@jojo58 You're going to need to make a choice about your quality of life. If you want a better shot at successful surgery, you might want to quit smoking. Every cigarette that you don't smoke, is a gift to your grandson. That is precious, so make the most of those years that you have with him.

Fusions can fail to fuse which leaves a patient in long term pain. I was in a neck brace for 3 months because I chose to do this surgery without hardware, and I was relying on my body to grow the bone together. Your surgeon may not offer that, and there's probably a lesser chance because of smoking. The plates used in fusions give the surgeon a sense of security that their effort will endure. You may get different solutions to the problem, and you need to show the surgeon that you will be a good patient. Some surgeons will not take you as a surgical patient if you smoke, so you know what I'm hinting at.

What kind of job do you do? Is it something physical or is it a desk job where you would not be lifting? You will have lifting restrictions after spine surgery. You surgeon can advise how long they think you should be out of work.

Right now, it is pain, but you may loose function if you don't decompress what is getting compromised with your spine. Make sure to ask that question, and ask about a timeline of how that will affect you as you age. If you have cervical stenosis in the central canal compressing the spinal cord, it can cause incontinence and that can become permanent if the nerves die within the spinal cord. Early intervention with a spine problem like that is your best chance to prevent future disability.

Could you share more details about what your doctors have told you? Don't worry about if your surgeon recommends a collar or not. It was a necessity for me. What have they offered you as a solution to the problem?