So I may need surgery.

[JMoses24]

Here's what happened and why, in just a few weeks, there's a chance I need to go under the knife.

Back in 2008, I fractured my C-1 and C-2 vertebrae. I never needed surgery for it, the fracture was deemed minor. It did eventually heal on it's own, after 6-8 weeks with a neck brace.

Fast forward to just before the July 4 holiday. On July 2, I started noticing, among other things, that my fingers were losing feeling, that my arms were feeling as though I had lead weight on them, and that my upper back and neck both hurt. A lot. At first I chalked it up to, "eh, I just overdid it on a workout, no big deal." A few days rest, I should be good as new, right?

Wrong.

I saw my doctor July 8, for what was a regularly scheduled follow up. The symptoms, while not worsening, also weren't getting any better...a clue that something was wrong. My doctor scheduled me that week for an MRI, which I had on July 18.

By the end of the day July 18, I was on a corticosteroid, diagnosed with severe stenosis in my spine at C4 and C5, in addition to what turned out to be congenital stenosis from my C3 all the way to C7. Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal...in my case, significant enough that they referred me to a neurosurgeon, who I will see on August 28. Apparently the situation, while serious, didn't require immediate hospitalization but will most likely require surgery.

I'm obviously scared out of my mind. So, any good thoughts for me and my family will be much appreciated.

What a way to turn 29...

[golden eagle]

Wow, damn. But, it was caught in time before it could get any worse. Prayers going out to you.

[US81]

Respectfully, I would suggest getting a second opinion from another neurosurgeon. I think it could be useful to get advice from someone who would not profit should you choose to have surgery.

[signalman]

I agree with US81 that you should get a second opinion.  I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery.

[JMoses24]

Respectfully, I would suggest getting a second opinion from another neurosurgeon. I think it could be useful to get advice from someone who would not profit should you choose to have surgery.

There is still a chance this neurosurgeon doesn't do surgery right away. I haven't met him yet, so I don't know if I'm for sure going in for surgery. Still, if he does suggest it, my family and I are discussing all options.

[cpzilliacus]

By the end of the day July 18, I was on a corticosteroid, diagnosed with severe stenosis in my spine at C4 and C5, in addition to what turned out to be congenital stenosis from my C3 all the way to C7. Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal...in my case, significant enough that they referred me to a neurosurgeon, who I will see on August 28. Apparently the situation, while serious, didn't require immediate hospitalization but will most likely require surgery.

I'm obviously scared out of my mind. So, any good thoughts for me and my family will be much appreciated.

What a way to turn 29...

This sucketh.

My stepmother (much older than you) had (successful) surgery for this at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. some years ago.

[JMoses24]

By the end of the day July 18, I was on a corticosteroid, diagnosed with severe stenosis in my spine at C4 and C5, in addition to what turned out to be congenital stenosis from my C3 all the way to C7. Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal...in my case, significant enough that they referred me to a neurosurgeon, who I will see on August 28. Apparently the situation, while serious, didn't require immediate hospitalization but will most likely require surgery.

I'm obviously scared out of my mind. So, any good thoughts for me and my family will be much appreciated.

What a way to turn 29...

This sucketh.

My stepmother (much older than you) had (successful) surgery for this at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. some years ago.

Yeah, I don't look forward to the possibility. I know that it's a major risk if I go for it.

[adventurernumber1]

Yikes. Sorry bro. I will pray for you and I hope you get through this alright.

[formulanone]

All the best to you, and hopes for a speedy recovery, J.

[jeffandnicole]

What a way to turn 29...

Since you are mentioning your birthday, I'll just relay a short story to you...

I celebrated my birthday a few years ago...with an appendectomy!  Ate at Bahama Breeze for their wings then walked a few storefronts down to Maggiano's for dinner on a Monday night to celebrate my birthday early. Bad aches that night.  Felt really gassy Tuesday; went to doctors (which I rarely do so early in an illness).  Doctor figured it was gas (appendicitis is rarely diagnosed correctly early on).  Wednesday I still felt like crap, so drove myself to the ER...figured at the very least it would be an expensive stomach ache.  But no...they came back and said it was Appendicitis!  So on that Thursday - my birthday - I celebrated with my first surgery!!

The next year I looked back...and determined it was my best birthday ever.  I was waited on hand and foot.  If I needed something, it was a button away.  The food actually wasn't half-bad.  And I didn't have to work or do anything!  lol

So when you're facing something like surgery, look at the bright sides of it...yes, there are some to be found. It's worse when you have the opportunity to think about it.  Don't be scared though...look ahead and know that they are going to get you better!

