I burst out crying in the doctor's office. So glad hubby was with me. It'll take a week or two to be approved by insurance, but it looks like we're forging ahead with Anterior Cervical Neck Fusion Surgery. Probably a result of a combination of OA and RA.
The nurse suggested I refrain from over researching it online. I get that. People are more prone to post about their horror stories rather than success stories.
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Radiogirl
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I am recovering from surgery and i didn't look it up either mind you i knew i was scheduled for surgery,but i only had two days notice of having it. The dr is right.xxxx
It is thank you the pain was gone in 24hrs,mind you the RA/Fibro is joining the party and letting me know i still have them blighters in my system.xxxx
I hear you. The only pain-free day I've had in the past 20 years was when the hospital gave me morphine to combat a dreadful migraine (I have a migraine condition, as well as RA/fibro) after my last op in 2015.
The idiots hadn't put my Imigran on my ward prescription, and locked all my meds away. Despite begging and pleading, I was given the brush off, left in tears, being told I couldnt possibly have a bad head with anaesthetic in my system. The ward staff didnt take into account that anaesthetic has an adverse on me (I get the DTs and vertigo, then migraine)
I went through 9 hours of additional hell that afternoon/evening until the night staff nurse took pity on me. He took the decision and 5 mins later adminstered the dose. I then had a blissful, but insomniac, night. Was ready to discharge myself at 9am the following morning. I didn't trust the day staff an inch at that point!! The surgeon looked astounded that I was dressed and ready to go home. I'd phoned my OH to make the 160 mile round trip to collect me pdq. It was a relief to leave and sort my own recovery out.
Fingers crossed things go better for the next op in the coming year!
Funnily enough I woke before dawn yesterday with a bad head underway, but couldn't reach my triptans at that moment without falling over! My hubby got them a couple of hours later when he woke, and the head was thankfully under control by 11am when I had to go out to meet friends. Thank goodness for chemicals lol...
That's great! My doctor mentioned that a flare could be a result of the surgery, though. Since I'm new to RD I'm not sure I completely understand why that would be. I was worried about difficulty in healing.
Two days notice?!?! Wow Sylvi. However maybe good that you didn't have time to think too much about it. Hope you are soon feeling much improved sweet lady. xxxx
Sorry to hear you need surgery. I too have been referred for surgery after 20 years of cortisone injections and being told not to have any more. A different part of the body than you but am still dreading it.
Just tell yourself your life will improve after you've recovered from the surgery and they wouldnt recommend it unless necessary.
I'm not surprised you cried! I suspect you knew this was coming but news like that will always be a shock. Eyes on the prize, sweetheart. Just keep thinking of all the benefits and don't do the research as your nurse suggested. You don't need to know the intricacies.
Watching the news I've been thinking of you and hope this dreadful weather has passed you by. Hugs
Thank you, Jan. You're a sweetie. As far as the weather, I grew up in Houston, but have lived 250 miles north in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area for the last 30 years. I still have lots of friends the in Houston and it breaks my heart to see so much destruction.
Thank you. I sure hope it works. I have a girl friend who had some vocal cord damage following this type of surgery. She's ok now, though, thank goodness.
Are you having the surgery to alleviate instability in some vertebrae or to relieve compression on some nerves?
And, yes - of course there are horror stories but, as per Barrister , there are people for whom their quality of life has been turned round by this intervention - and I trust that you'll be one of them.
I think both, but I think the deciding factor was compression on the cord and some edema in bone marrow. The doctor will also grind away some Spurs. It was a surprise because I thought the doctor who had been giving me rounds of cervical (and lumbar) injections had mentioned burning off the tips of the nerves. He sent me back to the surgeon for another look first and he felt the burning wouldn't help long term or at all.
Thanks for your reply and well wishes. Blessings to you.
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