Recovery Time???

[Stars- in- the-sky]

How Long does it take to recover from a neck fusion? Its been 6 months and I have had enough already. :mad:

[Lee555]

How Long does it take to recover from a neck fusion? Its been 6 months and I have had enough already. :mad:
Well it depends on if you really needed it and that was the actual problem, and if it was what was needed, did they do a good job. Personally, I have never thought fusions were a good idea unless there was irreversable advanced damage. Crumbling, breakage that sort of thing. I've heard too many horror stories of continued or brand new pain within a year.

[firesmurf]

personally i think it all depends on just what you mean by 'heal"?do you mean to actually 'fuse' or just not feeling right yet or what?the 'standard' is about six weeks you 'should' see signs of a fusion by then,but to actually have the fusion take can depend on many factors.my fusion did not take and it had been over 9 months since the surgery date.i had to keep calling my NSs 'gatekeeper(bitch) and keep telling her that something wasn't right inside my neck.i was hearing this horrid crunching and grinding noise that you could hear if you were just standing next to me and i turned my head,it was the damn bone plug bopping around in there.it was icky.i was also in much more constant pain with more numbness and tingling that i had even before the damn surgery.but she kept telling me that things were fine.it didn;t help theat the MRI i had done was inconclusive for fusion and recommended a CT and the CT stated that there WAS an actual fusion.i KNEW there wasn't and so did my primary.it finally took him calling my NS to tell him that i needed to be seen for an eval.then they sent me for a flexion and extension x ray that finally proved i was not actually fused.then of course came the hardware placement(my stupid NS actually impinged or rather 'looped' my c 7 nerve root with the pedicle screw with that one,geez).the flex and ext x rays are really the very best way to tell if fusion actually took place,espescially within the c spine without hardware.
are you still having your pre op symptoms going on,or something different?do you think you are not fused yet?marcia

[Stars- in- the-sky]

Hi Marsha,

I am sorry that it took so long to get back to you. I was not online for a little while there. Well I had a fusion a little over 6 months ago and I still just dont feel that great. I am uncomfortable in the neck and chest areas. I do feel much better then I did 4 months ago so I am guessing that its just a slow progress. Dr. Says it takes about 1 year for the bones to fuse together. Recently I saw him and we did x-rays. He said everything is healing up well. Certain days I just dont feel so good. Other days can be better. There are times that I just am sooo tired, light headed and weak. I guess its just part of the healing process and recovery time. I am very lucky you see because when I dove off that boat into shallow water hitting my head on the bottom of the lake I suffered a C6 Burst fracture but I did not endure a SCI. I think its was a miracle. What I think happened is when I hit my head the bones must have went "outward" instead if "inwards" which would result in injuring the Spinal Cord. I did however sufferer from some nerve damage in the hands (they always hurt). I joined this site for information and have met many wonderful people. I guess with my situation its just gonna take some time to get better. Its been a rough road but I am a survivor!! Just like many of us are. I will be posting pics of my x-rays shortly. Fusion of C5,C6, C7 with titanium cage and 8 screws and 2 rods.... yikes..... Dr. went through the front and back of my neck.

How are you doing?

Kendra

[Stars- in- the-sky]

It also feels like someone has a permanent grip around my neck and they haven't let go yet.


I also wanted to also say HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all. May good things happen in your life within the New Year and many years to come.

Peace, Joy and Love to All

Kendra

[Stars- in- the-sky]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b383/kfrencher/SideViewNeck.jpg (http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b383/kfrencher/?action=view&current=SideViewNeck.jpg)



http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b383/kfrencher/BackViewNeck.jpg

[firesmurf]

gee my neck kinda looks the same in some ways.i have the plate and screws at the c 6-7.one BIG thing here is that it sounds like they went in both back and front with you because of the extent of damage?these are two totally different things as far as healing and pain.my anterior fusion and the hardware placement were done from the front(two totally seperate surgeries) but my spinal cord surgery they of course had to go thru the back.the muscle in these areas really does make alot of difference as far as pain and healing.there was a HUGE difference for me between the front and back surgeries just with muscle problems up there.they have to just cut thru some very thick muslce when going thru the back area that they don't in the front ya know?this WILL take more time than the norm type of decomp fusion surgery just for that reason alone and when combined with the very real trauma you suffered from that blow out injury,well,it WILL take a bit more time just to heal things.

i am not suprised that you actually 'feel' like someone is gripping around your neck with all that added 'stuff' you now have.that may go away at some point or it could stay.there really isn't any way to really tell just how things will be.the actual 'healing" from any spinal trauma can take awhile.you will feel all kinds of different things during this process.it just kind of goes with the territory ya know?i too think you were very lucky that your injuries were not much more severe.wow.

this is just a big adjustment for you and your body and will take time.just what are you actually feeling as far as pain and any other strange or bizzarre feelings these days?what are you using for pain management?one big thing i can recommend to you once you get past like the one year mark is deep myofascial release for the muscle wads that keep forming in your upper back from just having the trauma but mostly having those muscles cut into.mine did not take that well and showed it by creating these hellish wads of tissue all the time(trigger points?).the release therepy really has helped tons for me,even after all these years.my spinal injury was back in 03.it just works out all that tightness and the radiating pain you have in the muscle.

just wanted to say with having hardware,you will most likely fuse at some point(the hardware actually acts like a really good splint).i didn't until the hardware was added.the only reason i know with 100% certainty is my NS actually saw it with his own eyes when he did my tri level lami and spinal cord surgery.he also 'unlooped" my c 7 nerve root,so i guess i got a two for one deal there and didn't have to undergo another dang surgery to correct the other NSs mistake.that was just sheer luck that all this stuff was all basically in the very same area.please let us know how things are going for you,K?marcia

[scootershooter]

I can only tell you my experience. I had C5-C7 fused back in Feb.08 with bad discs replaced with cadavor discs. The vertebrea completely healed structually in 6 months. That doesn't mean that I was pain free.:thinking: I still have 18cm of damaged nerves to deal with, and no guarantee that the nerves will ever heal. But it will take 18 months for that to be determined, as nerved regenerate at a cm per month , if they regenerate. They are going back in Sat. Oct 25th to fuse C3-C5 which has an additional 14cm of nerve damage.:mad: Now this first fusion caused me to become unable to work in my profession which was Custom Painting/ Auto Restorer. Now they are going higher in my neck so its a good thing that I can type because I don't know what will happen when they get around the vocal cords. I can tell you that everything that I have learned about cervical fusions is that MORE is NOT better. I don't know what your expecting to get out of your surgery. I do feel stronger where they fused structually but when you concider the limitations that you are now and forever more subject to is something that I guess is as individual as we are. Hope that helped