I got home last night Sat. the 17th but was too tired to post.
They had to open the entire incision to get at the screws and rods. I got to keep the hardware they removed. The surgery was supposed to be 1-1/2hrs but it was 3. I am in pain due to the surgery, of reopening, moving the nerves and muscles around etc.....
But the horrible pain I was having when I sat up or stood for more than 15mins is gone. Thank God.
I am back to wearing my neck brace again for 6 weeks or longer, go in on Friday the 23rd to get the staples removed. I have a nurse coming in everyday to give me Arixtra shots (heparin) until I am therapeutic in regards to my INR. I have to have daily dressing changes by them as well since I can not do it.
I will be needing more therapy and muscle massage without any Range Of Motion, this will take place after my brace comes off.
As for my girlfriend's funeral I was told it was nice. My friends gave me all the papers that were handed out which was nice. She is in a better place now.
Other than that it is one day at a time until I am healed. Again thanks for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers.
September 18, 2011
September 08, 2011
I'm in need of a repair
Yes you heard right - I'm in need of a repair. My cervical hardware has decided to come a part. I currently have 3 screws that came out of the vertebrae.
Tuesday the 13th I'll be having the screws taken out and replaced. My understanding is they will take out the current screws, fill the holes and drill new holes to accommodate the new screws.
This will not be day surgery, as the Dr told us - it will be to painful for the first few days I'll be put on a pain pump. Should stay in the hospital for about 3 days then go home.
Now I can say I am a pain in the neck and I have a few screws loose. Go ahead and laugh everyone does.
To see the hardware I am talking about go to
http://www.aesculapimplantsystems.com/assets/base/doc/DOC859-S4CervicalSystemBrochure.pdf
I tried to copy the picture but I couldn't. You do not need to read the entire brochure, but it does explain all the equipment used and what they did in the first place on June 6th.
Tuesday the 13th I'll be having the screws taken out and replaced. My understanding is they will take out the current screws, fill the holes and drill new holes to accommodate the new screws.
This will not be day surgery, as the Dr told us - it will be to painful for the first few days I'll be put on a pain pump. Should stay in the hospital for about 3 days then go home.
Now I can say I am a pain in the neck and I have a few screws loose. Go ahead and laugh everyone does.
To see the hardware I am talking about go to
http://www.aesculapimplantsystems.com/assets/base/doc/DOC859-S4CervicalSystemBrochure.pdf
I tried to copy the picture but I couldn't. You do not need to read the entire brochure, but it does explain all the equipment used and what they did in the first place on June 6th.
August 21, 2011
A Long way to go.......
I started outpatient therapy on the 1st of August. This was just my evaluation so the therapist would know what to do with me.
My Neurosurgeon said no forcible ROM (range of motion). I was to have Ultrasound, massage and stabilization with exercise. Simple right, wrong.
On August 3rd I went for my 1st therapy appt. I did the normal exercises, then the therapist said I needed to do some active ROM, I told him I wasn't allowed to do that, he said yes within reason. He gave me a sheet of paper with the movements on it so I could do them at home.
The next morning I woke up and I was in a horrible amount of pain. I took my muscle relaxer and a pain pill and laid back down. It seemed like every time I sat straight up or stood up for more than 20 mins I would get this severe headache in the top of my head. Nothing would take it away, I had to lay down to get rid of it.
This went on all weekend, so on Monday the 8th I put in a call to my Dr. then I called my therapist, and said I would not be in that day until my Dr. called me and explained why. The associate Dr. called me and asked what happened, I told everything the therapist did and he said do not go back until you see Dr. H again, you'll need new x rays when you see him to make sure nothing was damaged. Oh great just what I needed to hear, the therapist could have damaged my neck.
My appt. with my Dr. was on the 19th, I had new x rays taken and I have 2 screws out of place, inflammation and a pain in the neck. I will need to go for some steroid injections to calm things down, I am not to go back for therapy. Then go back to see the Dr. after my injections to schedule more surgery to put things back in place. In the mean time I lay around a lot to keep the headaches at bay and no movement of my neck what so ever.
My Neurosurgeon said no forcible ROM (range of motion). I was to have Ultrasound, massage and stabilization with exercise. Simple right, wrong.
On August 3rd I went for my 1st therapy appt. I did the normal exercises, then the therapist said I needed to do some active ROM, I told him I wasn't allowed to do that, he said yes within reason. He gave me a sheet of paper with the movements on it so I could do them at home.
The next morning I woke up and I was in a horrible amount of pain. I took my muscle relaxer and a pain pill and laid back down. It seemed like every time I sat straight up or stood up for more than 20 mins I would get this severe headache in the top of my head. Nothing would take it away, I had to lay down to get rid of it.
This went on all weekend, so on Monday the 8th I put in a call to my Dr. then I called my therapist, and said I would not be in that day until my Dr. called me and explained why. The associate Dr. called me and asked what happened, I told everything the therapist did and he said do not go back until you see Dr. H again, you'll need new x rays when you see him to make sure nothing was damaged. Oh great just what I needed to hear, the therapist could have damaged my neck.
