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Spinal Fusion Surgery – Good or Bad Experiences?
Spine Health | Last Active: Nov 23, 2025 | Replies (48)Comment receiving replies
@mayr
It sounds like you are being dismissed/discriminated against due to your age and being a female. Can you take someone with you to help you advocate for your care and improved quality of life?
Do you have any symptoms of heaviness/clumsiness in arms/hands/fingers, noticed a change in your handwriting (sloppier than normal), dropping things more often, bladder/bowel control issues, heaviness in legs when walking?
Have you read your MRI report in detail to see what is called out as impressions by the radiologist? It should show if you have osteophytes/bony overgrowths, herniated discs, vertebrae slipping over the one beneath, compression of spinal cord/nerve roots and the levels affected? If not, please get access to this report from the place you got your MRI from and have family/friend review it with you and look up medical terms to help you understand what it all means. You can also ask ChatGPT what your results mean in normal terms.
Have you had a MRI of your lumbar spine, too?
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@dlydailyhope Yes I have heaviness in my legs and numb feet plus tingling fingers and my handwriting and typing are not good.
MRI report showing of any seriousness is c3c4 uncovertabral hypertrophy causing severe foraminal narrowing.
c5 c6 uncovertabral hypertrophy causing severe right and mild left neural narrowing.
c6c7 Disc osteophyte causing severe left and moderate right neural foraminal narrowing.
My surgeon says not to worry everything looks good. Second opinion with another dr which he says everything looks good.
That is frustrating since I am still having all these problems 7 month out from ACDF fusion which went well and healed perfectly.
My husband is not very good with doctors but he has made a new appointment with a new surgeon. Also he has gotten an appointment with a surgeon down in Mt Pleasant SC that has a very good rating with his patients so hopefully out the next two one of them can help me.
Thank you for your concern. I appreciate it. I will continue with physical therapy at home and hope that helps until I get an answer.