Best of luck man!

[Pete from Boston]

By the end of the day July 18, I was on a corticosteroid, diagnosed with severe stenosis in my spine at C4 and C5, in addition to what turned out to be congenital stenosis from my C3 all the way to C7. Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal...in my case, significant enough that they referred me to a neurosurgeon, who I will see on August 28. Apparently the situation, while serious, didn't require immediate hospitalization but will most likely require surgery.

I'm obviously scared out of my mind. So, any good thoughts for me and my family will be much appreciated.

What a way to turn 29...

This sucketh.

My stepmother (much older than you) had (successful) surgery for this at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. some years ago.

I have also known someone, much older and with multiple health complications, to come out of this surgery without incident.  He was talking and eating later that night, to our delight and amazement, and had no complications from the surgery. 

Hopefully you have trust in your doctors, and more importantly, listen to your nurses (who know the doctors best).

[JMoses24]

What a way to turn 29...

Since you are mentioning your birthday, I'll just relay a short story to you...

I celebrated my birthday a few years ago...with an appendectomy!  Ate at Bahama Breeze for their wings then walked a few storefronts down to Maggiano's for dinner on a Monday night to celebrate my birthday early. Bad aches that night.  Felt really gassy Tuesday; went to doctors (which I rarely do so early in an illness).  Doctor figured it was gas (appendicitis is rarely diagnosed correctly early on).  Wednesday I still felt like crap, so drove myself to the ER...figured at the very least it would be an expensive stomach ache.  But no...they came back and said it was Appendicitis!  So on that Thursday - my birthday - I celebrated with my first surgery!!

The next year I looked back...and determined it was my best birthday ever.  I was waited on hand and foot.  If I needed something, it was a button away.  The food actually wasn't half-bad.  And I didn't have to work or do anything!  lol

So when you're facing something like surgery, look at the bright sides of it...yes, there are some to be found. It's worse when you have the opportunity to think about it.  Don't be scared though...look ahead and know that they are going to get you better!

Best of luck man!

That's probably one thing I do look forward to at the hospital. When I go in:

1) I have issues with pressure ulcers. Often, when I go for hospital stays I end up on an air mattress but sometimes, I've gotten those mattresses with the sand-type mixture that contours to you. And I like those, they actually feel good.
2) Hospital food now isn't like the food served 15 years ago. Now, hospitals actually give you a whole mess of options, some healthy...others, not so much. I've actually had some damn good omelets at the hospital, and I've also had a decent cheeseburger. Heck, when I was still going to the children's hospital, that meant Cincinnati-style chili and LaRosa's pizza were available to me when I wanted without having to leave the room. The good stuff, right there. (I'm not sure what hospital I'll end up in yet for this one, but I'm looking at up to 3 days.)
3) You get waited on hand and foot, as you pointed out.

By the way, this is not my first surgical rodeo. Not by any stretch. I've had at least 15 (I can't remember all of them). Many minor ones, but there are plenty of major ones including hours after birth (Had to have my back surgically closed because of Spina Bifida); 3 weeks after birth (shunt put in my head); 1994-ish (cyst removed from my back); 1996, 2000, 2005, 2006 and 2009 (all on my bladder, with 2000 and 2006 being emergencies when my bladder actually ruptured) and 1998 (scoliosis correction). The only reason this one scares me most is because it's my spinal cord we're talking about. At the same time, I want relief and if that means surgery, well, shit, it means surgery. Nothing I can do.

The steroid I have been on since July 18 only makes inflammation go down and reduces some symptoms. It doesn't address the root problem...namely, that the nerves are pinched in this stack of dimes I call a neck. For that, we see what the neurosurgeon says in 16 days, but from my regular doctor's interpretation they're not gonna mess around and it's "likely" I will have to go in.

Thanks everybody. I'll get through this, I've just been trying to deal with the emotional toll.

[JMoses24]

It is now all but certain that I will be having surgery this fall to repair the stenosis in my neck. The question of "when" will be answered after some additonal testing in the next couple weeks. I am having a CT scan done on my neck and, in addition, an MRI will be performed on my head as a precaution -- they want to be sure there's not going to be other issues caused by me having surgery. I won't know until after Labor Day when I will have these tests, but if I had to guess, those will be in the next 2 weeks and then surgery will happen sometime in late September or early October. (I will caution you that that's only a guess -- could be sooner, could be later.) I did have a cervical X-ray Thursday morning, which was the third test they wanted to do, but I don't have results back on that yet.

