Cervical Recovery Stories

[Lisibug]

I'm about 4-1/2 months post-op and am much better than I was prior to surgery. I am in PT right now and when I overdo it, or overdo it at home, I still get rotten headaches. Exercises seem easy for me to do but later result in pretty good headaches. I do still have arm symptoms, although much better - but I do also have neuropathy and bilateral cubital tunnel syndrome which are not related to my neck. The pains in my upper extremities that I attribute to my neck are much better. My upper back pain is gone for the most part.

I was just wondering - are there any of you out there who have a problem with increasing tolerance and this causing headaches? I'm not having balance problems anymore with overdoing it, so that's good and no more fainting since the surgery. I'd love to hear how long it took you till you could do everything without it causing headaches. I have had 4 levels surgically repaired, C3-7, 1 a few years ago with a fusion (C5-6) and the recent surgery a 3 level ADR. Thanks in advance for your comments.

[tmont]

Lisi,

Glad to hear you're doing 'mostly much better' even if the headaches and some symptoms continue

I just wanted to comment: I think maybe the reason you're not getting replies is because your case is pretty complicated and unique--multi-level cervical--and you're one of the brave ones who have had the surgery (ies).

Not too many cases to bounce ideas off of, but rest assured we do care

Will see if I can out you in touch with a 4-level who had a big problems with headaches too. I know his biggest problems were resolved with surgery but certain activities did trigger some headaches post-surgery for awhile. More soon.

Trace

[Lisibug]

Trace, thank you for your reply. I'm happy to say that after 3 weeks of headaches again - by Wednesday they started to improve and I am doing much better again. I was really scared they were back to stay. I called my PCP, panicking, and he said to keep doing therapy and it was probably just aggravating things and I needed to work through it, but to let him know if the headaches didn't calm down. I am still doing my PT exercises from home and gradually making it harder, but not some of the exercises we do in PT that I know cause my neck to really tense up and bring on the bad headaches - I'm working into them only very slowly, not at the therapist's rate and this seems to be working. I'm not looking forward to going back to PT on Monday and will again tell them about the headaches, but I do need to know what exercises to graduate into as I get continually stronger. Guess I just need to mentally be prepared to hurt a lot for a few days again.

Funny, I don't think of myself as the brave one - the operation my NS offered me here would have made me a brave one - a 4 level fusion with the doc agreeing that probably C2-3 would blow within a year thus necessitating a 3rd surgery with "oh, we'd just put a rod down the back there", making it a 5 level fusion. That seemed idiotic and stupid, whereas artificial discs, hopefully eliminating stresses at other levels and thus degeneration, seemed like the really intelligent choice! Scary to have surgery in another country, but less scary than looking forward to fusion after fusion, with my spine 'blowing out' like a zipper! I'd become nearly 100% incapacitated, with passing out, not being able to drive, etc., so being in such severe shape made it much easier to make absolute decisions about surgery than if I "just hurt a little bit"! I would be interested to hear how your friend/acquaintance is doing who had the 4 level cervical ADR. I do know abouut Tom Battle, the ex-airline pilot, who had the 4 level cervical ADR, and is doing well. I spoke to him quite a bit before my surgery and he was very helpful and really nice.

[Lisibug]

Thought I'd let you know my neck finally calmed down, so it was 'riled up' from PT, but no damage has been done. Phew! I was pretty scared that I was going to lose the benefit I've received from surgery. Did PT again yesterday and hurt more again, but now it's fine because I know it's part of the learning curve and will calm down again. Wanted to let you know in case any of you are considering cervical ADR surgery - so you'll know it's temporarily increased pain from PT. Thank God for the 'temporarily' part!