Hello jacklynn12, I had a cervical fusion from occiput to T3 in 2016, It was performed because of instability and spinal cord compression due to long term juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It took about 3 years for me to really get used to not being able to move my head, twisting from the waist, proper posture, etc. But, I did. The surgery was long and difficult for me, because I have a difficult airway. I was placed in ICU for 5 days (planned ahead of time), and then agreed to in patient rehab for two weeks, then outpatient for two months. Residually, I have much less pain, but get occasional headaches and deal with ongoing neuropathy in my shoulder/upper back area. I'm not sure what else to tell you, except what I experienced before. Because of the spinal cord compression, my surgery was urgent enough to be performed within a month of diagnosis. Prior to diagnosis, about 2 months before surgery, I started getting symptoms--"zaps" down my legs, numbness in my fingers, hands, and reduced coordination in my hands, as well as more pain and a sense of heaviness in my head. I was tired all the time.

Please let me know if I can offer anymore information, and I wish you all the best!