IF I have surgery before the annual Walk and Roll that I always do for Spina Bifida Coalition of Cincinnati...and that's not out of the realm of possibility...then I've been told that I can still attend -- but my capability on my own will be next to zero. I won't be allowed to push myself on the course which means I will need all the help I can get. It was mentioned a couple weeks ago by one of my roller derby friends (one of the local teams I support has been huge in coming up with girls that will do the walk for the past five years...and they do so on their skates) when this came up that they would push me in my chair if I couldn't push myself...well, I'm gonna be taking them up on that if I have surgery pre-walk. I still have EVERY intention to make the walk, but as to whether I can physically participate on my own...that's in question until surgery is finally scheduled. As I've put it to friends, I would rather have to be pushed on the course while still being there than to miss it for the first time in at least 10 years.

Either way, I am looking at 3 months in a neck brace, up to six months total recovery time, probably much of that time being restricted on what I can and cannot physically do. The doctor thinks I would only spend one night, maybe 2 in the hospital. Some patients that have this surgery do it outpatient and are able to walk out the same day...not me, in my case I would need to stay due to the possibility of complications as a result of my pre-existing issues.

Continued prayers/good thoughts/etc would be much appreciated. We're one step closer to taking stenosis down for the count.

[hm insulators]

Best of wishes to you, whether or not you need surgery!

[JMoses24]

EDITED TO ADD ADDITIONAL INFO:

I have the MRI and CT scan scheduled for this Wednesday coming up. Then I go back to the neurosurgeon September 23. Don't look forward to the tests because those machines aren't built for guys with legs that do not go straight and bad backs. Yet, I want to move the process along so I kinda do look forward to it.

I did get the results back from the cervical X-Ray in the interim. And those results weren't encouraging. I basically lost the curve in my neck from all of this. A normal spinal column, particularly in the neck, has a curve, shaped like a C pointed toward the back of the neck. Well...my spine is losing that curve or has already lost it entirely. When you lose that, then the spinal column becomes more susceptible to injury apparently -- and that is happening to me. I've been told this is somewhat normal due to age, but as young as I am I wouldn't think I should have an issue. So, I may be looking at a spinal fusion in addition to corrective action for the stenosis itself. That's worst case. Hopefully not.

So there's the update.

[Laura]

Wow. Definitely keeping you in my prayers.

[JMoses24]

I kinda wish I could change the overall thread title...because I am officially having surgery next Thursday, October 2nd at noon at University hospital in Cincinnati. I have one final pre-operative consultation later this week or early next along with the pre-operative physical.

I am having what's called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion at the C4 and C5 levels. This is when the doctor goes in from the front, they cut out the bad disc, and then they use bone and a metal plate to fuse the vertebrae in place. The surgery typically takes 1-3 hours to perform. Most people will go home the same day. This is not going to be the case for me, as due to existing neurological issues they're a bit worried about this one. I'm looking at up to 5 days in the hospital. So while my Bengals play the Patriots on Sunday Night Football, I'll likely be in a hospital bed at UC. That sucks, but it's going to be worth it to get this taken care of. I've been dealing with it for 2 months and as I have said...it's gotten to a point that it's affecting my entire life and I cannot allow that.

So, there you are. Surgery is imminent.

[US71]

So, there you are. Surgery is imminent.

Best of luck to you.

[US81]

Wishing you the best outcome.

[adventurernumber1]

So sorry about that man. I will keep you in my prayers. I hope the surgery goes well, and hopefully you'll walk out better than ever.

[Pete from Boston]

I am confident you will be posting here the next day saying it was a breeze.

[hm insulators]

Good luck to you!

[JMoses24]

Thanks everyone.  And Pete, I'm sure I will say something to that effect next Friday.

[JMoses24]

I had the surgery on Friday. My blood pressure gave them a bit of a scare at one point but it was an overall success. I'll probably go to a rehabilitation facility for a couple weeks to get my strength back. Most of the family works outside the house, and the only one that doesn't, can't lift me to help me from wheelchair to bed if I need to.

[US71]

I had the surgery on Friday. My blood pressure gave them a bit of a scare at one point but it was an overall success. I'll probably go to a rehabilitation facility for a couple weeks to get my strength back. Most of the family works outside the house, and the only one that doesn't, can't lift me to help me from wheelchair to bed if I need to.

Glad you got through it. Continued success with your recovery