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ACDF surgery soon. What should I expect, am so scared

Posted , 8 users are following.

marie52818
marie52818

Apparently I need c6/7 and possibly c5/6 removing and fusion. I am a very active (or was) 47 yr old and am rather scared of the op and unsure regarding the expected recovery. Can anyone please help to ease my mind a little please

2 likes, 27 replies

27 Replies

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  • lindagkelly
    lindagkelly marie52818

    Posted

    Hi Marie,

    I've had mlutiple fusions of my lower back. Not ACDF or cervical, but I can tell you this. Expect at least a 4-6 month recovery time. Don't push yourself. Don't give in to depression that you think you should be better by now.  Don't be scared of the surgery. The more positive you expect the outcome to be, the more positive it will be. I know you are very very scared. One thing you can do is to just google your doctors names and see what the reviews say  I wish I had done that.  Do you like your surgeon? Does he/she answer your questions? It's very important to be comfortable with your doctor - you two are going to be partners for a while.  It's so important afterwards to follow the instructions.  Wear  your brace, don't bend your neck in ways you aren't supposed to. Go gentle on your exercises if you have any afterwards. And don't be shy to call your doctor if something doesn't feel right or if it hurts.  And please know that you can always write in this forum.  There will be others who have been through the exact same t hing you are going through. This is a safe place. 

    Good luck to you. When is your surgery?

    Linda

    • marie52818
      marie52818 lindagkelly

      Posted

      I postponed it when I met the surgeon in September as I had few of the symptoms at that time... just the pain. I am now throwing in the towel reluctantly as I can do very little. I am seeing him again 23rd when he will give me a date but likely to be a week or so after that.

      Thank you for your message... very uplifting. I think I need it over and done with. He has said 10 wks off work minimum and 8 weeks off driving. The first 2 weeks only up for 20 mins every two hrs. I presume this is very routine aftercare. I live on my own with my children and not sure how I will manage but I will. I am just getting anxious about what happens if it goes wrong and I can't look after the children like I do now. X

    • lindagkelly
      lindagkelly marie52818

      Posted

      Hi Marie,

      I don't know really how it will be after your surgery - since I had low back surgery, not a CDF surgery. I was in the hospital for 9 days for "pain management" which was a joke, because my surgeon does't believe in giving pain meds, and I was in so much pain I could not MOVE, TALK to my FRIENDS, WATCH TV, EAT, or anything.  I just laid there with my eyes closed. Pain Management is something you might want to talk to you surgeon about BEFORE the surgery. Finally they moved me to a REHAB clinic, and the pain management doctor there immediately tripled my pain meds so that I could DO my physical therapy.  I was so much happier.  I was in the REHAB clinic about 3 weeks. So PAIN MANAGEMENT is very important. I was able to cut down on my pain meds within a month of getting home.  Then, since no one would be home during the day when I got home, I went and stayed with a friend for about a week to get used to being out of the hospital.  She ran a daycare, and the children were such a welcome distraction.  You are definitely going to need help. I don't know if you have family in there area or a friend you can rely on, but you are going to need help, for your sake and for your children's sake. If you don't have family to help you, check with a local church.  Believe it or not, even if you don't go there, there are people who would love to volunteer to help you out with laundry, housecleaning, watching the children, etc.  You will be able to take care of your children. I would also contact the hospital ahead of time to see if they know if they know of any programs to help you.  There are people out there who want to help you, you just have to find them. And you have time to do it now.  Stay in touch, I want to know how you are doing.

      Linda

  • penny_quirk
    penny_quirk marie52818

    Posted

    I had this in September 2014. Was terrified as a previous similar op had a poor outcome.

    However, I recovered enough to go back to work WITHIN 2 WEEKS. albeit part time. I do still have pain, but that was explained prior to the op.  I also have a neurological condition and it was discussed that this may affect the potential positive outcome, it didn't.

    Please try not to worry, quite often patients recover much quicker than anticipated and often fear is the most disabling factor.

    • marie52818
      marie52818 penny_quirk

      Posted

      Thank you for your response penny. That has reassured me. He has told me I have to be off work for 10 weeks minimum. I am seeing him in 2 weeks so will check again with him
  • rachel80431
    rachel80431 marie52818

    Posted

    I had this surgery in may 2015 and I was terrified! I had an amazing neurologist, the pain I woke up with from surgery was nothing compared to the pain I had suffered with for 5 years prior to the surgery. When i woke up, I was sore but no pain. If I had to do this all over again...I'd had done it sooner! I've had little to no neck pain since surgery, stay on top of your pain mess and take it easy, do not push yourself. If something makes you feel uncomfortable don't do it. In time you will be able to everything that you did before. I will say that now my pain/discomfort is back by my shoulder blades, with physical therapy and massage I have managed that pain. I have heard that this is a common side effect for up to a year after surgery. My dr prescribed pain meds and muscle relaxers when i left the hospital which was the same day with no neck brace and I felt amazing compared to how i had felt. Good luck i hope you do well!
    • lindagkelly
      lindagkelly rachel80431

      Posted

      Thank you for this positive feedback!  It's so good to hear the happy stories as so few of us have them!  Take care of yourself.lol
    • marie52818
      marie52818 rachel80431

