Hi from Barcelona

[elorpar]

Thanks Jim. I am aware that my situatiom is a life career, I am planning to do soft nordic walking and very soft and oriented yoga/stretching.

I have already tried musculation but it didn't work for me, lots of neuropatic and trap pain every time I tried to push a little for gaining muscle.

For the moment I have all my fingers crossed for the operation, I am already really nervious.. 4-5 is the day. After that I will think about NAIDs, rehab, the scar.. if operation goes well...

[phillyjoe]

Jim is right. If Laia is still with Dr Clavel, she is very good and knows how to teach you. If you can buy private time with her , that would be wonderful for you. The anterior and often posterior collateral ligaments are removed by Clavel during ADR. So you lose even more support. That is why the scapula muscles get tight in the traps to make up for it.
Anyway, I wish you well and will say a prayer for you. Report back when you can. Oh....if Clavel at times seems uninterested - don't be fooled. He just has a very calm attitude which find to be good.

[elorpar]

Operated

No idea about how operation was, even if ADR was implemented, tomorrow doc will visit me.

I am in tramadol so no pain, an I can move extremities so worst disaster did not happen.

Thanks Jim and Joe, I just wanted to notice you I am still alive.

[phillyjoe]

This is great news. Can't wait to hear about your good progress and discussions with Dr Clavel and Olga. My guess is if you have a soft collar, then you got adr but that is just a guess. Move slowly!

[elorpar]

Originally Posted by phillyjoe

This is great news. Can't wait to hear about your good progress and discussions with Dr Clavel and Olga. My guess is if you have a soft collar, then you got adr but that is just a guess. Move slowly!

Thanks for keeping in contact Phil, you have been a great psyological support for me. I think Olga does not work with locals, I have been talking with Sonia.

Today another doctor from the team (woman, I do not remember the name), told me that fusion cage was removed very easily in a single and strong pull out movement.. that suggests me that I could have suffered a kind of pseudo-artrosis due to that weak "fusion".

Also some osteophytes were generated in my posterior cervicals and erased now.

I have soft neuropatic pai on the right arm, the side from where I have been incised, hoping is just related with related inflamation and only temporal.

I have been medicated with nolotil, tramadol and paracetamol. I asked to the female doctor about HO, she told me do not worry, but I am worried (osteophytes is a kind of HO made in a made place.. so I am wondering wether taking Celebrex 200mg by my owm twice a day, or enantyum is enough for prevention? I have read studies where celebrex (selective NAIDs) is the most effective so I bought a box... but maybe too aggresive combining it with other medication already. Anyway I check out tomorrow from hospital and I will keep taking celebrex since then at least during 2-4 weeks? Is it convenient to keep taking my habitual sysadao doses? Finally a ver secondary issue, any recomendation for the neck scar, I am planning CO2 laser after suture is retired

I only pray God this new operation keeps me better that the other for many years after.

Sorry for my bad writting, I am in bed

[annapurna]

It's great news that things went well and you got the revision to ADR you wanted. With the mix of drugs you're currently on, I'd be careful about adding Celebrex to it, especially on your own. That's quite a mix and can lead to gastrointestinal upset; not something I'd be willing to chance this early post-op. Maybe it's something you could ask about as they step down the level of painkillers and you get a chance to speak with the doctors a bit more?

The Nolotil also seems to have anti-inflammatory properties so maybe it will serve in the place of Celebrex right now? It's speculation as I don't know enough about it and exactly how Celebrex seems to inhibit HO.

[phillyjoe]

I took NSAID for 6 weeks or more due to the head accident I had just 2 weeks after my 3 level surgery. It didn't seem to make much difference for formation of HO at my at C6-7. But no HO so far at the other two levels. So who knows. But as stated, be careful of bleeding from taking without supervision.
I have emailed Sonia. She is also quite good, although her English may not be as good as Olga but it doesn't matter in your case. Finally, don't worry about the scar. Clavel placed mine in a neck crease and can't see it. Stay out of the sun and get Trofolastin Reductor de Cicatrices patches at the Farmacia and start using in a few weeks, as directed by Clavel. Oh, the arm is likely no issue. just stretching of the nerves to put the adr in. We are not doctors however!

[elorpar]

Originally Posted by phillyjoe

We are not doctors however!

Sometimes Phil and Jim, the best support come from colleagues like you. Of course for critical decisions there is the Doctor.

[elorpar]

Post-op day 3

- 2 celebrex 200mg per day (pretending to be during one month)
- Glucosamine, ccondotirne sulfate, calcium, magnesium, etc.. one per day
- Soft stretching of my neck, my c5c6 articulation seems to regain movement again
- 30 min per day walking
- cleaning scar with betadine one per day
- In one month we will see with Doctor (ray-X) if the cp-ESP is still aligned, my vertebraes were flatted during my former artrodesis and I am afraid that could move sooner or later


I think that part of my problems were caused by the ostheophytes generated on my c5c6 backside through the intersomatic fixation cage, that compressed my damaged nerve again. Now I do not feel that pain but I am not sure if ADR and one month NAIDs will help to prevent HO/osteophytes to come back again.. I hope so, otherwise I will be in the same problem in a future!

[phillyjoe]

Vitamin C is also said to assist in soft tissue healing. I am curious....is this surgery covered under your health insurance in Spain? assuming you have health insurance. I think I paid around 42K Euro more or less for mine with dr clavel. Be patient with your recovery but in beautiful Barcelona you can easily walk more than 30 min a day!. Good luck