Anybody else here have spinal surgery (fusion) done?

MMMFood

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Hey guys.. hoping someone out there can provide some insight for me as far as:


  • type of surgery and date

  • how physically active you are now

  • what are your limitations

Also, this one is probably a stretch, but were you ever able to go back to real uninhibited training ? (I know Tito had the same surgery I had but not every case is the same and.. he's a freakin pro athlete and I'm just an average joe)

I had a single level fusion done at C5-6 but I now have a huge herniation at C6-7 thats sitting right on my spinal cord and also another herniation above at C4-5 that hasn't really gotten better after about 1.5 years of therapy, so my neurosurgeon wants to fuse those two levels as well and make it a 3 level unanimous fusion (with instrumentation).

Thanks in advance
 
C5-6 ACDF January 2011

Very active w/o any limitations. Started lifting again about 3-4 months post-surgery with light weights that ramped up considerably during the summer. I dictated my initial decision to lift and early progression on how my body felt.

I'm stronger and better conditioned now than before my surgery. It was only a single level though.
 
C5-6 ACDF January 2011

Very active w/o any limitations. Started lifting again about 3-4 months post-surgery with light weights that ramped up considerably during the summer. I dictated my initial decision to lift and early progression on how my body felt.

I'm stronger and better conditioned now than before my surgery. It was only a single level though.

I am very glad to hear that. I currently only have a single fusion, and at the exact same spot as you. How long did you rehab post op? Was the main rehab exercise the "chin-tucks" ?

So it sounds like you are able to do everything you want to do ? No residual pain, no radiculopathy?

edit: Sorry I also wanted to ask: how bad were you physically before you got the surgery? i.e. symptoms, limitations


Thanks
 
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My dad has 2 vertebrae fused in his neck. Before the surgery, he was in absolutely horrendous pain. The surgery fixed the pain, except for it caused the discs around to start degenerating more. The doc would like to fuse more. He already has limited mobility in his neck from the first and would hardly be able to turn his neck with a second fusion.
Before his surgery, he asked the doc why they couldn't do something to repair the disc instead of fusing it, but the doc didn't give a straight answer. Since the, he's found out that the good docs are using silicone or something to fix the discs instead of fusing them, and lrepairing the disc does not cause increased degeneration in the surrounding discs like fusion does. The problem is finding a doc to do the repair, since most prefer to do the fusion.
And my dad was told to never lift anything heavier than 45 lbs, as even after the surgery, his neck spasms like a SOB on random occasions, usually when he's trying to build up his strength.
 
Nov 27, 2010 I had single level anterior/posterior laminectomy lumbar fusion to repair stenosis that had been forming, completely unbeknownst to me, for 25 years since I cracked a vertebra in college. 4 months rehab and have been back on the mats 6x a week ever since. No pain, but lost some flexibility. Amazing surgeon, fantastic outcome. Good luck!
 
Hey guys.. hoping someone out there can provide some insight for me as far as:


  • type of surgery and date

  • how physically active you are now

  • what are your limitations

Also, this one is probably a stretch, but were you ever able to go back to real uninhibited training ? (I know Tito had the same surgery I had but not every case is the same and.. he's a freakin pro athlete and I'm just an average joe)

I had a single level fusion done at C5-6 but I now have a huge herniation at C6-7 thats sitting right on my spinal cord and also another herniation above at C4-5 that hasn't really gotten better after about 1.5 years of therapy, so my neurosurgeon wants to fuse those two levels as well and make it a 3 level unanimous fusion (with instrumentation).

Thanks in advance
hello MMMfood what did you do finally ? i had exactly same shit as you. C5 C6 fused last year and C6 C7touching actively the spinal cord
 
Hey guys.. hoping someone out there can provide some insight for me as far as:


  • type of surgery and date

  • how physically active you are now

  • what are your limitations

Also, this one is probably a stretch, but were you ever able to go back to real uninhibited training ? (I know Tito had the same surgery I had but not every case is the same and.. he's a freakin pro athlete and I'm just an average joe)

I had a single level fusion done at C5-6 but I now have a huge herniation at C6-7 thats sitting right on my spinal cord and also another herniation above at C4-5 that hasn't really gotten better after about 1.5 years of therapy, so my neurosurgeon wants to fuse those two levels as well and make it a 3 level unanimous fusion (with instrumentation).

Thanks in advance

I'd look into peptide therapies before another surgery. BPC157 and TB500 can work near miracles for some issues. I'd try those first. I'd do 1mg shots of each per day for a month or two to see if your symptoms improve. Other peptides like GHK-CU, AOD9604 or CJC1295 may be worth a look as well.

