Anyone with cervical dystonia and front and back neck fusions?
It took many years for a diagnosis of Cervical Dystonia as well as treatment. I have been diagnosed since 2012 with Cervical Dystonia, two neck fusions 7 months apart (physical therapy tried to adjust the dystonia area and broke my first fusion) then I had hormonal pituitary issues at this same time with an small tumor a year later the doctor said said it was gone but when I have scans of my neck it’s sometimes referred to as something different but speaks to it having shrunk recently?? My period stopped at 40 and never came back which is how it was found. I have done Botox Injections in my neck for a year (2013) with Valium and a recommendation from the neurologist to hold off on Botox until the tremors increase. Since 2012, besides all of these issues I’ve had a pulmonary embolism, kidney cancer, a fully occluded iliac with a collateral vein and retrograde blood flow from my pelvis, that seriously took five years to figure out, doctors kept ordering scans from my foot to knee and the last technician actually found it and drew a picture of my aorta with a little vein coming out the side. Finally got one of the two kissing stents in and…amazing difference. I have chronic pain syndrome, learned the hard way about opioids. Living without pain meds since 2016. It’s a lot so I hope it doesn’t deter the conversation. I do have an incredible primary at UC Health here in Colorado which makes a huge difference, in support, treatment and quality of life. I will never forget seeing the neurologist the first time and our first words were, I thought I was going to die with Cervical Dystonia and his response was “oh, you will”. Pure devastation in a single moment. That said I appreciated his honesty and treatment he provided for a year.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Brain & Nervous System Support Group.