Getting ready for surgery & the Dx

[Bummer Knees]

I received the surgery packet in the mail today.

The cervical surgery is scheduled at a spine hospital in Wichita with the surgery being done by one of the top neurosurgeons in this part of the country.

My Dx is C5-6 Large herniation L7 R W/stenosis & kyphosis.

THe MRI shows the herniation, displaced nerve root and pressure on the cord.

I will be wearing a soft cervical collar after surgery.

I do have a recliner for sleep after the surgery.

I am working on organizing my life to make things easier after surgery.

I am told lots of soups & ice cream & bland food & button up shirts.

Any other suggestions.

[Manley2]

Pray, thats about all I can say. I will be watching how things are going because they think my wife is going to need surgery on her neck. Will keep you in our prayers and hope it brings you some relief

[jayne]

Bummer all I can do is wish you a better outcome than I had....my discs keep collapsing around the fusion area.....this is normal so say the Drs...they tell me this after the fact....the ones in my lower back are also going even without the surgery....so damned if you do damned if you dont...hang onto the soft collar it will be a friend....lots of cold to drink...

[Bummer Knees]

Thanks Jayne & Manley.

Jayne can I use the rice wrap after surgery?

I remember my daughter having a soft collar, hers was made of foam.

[jayne]

yesm you can

[Cervical_Fusion]

Bummer make sure you have a nice new pillow for comfort

[Bummer Knees]

CF I have been pillow shopping, got a stack by the bed along with a memory foam pillow and double wedge shaped pillow.

Now for a question, I have little strength of the right hand due to the neck injury, limits many things I can do.

Will the strength return after surgery or increase over time?

[AQA]

Hey BK.

I wish you the best.

To answer your question. It goes back to what we talked about before. "How long can a nerve be in a binde before it will not regenerate (come back to life)". Hopefully after the surgery, everything will go back to normal. In my case, I was able to walk, but the strength in the calf muscel has not returned and the surgery was over five years ago.

Take Care

[Bummer Knees]

I thought I would give an update.

Last week I had pre-op test, EKG, Chest x-ray and lab work. The lab work is where I ran into problems. Seems I the Bun came back at a 6 and the creatinine a 6.2, both are low and related to the kidney function. I also have problems with the blood clotting, the INR is 0.97 and in the low range. I see the primary Tuesday and he will go over the test with me and I guess the surgeon will make the call on if this will delay surgery.

[sweet tooth]

man we do have our ups and downs dont we? i have run into getting clearnce from the heart dr she sees something different in there i will know fri if they will let me go ahead with mine i would rather have a worked on knee than a heart worked on lollol