anything at this point - even though I truly hate needles.  I've been trying to find activities that I can do to keep me occupied.  My husband has said that I should start a group of people who are recuperating like me and do an arts and crafts thing.  I have always done needle point and embroidery, but I can only sew and stitch for a limited time because of the numbness in my hands.  So my latest activities are plants and painting.  The down side is that I don't really have much talent in these fields.  I seem to have a high plant mortality rate, and my painting will certainly not be seen in any gallery.  But it does keep me busy.  I completely understand why you want to avoid surgery.  I agreed to the surgery because the were no other alternatives.  I am beginning to doubt my decision.  Regardless of that, I must look ahead and keep faith that I will find some way of stopping the pain.  I would be happy to share any information I receive from the Spine Care clinic in California.

[able]

my simpathy goes out to you.  whining? no it sounds alot like fustration to me.   Everyday I try to dream up a way to go back to what I used to be, physical activities i should say.  I am about to try a round of acupuncture here soon, hopefully I can get some relief from the pain. do not want to have surgery at this time..but what other options are there???????Pain management, huh,,,, I've learned all of this from 2  years of yoga, solution???? I struggle everyday with this, expecially the days the pain is intense....I keep having to go deeper into myself to find new founded strength which is exhausting in its self to do. Find some less physically demanding hobbies and activities to do to pass the time is what I ve been told to do..  Goodluck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!