My appt. with my Dr. was on the 19th, I had new x rays taken and I have 2 screws out of place, inflammation and a pain in the neck. I will need to go for some steroid injections to calm things down, I am not to go back for therapy. Then go back to see the Dr. after my injections to schedule more surgery to put things back in place. In the mean time I lay around a lot to keep the headaches at bay and no movement of my neck what so ever.
August 05, 2011
Cervical Surgery Completed
Boy does the time fly by when you're having fun.
My Neurosurgery - Cervical Fusion was done on 6/6/2011
I stayed in the hospital for only 5 days then I was transferred upstairs to the inpatient Rehab. On June 17th they sent me home telling me I was able to do all things by myself.
No joke I was sent home only 12 days after major surgery knowing I live alone - Marilyn made supper for me and shortly after that I went to bed. I awoke the 18th, got somewhat dressed, brushed my teeth and took my morning meds. I was in so much pain I had to lay down couldn't even make oatmeal for breakfast. My tolerance for sitting/standing at that point was only 15 to 20 mins. Yet the Rehab said I was ready to go home and fend for myself. Yeah right.
I am thankful that I had a nurse come to my apt. to give my shot of heparin, because she said there was no way she was going to leave me there alone. My nurse called her boss and told her what was going on and I was told to get a friend over immediately that I wasn't to be left unattended. So I called Marilyn to help me out. Before the nurse left she had me scheduled to go to a long term Rehab Center. She also read my discharge papers from the Rehab to me - stating all the things I could do, make a meal in the microwave, empty the dishwasher, pull things out of cabinets, take a shower independently and could sit up for more than an hour at a time, do my laundry. None of which I could do at all nor ever attempt to do at the Rehab Center. Take a shower by myself - What were they thinking I still had a neck brace on and it could not get wet or be removed until July 15th.
I got to another Rehab Center for long term care in the afternoon of June 18th at 3pm. That is where I found out they mixed up my paper work with another person that had the same name. Also this person was a different race and younger in age. I tell you things we go through now a days.
Within 24 hrs the real records were sent to the long term Rehab Center and my therapy began. I was so bad off I stayed at this Center for 5-1/2weeks. My cell phone didn't work there nor did I have computer access so communication was minimal.
I have been home little over a week and I still have a long way to go before I am to a fully recovered state. I am still in Outpatient Rehab which can take several more months and up to a year to heal.
I am so glad that I have God to look over me and take care of me, so many things could have gone wrong and did but God took care of every little detail. I am still here and on the mend. He always takes care of His own.
My Neurosurgery - Cervical Fusion was done on 6/6/2011
- C2, C7, T1 bilateral partial laminectomy.
- C3, C4, C5, C6 bilateral complete hemilaminectomy.
- C3-C4, C4-C5, C5-C6, C6-C7, C7-T1 bilateral foraminotomy.
- C3-C4, C4-C5, C5-C6, C6-C7, C7-T1 bilateral arthrodesis with local autograft and OrthoBlast bone matrix.
- C3, C4, C5, C6, C7-T1 cervical instrumentation with Aesculap S4 cervical fixation system.
- Decompression of spinal cord.
- Electrophysiological monitoring.
- Ultrasound.
- Harvest local autograft
I stayed in the hospital for only 5 days then I was transferred upstairs to the inpatient Rehab. On June 17th they sent me home telling me I was able to do all things by myself.
No joke I was sent home only 12 days after major surgery knowing I live alone - Marilyn made supper for me and shortly after that I went to bed. I awoke the 18th, got somewhat dressed, brushed my teeth and took my morning meds. I was in so much pain I had to lay down couldn't even make oatmeal for breakfast. My tolerance for sitting/standing at that point was only 15 to 20 mins. Yet the Rehab said I was ready to go home and fend for myself. Yeah right.
I am thankful that I had a nurse come to my apt. to give my shot of heparin, because she said there was no way she was going to leave me there alone. My nurse called her boss and told her what was going on and I was told to get a friend over immediately that I wasn't to be left unattended. So I called Marilyn to help me out. Before the nurse left she had me scheduled to go to a long term Rehab Center. She also read my discharge papers from the Rehab to me - stating all the things I could do, make a meal in the microwave, empty the dishwasher, pull things out of cabinets, take a shower independently and could sit up for more than an hour at a time, do my laundry. None of which I could do at all nor ever attempt to do at the Rehab Center. Take a shower by myself - What were they thinking I still had a neck brace on and it could not get wet or be removed until July 15th.
I got to another Rehab Center for long term care in the afternoon of June 18th at 3pm. That is where I found out they mixed up my paper work with another person that had the same name. Also this person was a different race and younger in age. I tell you things we go through now a days.
Within 24 hrs the real records were sent to the long term Rehab Center and my therapy began. I was so bad off I stayed at this Center for 5-1/2weeks. My cell phone didn't work there nor did I have computer access so communication was minimal.
I have been home little over a week and I still have a long way to go before I am to a fully recovered state. I am still in Outpatient Rehab which can take several more months and up to a year to heal.
I am so glad that I have God to look over me and take care of me, so many things could have gone wrong and did but God took care of every little detail. I am still here and on the mend. He always takes care of His own.
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