      Posted

      Thanks Rachel. .. what a great message to wake up to. I have been told the area where they take the bone from hurts more than the op site. So has reassured me a bit. Really struggling during the day now but will see him soon and then I will have a date and just hope he has one soon
    • rachel80431
      rachel80431 marie52818

      Posted

      I didn't have that option, they used gadiver bone for my discs. I'm sure you will do well, I suffered with my neck as well before surgery was so relieved immediately after. I had lost strength and feeling in my right hand and could squeeze and feel a little harder immediately as well
    • marie52818
      marie52818 rachel80431

      Posted

      Despite my fear I am so desperate to get it done now. Yesterday I had some bad news to do with work and my tummy gets upset when I am upset. I think my meds weren't absorbed properly as I have been in so much pain today and had to come home from work. I have doubled up the gabapentin and it's settling a little. Just goes to show what those pain killers are doing. On the count down now to seeing him next wed
    • rachel80431
      rachel80431 marie52818

      Posted

      I have to eat a huge meal when taking pain medication or I get sick as well...maybe try eating A man sized meal lol
    • lindagkelly
      lindagkelly marie52818

      Posted

      Hi Marie,

      Can't believe you are still working with all of these problems going on.  But I can't believe how long I worked even after my 5th back surgery, I still tried to work. I'm always amazed at how much the gabapentin really does help. If my foot is on fire, I ask myself, did I take my gabapentin today? Nope, so then I take it, and it really does help.  Just like my poor little Medtronic SCS.  It is positioned in the wrong place, and doesn't help very much at all, so I turned it off completely, and I was surprised at how much more my legs ached without it.  So it is doing something.  I would say at this point, you have had some good reassurances about the surgery - just dive in and do it.  But from now on - for the rest of youro life - it is going to be very important for you to do your physical therapy exercises and take care of yourself!  Let us know when you have it scheduled.

      Linda

    • marie52818
      marie52818 lindagkelly

      Posted

      Oh I am really struggling to be at work. When I finish I just lie down and can do nothing. Today it's been an all day meeting and have been in such pain from just sitting. I am going to suffer for next day or so. I had to come home yesterday and that's a first for me. I can only hope that when I see the consultant he will get me in quickly. He was willing to do it in September but I postponed with his blessing as things were settled as reagrds secondary symptoms. He said with a wry smile that I would be begging him to perform the op in 9 months... well I have managed 6 months before throwing in the towel haha. I have resigned myself to it now and want it over with. Then I can start recovery. He has said 10 weeks off work as a minimum which I am dreading as I am usually so active. That been said I have had to slow down so much in the last 6 months which I have found frustrating but I will do whatever he says to get the best outcome from this. I have tried so hard to keep the meds down to a minimum as appreciate I have to come off them the other side. I am just not coping with the pain anymore. The k you for your support... It has meant more than you can imagine x
    • marie52818
      marie52818

      Posted

      Well have seen the consultant and have a day of 11th april. Gulp. The most upsetting bit was finding out it would be at least 6 months before I can even walk around on my horse but will follow instructions to the letter.
    • lindagkelly
      lindagkelly marie52818

      Posted

      Dear Marie,

      ​I can see how this would be upsetting news to a horse person.  My cousin is a horse person, and she would be devastated too.  She actually enjoys getting up at 4 am to mck the stalls, etc.  She is also very active in the Humane Society and constantly bringing home strays and taking care of them.  She's been like this her whole life - and she is 61 now.  I'm sure you'll be back in the saddle if you follow your instructions to the letter.  Wow, April 11 is only 2 weeks away.  Good luck to you!

    • marie52818
      marie52818 lindagkelly

      Posted

      Thank you... you are so kind to reply and it's very comforting to know there is someone out there who I can tell this stuff to. What has to be done... has to be done and I will of course be a good girl. The consultant is not sure whether he is removing c5/6 as well as c6/7 which is the one trapping my nerve. My thoughts are that the one higher up is prolapsed and whilst not impinging on a nerve yet... surely it will in time and then I will have to have this all done again. I just wish he would do both. He says it's more trauma so will look and only remove I'd he feels necessary. Of course I trust his judgment but seems daft not to whip that out at the same time
    • lindagkelly
      lindagkelly marie52818

      Posted

      Doctors tend to be very conservative and will do the least they can. When I had my discs fused from L2-S1, it should have been from L1-S1 but I think that was too many levels for them. My fusion from L5-S1 has failed twice​and the last doctor said just leave it. He wanted to put  in a Nevro Senza HF10 but I have concerns about the battery, have heard from two people on this site that it has actually cut through their skin in their backs,   I can understand why you want to have both taken care of at the same time, but the doctor will probably minimize it. He thinks he is minimizing the pain you will go through now, but it doesn't help if you have to go through it again in 6 months! I hope he is able to make the right decisiion for you.  My father-in-law and brother-in-law and nephew were all rodeors and roping, and taming wild horses - on a ranch in southeast Texas, and I can only imagine how hard it would be to get back into shape to be on a horse again after going through back surgery.  I wish you the best of luck.  Linda
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