How long before life becomes normal?

[melodyl]

Hi Everyone,

I am 10 days post op from a 3 level cervical ADR-ProDisc C at levels C4-5, 5-6 and 6-7. Today was a good day.......went for a walk in the local mall (due to flooding in my hometown, outdoors walking not an option currently), did some laundry, hung out with family and friends and enjoyed a nice dinner. The ups and downs with my recovery are puzzling. I'll have a good day or day and a half and then feel totally wiped out and lethargic for a day or two. I know all of us recover at our own bodies schedule, but I would love to hear from others about the ADR recovery process they have gone through. After years of pain, I am anxious to get back to a "real life". I had planned on returning to work on January 20th.....but now am wondering if this is too soon? How long after surgery (especially multi level cervical ADR) before the rest of you started driving, grocery shopping, working, etc.?

I look forward to hearing from others!

Melody

[mmglobal]

Hey Melody, it sounds like you are doing great. I haven't had cervical surgery (yet), but I've seen both ends of the spectrum. I've been with folks who are doing very serious sightseeing at a week post-op and I've been with people who are still struggling to be out and about much further down the road than that. I have to say that for the cervical surgeries, except for the people who are really bad going in, the easy recoveries are more common.

I look forward to reading more first-hand accounts here.

Talk to you soon,

Mark

[melodyl]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for replying. I noticed the "not yet" in your answer regarding cervical ADR surgery. Are you getting close to surgery again? If you end up having cerv. ADR, would you go back to Germany or stick closer to home now that FDA has approved ProDisc C for use here in the states?

I am feeling better today than I have since surgery. Turns out that a med Dr. Chapman wanted me to take for 2 weeks (indomethacin - a strong anti inflammatory) was causing extremely high blood pressure and heart rate. I usually don't have any problems with either of those issues, but my BP was up to 170/100 with a resting pulse of 102! Yikes.....it would really be a bummer if I finally got my neck fixed and then had a stroke! I took my last dose (only a couple days early at the suggestion of my G.P.) yesterday early morning and ever since than, my BP and HR have been coming down and my energy and over all feeling of well being have risen! Yeah.....I think I am on the right path now!

I haven't decided how many more days or weeks of sick leave to use. I originally booked myself out of the office for 3 weeks. From your reply, it sounds like you've seen people who've had my surgery return to normal activities anywhere from a week post op to several weeks or months? If you had to say what the average time off of work or regular activities for a 3 level cervical ADR, what is your best guess? My pain level is almost non existant (although still on pain meds...going to do a slow, 10 week taper). However....mentally....I feel very protective of my "new" neck. I am hesitant to do anything that might risk messing it up. I haven't driven yet and Dr. Chapman's PT staff said to limit lifting to 5 pounds until my post op appt. on 1/29/09.

I would love to hear from anyone who has had a multi level cervical ADR procedure.

Thanks!

Melody

[mmglobal]

Melody, it sounds like you have flexibility in scheduling. If you can decide on day 17 if you'll start work on day 22, why not wait and see??? There may be a substantial difference in just a few days.

***** DON'T OVERDO IT ***** Just because you CAN go back to work doesn't mean you SHOULD go back to work. Would I be guessing correctly if going back to work means you'll actually have responsibilites and have to do stuff and you'll likely get into it and have to get it done?

BTW, anecdotal evidence from other patients is great, but the questions like "when can I go back to work and when can I drive" are doctor questions! (He may be even more wishy washy than we are, but it's his call.)

I had C3-4, C5-6-7 ProDisc-C scheduled for later this month with Bertagnoli, but decided that I'm currently doing too well to consider such a big surgery. I'll wait and see. I need new imaging and don't have myelopathic symptoms, so my decision is a 'quality of life' decision, not one that considers spinal cord damage.

Take care... talk to you soon...

Mark

**** DON'T OVERDO IT WHEN YOU START TO FEEL GOOD.... RAMP UP YOUR ACTIVITIES SLOWLY!!! ****

[Gil Denis]

Hi Mark

Just a thought, we could be with Dr B at the same time.I buy you dinner after surgery,Would wine with dinner be O.K.

Take care, Talk Soon

Thanks for the help

Gil

[melodyl]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your insight. Sorry to hear that you are facing a mulit level Prodisc C surgery, but glad to hear that your symptoms haven't progressed enough to require that it be done right away.

You are right about return to work and driving being good questions/calls for Dr. Chapman.....but he is so busy that my post op appt. isn't until January 29th....a month to the day after my surgery. I suspect that I will be feeling good enough to return to work long before then. I know that Dr. Chapman's policy regarding driving is "RED LIGHT" until his patients are off of narcotics. I am starting a 10 week taper this week....and again....plan on returning to work long before that. I have been working and otherwise living a fairly full life thanks to the benefits of narcotics for several years. I think it is probably more of a liability issue than anything else....I've heard that is a common sentiment amoung surgeons and others who prescribe narcotics. If I don't hear from others with my post, I'll spend a couple hours searching through old posts to see what I can find.

Good luck with your spine issues!

Melody

[dshobbies]

I was on narcotics for 6 months following my surgery and unable to drive. Most of the time, I felt capable but my husband noticed I wasn't 100%. Driving even slightly impaired is still impaired. It's not worth it. Wait until you're off the narcotics. If may be a sacrifice but also may save your life, or someone else's.

[SandyW]

Melody,

Know you don't want to hear this again. I'm 9 mos post-op, 4-level Cervical and couldn't begin to think about working. There is the age difference. lol! Have been on and off the computer for few minutes at a time today and experiencing much more pain and needed extra meds.

I got a reply from Mark: If you have multiple adr's you are lucky to be pain free. Didn't like that! Also LISIBUG on adrsupport is 22 months post-op and still having problems. You might want to read her thread posted on 01-02-2009 Questions for those with multi-level cervical adrs

I know good news only, Sandy

[New-disc]

Hello,

Not sure if life is ever normal after spine surgery.

Take things slow.....

Todd

[dshobbies]

Like my doctor said, "100% has a new definition." Unfortunately, he told me after my surgery

[Terry Allen Blackburn]

I went to work at exactly two months to the day from four level ADR surgery; two cervical, two lumbar. I am the exception rather than the norm. I was in great shape prior to the surgery and pretty hard core. I also went back to driving immediately. The surgery takes some significant time to heal from. Cervical is easier to tolerate than lumbar in most cases. Listen to your body and let this be your big guide. Don't let your mind talk your body in to doing something the body is not capable of doing right off the bat.

Slow and steady wins this race.

This surgery can be like a roller coaster. Some days you will be eating the bear; some days the bear will be eating you.

Hang in there.

Terry Newton