Just what I need.
Woke up 2 weeks ago and I could not stand the pain in my shoulder and arm.
It has spread to my leg and foot. I am a wreck!
My Doctor had me on meds (steroids) to see if that would help (no worky), now I go in Tuesday to meet the Doctor that will be doing the surgery.
Hopefully he can get me up and going without too much down time.
A good RPLS friend of mine has volunteered to do what he can with my field and office work for just covering his helpers cost. I can not tell you how much that means to me and Janice.
I am not that busy right now, but I seem to have enough every week to pay the bills.
Plus my youngest son came in to help during the process.
I am hearing a 6 week healing process, I guess I have to be a good boy and take it.
Anyone have a similar procedure?
Randy
i had a bulge but not a rupture. i was able to get mine back to normal with epidural injections and rest.
do you run a robot? i am 99% sure mine came from walking around with my head hung all day staring at a data collector while running my robot.
good luck man. glad you found someone to help keep things going.
Snoop,
Yep I run a Robot, but the Doc thinks its just a combination of things over the years.
Randy
ACDF
Randy,
Last Father's Day I ruptured 5/6 and 6/7. How I did it is pretty interesting, but let's just say years of abusing my body, a pair of 100# dumbbells, and a 300# treadmill that I just had to move...through a hallway...by myself had a lot to do with finishing off the disks.
After moving the equipment, I felt as though I had just finished a major workout. A few days went by and the pain continued to get much worse. I've had rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders and tendonitis in the past. I recognized the pain going from neck down my right arm as a cuff tear, tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. My thumb, index and middle fingers were going numb.
Shooting pain upon bearing down or valsalva - coughing, laughing, and when pulling my head back. Moving my head forward helped to relieve the pain. My reg doc said pinched nerve and gave me a Toradol injection, Medrol, Flexoril, and Ultram. No improvement. I went to see my ortho and got an xray and a Rx for Vicodin. 2 weeks and NO IMPROVEMENT. Ortho prescribed MRI. After review his comment was "This is REAL!" Referred to Ortho specializing in spinal surgery. Epidural/block helped for about 8 hours.
September 1, after 3 months of 2 Norco (10mg Vics) every 3 hours, a boatload of Aleve, and no more than 2 hours of sleep at one time I went under for surgery.
A note I wrote to a friend last September...
One week post-op. ACDF C6/7
The constant agonizing pain in my right shoulder and arm is GONE! It was gone when I awoke from anesthesia. The numbness in my right index/thumb/hand that developed/worsened over time is still with me, but is expected to fully resolve in time now that the nerve is decompressed. The surgeon's words to my wife in the waiting room were "WOW! He needed this surgery badly. It's a good thing he didn't wait."
Apparently, there was so much pressure at the rupture, as soon as he reached the disk it popped out on it's own. Upon cleaning the vertebral bodies for insertion of spacer, he reached for a fragment that turned out to be a large piece of the ruptured disk that had wedged it's way into a place it did not belong. He said he held the piece up for others in the OR to see and noted he knew at that time I would experience immediate relief.
From 2 Norco 10/325 every 3 hours to needing nothing for pain...I am a lucky man to have the resources needed to get treatment.
Aside from a slightly sore throat from the procedure and having to wear a neck brace full-time (even sleeping) for 2 weeks, I expect to get back to LIVING life in short order.
MORAL OF THE STORY...IF you are experiencing numbness, tingling, pain and such from a ruptured disk, DON'T MESS AROUND. GET IT FIXED BY A COMPETENT ORTHO OR NEURO SURGEON SPINE SPECIALIST.
What a beautiful day!
I hope your situation has a happy ending too.
Oh yeah, almost forgot...the way your surgeon fuses the disk/s will play a large part in how long you'll be in a brace. No driving while you're in the brace (probably 2 to 4 weeks). In fact, you shouldn't be in a car for the first few weeks (quick stops, etc.).
If you have any questions about dealing with the brace while sleeping, showering, etc. or other recovery info, my email works.
After a long day of robotic topo my neck and mid back are usually messed up for a couple of days. The ergonomics need re-thought in my opinion.
ACDF
I ruptured a disk in my lower back back in 1993. I was down for over two months, and so-so for 3 or 4 more months after that. The ruptured disk was pinching my sciatic nerve and I had some pretty intense pain all way down to my toes. It was the most pain I have ever felt in my life and absolutely no fun at all.
Good luck and stay off of it. The more you hurt it, the longer it'll take to heal.
I feel your pain Randy - two months ago, had the same neck, shoulder and arm pain thing going on - thumb and forefinger numb and tingling.
not ruptured, but compressed - put me in this mount on the door water bag strap to the head pulley system - basically a 14 pound water bag stretching my neck to relieve pressure. that didnt last long- suppose to do it every night -
pain went away but still have the numbness- just going to see how far it goes- probably will have to eventually have surgery.
Good Luck!!