I'd also look into applying DMSO topically to your affected area. It helps reduce inflammation. You can add melatonin powder to DMSO for additional anti-inflammatory benefits.

There's also a new approach with hyaluronic acid that you may want to look into and consult with your doctors.

 
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I did once. Long ago.
Broke my back. Thpinal.
 
Hey guys.. hoping someone out there can provide some insight for me as far as:


  • type of surgery and date

  • how physically active you are now

  • what are your limitations

Also, this one is probably a stretch, but were you ever able to go back to real uninhibited training ? (I know Tito had the same surgery I had but not every case is the same and.. he's a freakin pro athlete and I'm just an average joe)

I had a single level fusion done at C5-6 but I now have a huge herniation at C6-7 thats sitting right on my spinal cord and also another herniation above at C4-5 that hasn't really gotten better after about 1.5 years of therapy, so my neurosurgeon wants to fuse those two levels as well and make it a 3 level unanimous fusion (with instrumentation).

Thanks in advance
I've had 3 lumbar fusions and 3 cervical fusions going on 4. The last one has had me bed ridden and that was going on a year ago almost. I have multiple herniations still as well.


First cervical fusion was perfect. After a year the pain came back because it never fused all the way. They went back in and took out all the plates and screws and redid everything. I came out of the 2nd surgery with Horners syndrome. That's when they fuck a nerve up that goes to your eye. I had to have my eye lid surgical lifted and I don't sweat on the right side of my face no more. My eye doesn't produce moisture and the pupil doesn't dialate.

3rd surgery. My pain came back again after 7 months. They couldn't go through the front no more because of scar tissue. They went through the back, which is way tougher. Anyway, a fucking screw was on my nerve, both arms are in extreme pain now along with my neck and shoulder blades. They want to go back in again but I'm given it 6 more months. I can barely even hold my phone at times. Can't do shit, even when lying down it hurts like a mother fucker.

Here's a pic of my 1st surgery with the neck brace and a pic of my last surgery (I didn't take a pic of my 2nd surgery). 3 fusions in the last 4 years. If you can help it try anything else.


AirBrush_20200123181205.jpgIMG_20230318_134715.jpg
 
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I've had 3 lumbar fusions and 3 cervical fusions going on 4. The last one has had me bed ridden and that was going on a year ago almost. I have multiple herniations still as well.


First cervical fusion was perfect. After a year the pain came back because it never fused all the way. They went back in and took out all the plates and screws and redid everything. I came out of the 2nd surgery with Horners syndrome. That's when they fuck a nerve up that goes to your eye. I had to have my eye lid surgical lifted and I don't sweat on the right side of my face no more. My eye doesn't produce moisture and the pupil doesn't dialate.

3rd surgery. My pain came back again after 7 months. They couldn't go through the front no more because of scar tissue. They went through the back, which is way tougher. Anyway, a fucking screw was on my nerve, both arms are in extreme pain now along with my neck and shoulder blades. They want to go back in again but I'm given it 6 more months. I can barely even hold my phone at times. Can't do shit, even when lying down it hurts like a mother fucker.

Here's a pic of my 1st surgery with the neck brace and a pic of my last surgery (I didn't take a pic of my 2nd surgery). 3 fusions in the last 4 years. If you can help it try anything else.


View attachment 1020090View attachment 1020089

Reading that is hard even though we've talked about it many times.
That fuckin sucks brother man.
 
😊🤟, it's all good. People need to know what they might be getting into with the risksa and all.

Sorry to hear about what happened with your spine.

Have you ever tried peptide or stem cell therapies?

I am a bit curious what BPC157 (and/or TB500) can do for you. As long as you're not allergic/sensitive to it(some small number of people report anhedonia and other symptoms) you could take 1mg once or twice per day though I am guessing even 500mcg would probably work.

ARA290 may be good too. I just read about VD11(specifically for spinal injuries) however it's probably tough to find.


"ARA290 produces long-term relief of allodynia because of activation of the β-common receptor. It is argued that relief of neuropathic pain attributable to ARA290 treatment is related to its antiinflammatory properties, possibly within the central nervous system. Because ARA290, in contrast to erythropoietin, is devoid of hematopoietic and cardiovascular side effects, ARA290 is a promising new drug in the prevention of peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain in humans."


Stem cell therapies can work near miracles too for some people though it's very expensive.
 
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