Hi @strongwoman - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I think it's natural to be wondering about recovery from any spinal surgery, and the experiences of others can be helpful to hear about.

Tagging fellow Mayo Clinic Connect members who may have had first hand experience with cervical spine surgery, cared for a loved one or just researched a lot related to this type of surgery and be able to tell you how recovery might go @jenniferhunter
@bilt4pain @steelme43 @morkat.

Are there specific activities important to you that your are wondering if you can do during recovery, strongwoman?

@strongwoman I had a frontal surgery to fuse C5 and C6. I was in a neck brace for 3 months because I had this surgery without hardware. I felt a bit like Humpty Dumpty and I got used to not being able to bend or twist. I was able to was my hair fine. I had a foam neck brace for showering. I slept in the brace and wore it 27/7. I had elastic shoe laces so I could just slip my shoes on because I could not look at my feet. I have been told posterior surgery is more painful. I didn’t think the pain after my surgery was that bad. The months went by sooner than I expected. I was tired from healing and slept a lot. After 3 months in the brace, I needed some physical therapy for a few months because neck muscles become weak when not being used. I used folded bandanas to pad the chin part of the brace and I could wash them often and always have clean ones. I also had an extra set of pads for the brace so they could be washed frequently. You might try walking around without bending or twisting your neck to see what will be difficult. Picking something up from the floor would be difficult because you can’t look at it. Sleeping on my side was most comfortable in the hard collar. I had my cloths in bins on benches so I could get them easily. I hope that helps give you a sense of what recovery is like.