Connect
Cervical SCI and fusion issues
Hello! 39 yo male three years ago c1/c2 sci incomplete that occurred 3 years ago during a rugby match. I was initially paralyzed from the head down and stopped breathing. Everything started coming back online in the ambulance ride to the hospital. I spent a week in the icu , another in ortho , then I walked out of there. A month later I had c2-occipital fusion to fix instability. I had lingering weakness in my left side for about six months and other paresthesia symptoms but I am fully functional. Still I often frequent the ER for new or persistent symptoms like buzzing down my spine, pain, stiffness, vertigo, tinnitus, etc. exacerbating the problem is the fact that I frankly almost assuredly have some PTSD from the original injury. Most recently I’m experiencing some fairly intense lhermite signs (buzzing /shivering/electrical type sensations) when lying down to sleep. All of my mris and other imagery says I have plenty of space in my spinal column.
It goes in flare ups. I do well for a while and then go through bad week’s with lots of symptoms. I try to exercise and lift weights. I own a hvac business so my job is pretty physical.
I guess I’m just asking if this is normal considering the injury? I’m a beyond grateful that I can walk and move considering that I know what it’s like to be paralyzed. I can count my blessings. I get worried that these symptoms are progressing to a return to paralysis or death.
If anybody can relate I’d love hear about it. It gets rough some days.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Spine Health Support Group.
Connect
Have you or do you see a neurologist on a regular basis? It sounds like you still have nerve issues in your neck. I have had the same symptoms for the past year without the total paralysis issues. My whole body went numb during a heavy weight lifting workout 1 year ago. I was convinced I had ALS for 4 months before some symptoms started to slowly let up. I started feeling so good after 8 months that I went back to my baseball team and played 2 games at the end of the season. I then started practicing every other day to prepare for a tournament in October. Then bam! all of my symptoms returned and I had to stop playing. I am finally feeling better again, and I have an appointment to be tested for thoracic outlet syndrome next week.
Do you have any fatigue when your symptoms come back? I have the buzzing, tinnitus, and verigo, but I also have tiredness and brain fog.
Hang in there. Nerves take a long time to heal. I wish I could give you hope for answers from doctors, but I’ve seen 2 neurologist, 2 neurosurgeons, a rheumatologist, an endocrinologist, an ENT, and of course my primary a few times. Plus went to ER twice when this started. No real answers. I like to say the central nervous systom is like the bottom of the ocean for our medical experts.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThanks for replying and relating! Yes I’ve been to allllll the neurologists and neurosurgeons. The answer to the imaging and consultations are all the same. Basically that I have flare ups of inflammation that aggravates my nerves and sci. Ruled out blood flow problems and some other things. They never can point to one thing. Only that the mri says I’ve got space in my spinal column and I’m not going to die immediately so here’s a prescription for gabapentin good look to you. That being said I’ve got a follow up with my neurologist on Thursday. Until the. It’s advil and cymbals for me. The one person who helped the most with my quality of life was my physical therapist. I’d also been increasing the weight lifting recently. No major injury or anything but it’s correlated. I’ve stopped since the buzzing has gotten worse.
I hope you get answers or at least that the worst s ruled out. I suspect that being physically active and capable is as important to you and it is to me. Not being able to move like to want to is not fun.
Oh and yes I have fatigue and brain fog as well. Both pretty vague symptoms though so whether it’s due to my job, my mental health, or my spinal cord, I’m just not sure. Chronic pain man. What a dick.