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Well just about damn!

gwstang

Member
:bomb Anyone in here ever had the surgery where they cut the throat to go in for spinal work? I have a narrow space on the 4 th disc that is pinching the nerves and some arthritis that will need to be trimmed. It feels like a burning that goes up the back of my head and feels like a killer headache that won't go away. I visited the family Dr. and he sent me for a ct scan...Nothing. Well the next time I went to see my Dr. at the VA, she set me up for a full spinal set plus an MRI of that area. Bingo it is clearly visible. (Thank you Dr. Holloway for taking time to listen and diagnosing! :thu ) The neck really got to hurting when i was putting in the ac into the '66. It has bothered me off and on for 20 years or so, but i would just tough it out. Not so much any more. I am getting tired of acting like Dr. House and chomping down on loratab 7's and flexarill (muscle relaxer). Just damn. I have to go see the neurosurgeon the end of this month to find out exactly what he is going to do. This is the same guy that had to take a disc out of my back about 20 years ago and really gave me my life back. There was a piece broke off inside that was sawing on the nerves constantly and i actually got paralyzed from it and couldn't walk anymore. I was having sciatica during my last year in the Navy (4 years service) and kind of knew something wasn't right. He said that was the worst of that type of injury he had seen before (large piece broke inside) and that I must be one tough sob to be walking around for years with that. I wish I had never played football in high school :peter I still remember when some ass jerk slammed into me from behind (illegal hit) on the opening kickoff of our 3'd game (my last year). I had a problem from then on really. It was a small private school and we had to play both ways on offense and defense...that was loads of fun. :sarc Anyway, anyone have their neck operated on and how long was the recovery time? :roul
 
Sounds like a laminectomy, I had that to open the spinal channels as part of a larger procedure to remove 3 disks add bone wedges, a fancy titanium plate along with 8 ti screws to bolt C3-C7 together. Mine took about 6mths to get over, with a hard brace on the whole time and lifting restricted to 7lbs. Pain was mostly gone quickly (original pain anyways) The surgical pain wasn't too bad after a week or so (TIP, if you end up in a hard brace for any length of time, don't shave under it-the chaffing as the stubble starts to grow out is no joke! Ask me how I know!). I know the scope of my neck work may have been more involved but I would follow your Dr's recovery instructions to a "T". From what I have heard from others, a laminectomy from the front shouldn't take more than a few weeks to a couple of months. Good Luck (and enjoy being waited on for a little while!) kip
 
I had it done as well, C4-C5 area. The operation and aftermath discomfort was nothing compared to the pain before the operation. Had to wear a "collar" for about 4 months.
 
Thanks guys. It helps to have a better idea of how the surgical part goes with this. With my luck, if I have to wear a collar, swmbo would ask the Dr. to make it a "shock" collar!!!!!!!!!! :hs
 
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