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David K · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 5:45 am Post subject: Getting cut on Monday

Well the neurosurgeon says its time, so going on Monday for a Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF), in more common terms, i'm getting the disc removed between C5 and C6 and a chunk of my bone put in there, and a titanium plate screwed in to the two vertebre to hold it together.

Can't say i'm looking forward to it because I have MS, but needs to be done. Getting more problems on my left side arm, hand and back (right side is mostly MS), so time to get it done and hoping it helps with some other things.

Problem is recovery for me, i'm not that mobile in the first place because of my MS, so having a sore neck and hip won't be no fun, i hope they take the bone out of my right hip since its the bad side, that will keep my good leg good.

Burt · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:22 am Post subject:

The whole deal is no fun I'm sure, sorry to hear about this.
Was this due to a back injury in the past, and not related to the MS situation ?
Kinda sounds like it.
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Mike H · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:51 am Post subject: post reply

Hang in there, David. Had back problems/surgery myself, probably need something else done also. Don't want to have another procedure, but I would never have made it without the first one.

Justin Sain · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: Getting cut on Monday

FrankT · Texasboars Legends Club Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 1754

David, hope you recover quickly as possible, will be saying a prayer for you to do just that!

TORO · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 5:47 pm Post subject:

Good luck and best wishes on a speedy recovery Exclamation

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David K · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 5:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys!

Burt, the doctor say the issues are because 'I lived a fast life'...i.e. motorcycle racing, etc. But I say its because of two rearend accidents, once by a drunk driver while I was sitting at a stop light, the other by a guy that fell asleep and nailed me while I was sitting at a read light, the later was in 2008 and most likely the culprit, we noticed the problem on my next MRI.

So yep, time to get cut. I've read reports of one way or another on recovery. I don't like hospitals, even though I go there all the time, so I would rather recover at home. I'm always in pain, but this will be some more extreme pain i'm sure, people say the hip hurts more than the neck. The hip because they remove bone to be put in the neck. We'll see, give me some good pain meds and i'll do ok with it. I'm not much in to taking drugs, but i have 8 prescriptions now that I have to take, including giving myself injections 3 days a week.

Will report back when I get a bit more vertical after the surgery.

analog_peninsula · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:57 pm Post subject:

I had a c6-c7 in February 2008. I was weak for about 5 months, but the process itself was painless. My disk had actually ruptured, so I was in tremendous pain on the way in, and none on the way out. I've never noticed any meaningful reduction in my range of motion.
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analog_peninsula

When did ignorance become an opinion?

David K · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:02 am Post subject:

Justin Sain · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:58 pm Post subject:

Did they say they were def taking bone from the hip? When they did mine they used stem cells in the cage they put between the vertebrae.

analog_peninsula · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:39 pm Post subject:

No, none at all, although I was very weak. There was some swelling in my neck the first night that had my undivided attention, but it quickly subsided; as a neuro patient, the nurses also kept me right up front. I went back to work eight days later; I should have waited another four or five days though. I work on a computer and no movement is required, as you might guess.
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analog_peninsula

When did ignorance become an opinion?

Justin Sain · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:06 pm Post subject:

BAN ME NOW, that's a sweet scenario. I can't imagine bouncing back like that (even though they say most do) I think I ignored my symptoms for too long before even having my 1st surgery. Aftrer this last one My neurosurgeon told me he knew when he saw me the next day it wasn't gonna be a good outcome.

I'm just having conversation, I hope it doesn't sound like gloom and doom. A lot of people have really good success. Mine is almost apples to oranges too, because my fusion was at L5/S1

David K · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:15 pm Post subject:

David K · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:16 pm Post subject:

Justin, lumber surgery has to suck, lower back issues are always hard, and never seem to work out and more pain and more surgeries...wish you the best man.

Justin Sain · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:55 pm Post subject:

Looking forward to hearing some good results. I could use some encouragement myself! I'm waiting on an MRI approval and take a new look. I think what's going on with me was they fixed the worst one, so the next weakest one is causing problems.

One of my biggest regrets was just not taking care of myself sooner, always "toughing it out" in my 20's beating the brakes off my body, knowing I had back problems, but moving engines around and all kinda junk I'm sure probably didn't cause it, but probably accelerated the wear a lot.

