Originally Posted by lewdog:
Have you had a lot of prior injuries?
Tons of sports injuries, lifting injuries, few car wrecks, just being stupid and almost died injuries.... Just the normal country/suburban gen x shit [Reply]
Originally Posted by penguinz:
Thanks! Hearing how successful the surgery works is a huge stress reliever.
Good luck with your recovery!
Don’t worry about the atrophy, that will all come back. I basically tore my right shoulder off the bone last may and my arm was getting atrophied all summer. After surgery in august I took my arm out of the sling to shower for the first time and my bicep was up by my shoulder and the rest of my arm was like a pencil. Now after 5 months of PT and strength training I strong like bull again.
FYI I wasn’t able to sleep for 8 months. That’s a level of suck I can’t explain. [Reply]
Not sure how old you are but after 50, you start earning your badass card
I was a paramedic for 25 years and am so calloused on many complaints but back/spinal issues I have nothing but empathy.
Sorry Penguinz....I pray the surgery goes well for you. Find a surgeon you trust in your heart.....and let it fly.
I had a radical neck dissection for throat cancer and put my trust in my surgeon......he is my hero to this day.
My anchor was/is my faith in God. The day I was diagnosed (dx)...I started a "grateful journal" that I wrote in everyday while recovering. That includes the mornings I woke up in misery...but wrote something/anything down to be grateful for... Sounds silly but it gave me the strength to heal. Keep on keeping on Penguinz [Reply]
Originally Posted by Boom!714:
It sure is. I had to deal with it for a month and a half before I had surgery...it was a living hell. I feel for you, bro
This,
but my surgery was not as successful. I am still a little pain not as much. I have to take painkillers to this day. [Reply]
but my surgery was not as successful. I am still a little pain not as much. I have to take painkillers to this day.
Does the DEA harass you? I go to a pain clinic in a large city hospital and the DEA virtually runs it with an iron fist.
Had a cage installed at C5-C6 in 1999 and it controlled that area, but threw off the alignment of my spine above and below that point.
Now I've lost the fine motor skills in my right fingers (can't write and difficulty typing nor throw a ball anymore) and they want to run 2 wires up my back into my neck and try to shock the nerve. They implant a rechargeable battery pack in your lower back to provide the stimulus [Reply]
Originally Posted by stonedstooge:
Does the DEA harass you? I go to a pain clinic in a large city hospital and the DEA virtually runs it with an iron fist.
Had a cage installed at C5-C6 in 1999 and it controlled that area, but threw off the alignment of my spine above and below that point.
Now I've lost the fine motor skills in my right fingers (can't write and difficulty typing nor throw a ball anymore) and they want to run 2 wires up my back into my neck and try to shock the nerve. They implant a rechargeable battery pack in your lower back to provide the stimulus
My wife hasn't taken opioids for a while and still gets treated by a junkie at the pain clinic.
It's just genuine bullshit how we treat chronic pain. Hand out pain pills like candy but treat the recipients like criminals. [Reply]
Originally Posted by penguinz:
Anyone ever have to deal with this?
Causing nerve to get pinched and left arm is all but paralyzed and throbbing with insane amount of pain.
Already getting atrophied. Over an inch in circumference lost already.
MRI tomorrow and hopefully surgery or something to fix soon.
I have a lot of DDD and some bulging disks I did have to deal with a pretty severe nerve pinch last year missed 6 weeks of work and spent a whole week on my living room floor other than taking lyrica not much else I could but wait it out , now dealing with a lot of weakness in both arms , loss of grip strength etc .. putting off any surgery for as long as I can . [Reply]
Originally Posted by Monticore:
I have a lot of DDD and some bulging disks I did have to deal with a pretty severe nerve pinch last year missed 6 weeks of work and spent a whole week on my living room floor other than taking lyica not much else I could but wait it out , now dealing with a lot of weakness in both arms , loss of grip strength etc .. putting off any surgery for as long as I can .
Depending on your age, they may want you to try PT and injections first. The epidural injections are typically done in sets of three. My non-medical advice is that if the first injection does nothing, don't bother with the other two.
If you google "cervical nerve distribution" you will get lots of pretty diagrams on how the nerves distribute and you can figure out on your own which level is affected. You mentioned your arm, but not your fingers, so it's likely the C5 root.
Originally Posted by Chiefnj2:
What's your age range 30's, 40's, 50's?
Depending on your age, they may want you to try PT and injections first. The epidural injections are typically done in sets of three. My non-medical advice is that if the first injection does nothing, don't bother with the other two.
If you google "cervical nerve distribution" you will get lots of pretty diagrams on how the nerves distribute and you can figure out on your own which level is affected. You mentioned your arm, but not your fingers, so it's likely the C5 root.
Feel better.
EMG can usually pinpoint it mine was c8 but nothing really fixes it except surgery if you are lucky in my wife’s experience 33 % get better 33% get worse and 33% stay they same post surgery.
It still hasn’t affect my day to day enough to warrant surgery yet but it still sucks hoping to be able to play a shit to. Of golf when I retire hopefully in 6 years. [Reply]