[Spinal Fusion / Cervical] ACDF with Hardware needs your opinion and advice

[kratos]

· Middle of February 2011, go to my family doc and complain that I am losing feeling in left arm/hand and also have A LOT of tingling like hitting your funny bone times 100! He sends me for an X-Ray and MRI. MRI results say 2 bulged disks in neck, family doc sends me to Neurosurgeon.
· Meet Neurosurgeon 2nd week of March. Tells me “you have 2 RUPTURED disks at C4-C5 and C5-C6. The only way to fix is surgery, and we need to do it much sooner rather than later, two weeks tops.
· March 21st I have fusion surgery with hardware and am out of the hospital the next day with Miami J Collar 24/7.
· Since March 21st:
ü I am 16 days smoke free, cold turkey!!!!
ü I am walking about 2 to 3 miles a day now.
ü Eating very healthy, eating tons of veggies and fruits plus ample vitamins.
ü My first post op appt is April 19th.
ü I am feeling really good. Not much pain now. I am 48 hours removed from the last used narcotic pain killer and muscle relaxer. These two, or a combination of the two, gave me really bad night sweats and CRAZY dreams.
Ø Here are my questions going forward. PLEASE RESPOND if you can. Info helps:
ü I know smoking is not good for fusion, I quit the day before surgery. Yes in a perfect world I would have never started, but I am NOT perfect. That being said, I am 16 days smoke free, is there anything I can do extra to promote fusion, negate pass smoking effects to a degree or just not worry about what I cant control?
ü Doc told me 8-12 weeks in this collar. It’s like a torture device any more. Some docs don’t even use these things. Any ideas on how to get out of it come my 19th appt. I HATE THIS COLLAR.
ü Doc also told me out of work 8-12 weeks. What were you out with similar surgeries? Seems a long time.
ü Besides walking, any other good exercises?
ü Stir craziness, boredom, and cooped upness all setting in.

All and all, surgery went really well. I am feeling good, just want this collar OFF and a start of "normal" life. Positive is I have lost 12 lbs since surgery!

Thank you all...

[Justin]

Hi kratos,

Welcome to the Spine Patient Society.

ü I am 16 days smoke free, cold turkey!!!!

Wow, keep it up! Smoking, as I'm sure you've been told by your surgeon, will inhibit the fusion process.

ü I am walking about 2 to 3 miles a day now.
ü Eating very healthy, eating tons of veggies and fruits plus ample vitamins.
ü My first post op appt is April 19th.
ü I am feeling really good. Not much pain now. I am 48 hours removed from the last used narcotic pain killer and muscle relaxer. These two, or a combination of the two, gave me really bad night sweats and CRAZY dreams.
Ø

The above is all great! Coming off of opioids (narcotics) can be really rough. In general, your withdrawal symptoms may last another 7-10 days (of course, this depends on the opioids you were on and for what duration, etc.)

Here are my questions going forward. PLEASE RESPOND if you can. Info helps:
ü I know smoking is not good for fusion, I quit the day before surgery. Yes in a perfect world I would have never started, but I am NOT perfect. That being said, I am 16 days smoke free, is there anything I can do extra to promote fusion, negate pass smoking effects to a degree or just not worry about what I cant control?

The past is the past in terms of smoking--you can't undue the damage you did. However, the lung is quite resilient and it is able to "recover" quite well after one stops smoking.

ü Doc told me 8-12 weeks in this collar. It’s like a torture device any more. Some docs don’t even use these things. Any ideas on how to get out of it come my 19th appt. I HATE THIS COLLAR.

I would follow your surgeon's recommendations regarding your collar to a T. You only get one chance at healing post-surgery, so you'll be much better off if you follow his instructions. Also, he may have you in the Miami J Collar as part of his post-op protocol for his cervical Spine Patients.

ü Doc also told me out of work 8-12 weeks. What were you out with similar surgeries? Seems a long time.
ü Besides walking, any other good exercises?

Out of work for 8-12 weeks sounds just about right to me. Recovery is unfortunately a slow process and you want to make sure that you give yourself the absolute best chance at recovery--there's no need to rush back into "life" at this point. Your body needs to heal and it's a calculated, step-wise process that we have little voluntary control over. Walking is great at this point in your recovery. I would also ask your surgeon about a dedicated physical therapy program after the 12 week mark.

Congratulations on the weight loss! A wise man once told me that "slow and steady wins the race" in regard to post-op recovery. Ensuring that your fusion "takes" is multifaceted--it takes time, NOT smoking, a good diet, and avoiding activities that might jeopardize your recovery (extreme rotation / flexion / extension of your head, engaging in high-impact activities, SMOKING...SMOKING...SMOKING ).

I wish you the very best and please let us know if you have any additional questions as you recover or if you just need to talk...there are a lot of great Spine Patients that frequent our Forums, so don't hesitate to reach out to others.

[kratos]

Thanks Justin!

The encouragment is nice. Really nice. I know that healing takes time and that I certainly shouldnt push it. Believe me, my wife WILL NOT let that happen. She is ON ME about that for sure.

I think part of my problem is that I just feel so good. I feel ready. Sure I still have a pain or two, but all in all, I am READY! I also know too that this "READY" can easily mean "INJURED AGAIN" so Yes I will take your advice and my wifes!

I get so BORED. The Weather here in MI is COLD. Once that breaks it will be a lot better.

As far as the smoking thing, I think, and anyone out there can correct me if I am wrong, its two fold as far as fusion is concerned. The nicotine and subsuquent lower levels of oxygen in your blood, does NOT promote bone health/fusion. I have seen that various doctors have WIDE ranging opinions though as to how long this affect is in the body once one quits. I have seen some docs say that nicotine is out of the system completely cold turkey is roughly 72 hours. Within 2 weeks the oxygen rises in your blood as that as a non smoker. Also carbon monoxide decreases.

I cant stop any effects that may or may not be having NOW on my healing I can only promote good health here on out. Thanks again!

[Justin]

Thanks Justin!

The encouragment is nice. Really nice. I know that healing takes time and that I certainly shouldnt push it. Believe me, my wife WILL NOT let that happen. She is ON ME about that for sure.

I think part of my problem is that I just feel so good. I feel ready. Sure I still have a pain or two, but all in all, I am READY! I also know too that this "READY" can easily mean "INJURED AGAIN" so Yes I will take your advice and my wifes!

Sure thing, kratos. You hit the nail on the head here. We usually feel "ready" mentally before our body has finished healing. It's really a conscious effort to remember to take things slow, especially when you start reaching 2-3 months post-op.

As far as the smoking thing, I think, and anyone out there can correct me if I am wrong, its two fold as far as fusion is concerned. The nicotine and subsuquent lower levels of oxygen in your blood, does NOT promote bone health/fusion. I have seen that various doctors have WIDE ranging opinions though as to how long this affect is in the body once one quits. I have seen some docs say that nicotine is out of the system completely cold turkey is roughly 72 hours. Within 2 weeks the oxygen rises in your blood as that as a non smoker. Also carbon monoxide decreases.

I cant stop any effects that may or may not be having NOW on my healing I can only promote good health here on out. Thanks again!

This is very true about smoking. I was talking more about the effects to collagen in the skin. The bone responds very quickly once one has stopped smoking, so you are definitely on the right track in that regard! Your body is taking a collective sigh of relief.

[lakeman]

Be patient, you wil get better.
It took me 6 months and 2 weeks til it was all over.
One day you will look back and say, that was no big deal.