I'm at the point where the pain is just about ruling my life. I only post all these "I's and "I'ms" in your thread to share the exp. maybe help someone avoid it. I think as guys we tend to ignore health problems, and esp if it's one that challenges our manliness or whatever. I see where it got me! Rolling Eyes

I keep waiting for some new technology, all the stuff they have..... Here's what I want, some injection they inject some rubber into the disc and it be a combination of that "Great Stuff" expanding foam and Fix a Flat and it'll fix us all right up! We went to the MOON in the 60's and they still can't fix backs in 2012?!?!

Hey if nothing else, you'll have some really cool xrays to show everyone! hehe

analog_peninsula · Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:35 am Post subject:

They did the "bone from a cadaver" thing with me; every day I'm grateful to the anonymous donor, whoever he was.
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analog_peninsula

When did ignorance become an opinion?

waterguy · Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:49 pm Post subject:

Just so you know I had plates and screws on mine then about 2 years later I had kidney stones they put me in a ultsound bath to break up the stones it loosened all the screws had to have another surgey to fix it. Make sure all your doc's know what has been done to you

sam lawhon · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 11:27 pm Post subject:

Will be praying for you dave!
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David K · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:20 am Post subject:

thanks again guys, i'm nervous right now, and I am the first surgery of the day tomorrow, I have to be at the hospital at 6 AM and I believe surgery is at 7:30.

analog, did they let you go home after surgery or did you spend some time in the hospital? sounds like you were at home talking about the swelling, I think the swelling has to be normal, they just cut through the neck down to the spine lol....

will report in as soon as I feel ok to do so, have a good one guys/gals, talk to you soon, thanks again for the wishes!!

FrankT · Texasboars Legends Club Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 1754

Will be thinking of you! Hurry back!

John Martin · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:37 am Post subject:

David, here's wishing you a speedy recovery. Get back on here soon, we need your wisdom.

John

s10goes10s · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:00 am Post subject:

Good luck dude, wish you a speedy recovery
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Steve Davis · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:39 am Post subject:

Praying your surgery goes well and you have a speedy recovery!

Burt · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 3:44 am Post subject:

Here's hoping all goes well.
_________________
Ban guns to eliminate crime ?
Let's ban cars, to eliminate drunk driving.
Makes as much sense.

David K · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 4:20 am Post subject:

thanks a bunch guys, i really appreciate it, funny how I look to you guys for support, i guess its the same intrests and know that I have a bunch of friends here

so i'm home, interesting scenario, but first person is the nurse, i start hitting her up about going home, she said they keep you a minimum of one night, so then anesthesiologist comes in, do the same to him, then the surgery nurse comes in, do the same to her, then the doctors come in, do the same to them, first they say no, then they say we'll see at 5 PM....

so 5 PM comes around, they doctor says it would be ok, under 4 conditions, that I can drink water, eat crackers, pee and walk with my cane/brace....LOL, so I was running down the bathroom with a beer in one hand, crackers in the other heading to go pee lol. Ok, so maybe I did them one by one.

So i'm hurting, but not bad, more hard to swallow than anything and swollen up, but feel pretty good. Don't need to wear a brace, just have to be extremely careful because of my MS.

Here is a pic of where they chopped me, swelling has gotten worse, but not too bad and that is glue holding it all together lol:

Justin Sain · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 9:23 am Post subject:

That's the news I was waiting for, sounds like a success already! Def have a cool cut mark too, although it won't amount to much of a scar, enjoy it while you can! might I suggest you were held captive by a cartel that started to behead you but you fought your way out? that's the story I'd go with! haha

Seriously though, this thread has been the 1st thing I checked when I get online. Glad it worked out well. (as was told to me, if it were bad, you'd already know) So cheers!

Burt · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:08 am Post subject:

I posted the **real** story of what happened, but changed my mind, being afraid
you might laugh and mess things up...

So far so good it looks like, glad that worked.
_________________
Ban guns to eliminate crime ?
Let's ban cars, to eliminate drunk driving.
Makes as much sense.

FrankT · Texasboars Legends Club Joined: 05 Jun 2011 Posts: 1754

Glad you are home and doing OK, there could be a great story using that scar! Welcome back!!

David K · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 1:44 pm Post subject:

haha, you guys crack me up, you're right Burt, laughing hurts and man, I got a drink of water down the wrong tube yesterday and caughed, holy cow, no matter what, don't caugh, geez that hurt

thanks again guys, I enjoy the support and friends here at Texasboars....

now if I could just sleep, didn't sleep all night, but sure i'll pass out here sometime today...

John Martin · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:17 pm Post subject:

Looks like you got through it well. Take it easy for a while and soon you will back at building ARs.