Anyone who has had Cervical spinal compression surgery

Thanks. Your reassurance gave me courage. Yes, cervical issues happens over decades of time and misuse and won't correct itself overnight.

@cmzollinger - Yes. Courage is needed.

My best...

Hi, I am 5 weeks post op, C5-6 and C6-7 discectomy with fusion. I was also very scared, I spent 1 night in the hospital, but I was up walking around the unit 5 hours after I got to my room. I took prescription pain meds & muscle relaxers for 1 week then switched to Tylenol/ Ibuprofen. My surgeon is having me wear the neck brace for 12 weeks! But I can take it off when sitting or showering. I take a muscle relaxer at night usually just to help sleep. I do have some soreness and tightness on the right side of my neck/shoulder, but I am reading that is normal. I also had the incision from the front and it is not bad at all. I thought this would be an awful recovery but I feel I am doing well. I wish you the best with your surgery.

Hello Ms. Smith,
I am 7 days post op ACDF surgery 4/5 - 5/6 with bone graft from the illiac - crest and I have signifigant pain, especially in my shoulder muscles. It's difficult to get comfortable and find that right spot so you can lay down and rest. It's a bit of a battle but the good news is, once you're settled in and can relax, the pain is relieved until you have to get up again and repeat the same process. The key here is to move into different positions by pushing throught the pain. If you don't move you get really stiff and you know it's going to hurt to reposition again. I've been using a hot pad across my shoulder and that makes the pain settle down. I still feel dysphagia and I read online that it may take awhile to get your voice back to it's usual sound. I still can't eat a regular meal and I'm sticking to soft foods and cold popsicles at this time. I have a band waiting for my return and I sure hope I will be able to sing again. I have to admit these days are a bit trying on me. Today I'm not going anywhere. I need rest. I've also had 2 knee replacements and that is painful too. I used a walker every chance I got to get around. That was 7years ago with the last knee replacement. I remember the pain and the swelling!
It was really hard to try and walk and not put too much pressure on the knee. Both my kneews were replaced and they feel like normal knees to me. The pain from the neck is coming from all the muscles that surround the neck. I'm trying to find a way to get up and off the bed and visa verca and avoid the neck muscle pain that I feel. It often times hit 10! during the process of moving. Once I'm up walking or in a chair, it feels pretty good.
Don't be "terrified" of what kind of pain you will experience. Use your pain medication, your long lost buddy has returned to you after your knee replacements! Hope you feel better. Although I understand there's a lot involved in cervical neck fusion it will hurt after the surgery, not going to lie. If you made it through knee replacement surgery and experienced signifigant pain, I KNOW you can handle cervical fusion. Good luck to you!

@janagain Jan, I'm so glad to hear from you this morning! When I had my ACDF surgery, my voice was gruff for 3 or 4 days, then normalized. Swallowing was difficult for about 2 to 3 weeks. It's like one half of the throat doesn't know what to do. Be careful with that, because you can easily swallow wrong and choke. It may help to tuck your chin a bit while swallowing if you can.

You're on the healing side now, and your pain is healing pain. It will get better. This is your time to just rest and not put any expectations on yourself. Naps are very good for healing.

Hugs,
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,
I just woke up, thank you! And my voice is gruff, not quite normal yet. I
already choked on a pill. It just attached itself
and I drank a glass of water and finally its grip let go. I didn't mention
the Illiac Crest. That's something else on a whole new level. However,
today the pain is much better than the day before. I also have a muscle
ache from the side of my right and follows down the right arm to just about
the elbow. It's extremely painful and very bothersome. On a good note, I
have more feeling in my feet!! One doctor thought it was diabetes related
but I'm getting almost all the feeling in my feet! I still have an
extremely weak left arm that they suspect is frozen and is taking its time
to hopefully disappear
Hugs back, Jan.

@janagain Jan, that's wonderful that you have feeling back in your feet! A few days after surgery, inflammation really increases a lot. It will take time for that to subside, so hang in there. One member who had an ACDF, was getting the same burning sensation in her neck as before surgery, and that kept up for about 6 weeks and then went away. It makes you worry if the surgery is successful. I remember my own surgery had pain that was gradually getting better, and somehow it magically resolved at about that 6 week mark. After that, I could feel stiffness and tightening of the scar tissue. I was still in my neck brace at that time for a couple more months, and the tightness from the surgical scar was pulling and increasing my pain in my chest. That was increasing symptoms for my thoracic outlet syndrome and it was too early to be able to do PT. It was giving me difficulty breathing, and I did get some PT for that as long as they didn't touch my neck.
Hugs,
Jennifer