Відео

Have had 2 Fusions. Won't be a 3rd. Pain is just not worth it. Changes you. Prayers too you.

Kim i had the same surgery October 2023 i get pain in my arms my fingers get cold and tingle.I had a EMG done last week i was told results were normal. They told me i could do therapy and lyric. I also get a pressure around my head feels like i have a cup on but they don't believe my cap feeling

Highly recommend being looked over for EDS. Dx can definitely help with care plans for the future - in all areas of health! Best of luck you <3

I had 3 levels 4/24. I don’t know if my cadaver bone is fusing or not. I’ve been wearing a bone growth stimulator and have to wear it 6 months, 4 hrs a day. Hoping that helps. Anyways…..if I was told what they said to you (what a bitch that lady was!) I would go back to original surgeon and get that done. If that was an issue, then I would go to a neurosurgeon and get their opinion BEFORE you tell them what the university recommended!!! Then I would ask if they can get bone from another area since that area is supposedly VERY painful. This is my opinion. I love and appreciate your videos! You made me feel less alone during a surgery I had put off for 2 years ❤❤❤❤❤

I had ACDF 4-7 four years ago and have had no complications. My surgeon used bone from my sternum to insert into the grafts using a small incision on my chest, and other than soreness, no problems from that. My last follow up about 6 months after surgery showed complete fusion. Using my own bone may have been the differnce, but everyone is different, but I do hope it works out well for you. Take care and good thoughts your way!

First forget about the original surgeon. Second get the CT scan. Third get one more opinion from a top neurosurgeon/orthopedic in your area. If you're in doubt throw it out. Your instinct will tell you the decision you make with which doctor and procedure will be with trust, confidence and comfortabilty.

If you didn’t fuse and they have to remove everything, why not do artificial discs? Mine fused really well with the cadaver bone but I followed the instructions religiously. I took 5000 iu D and 1200 calcium and used collegen peptides. I did not touch ibuprofen nor ANY NSAID’s since they interfere with fusion. But if I had to do it all over again, I would go for artificial discs to preserve range of motion.

Hi Kim, I always enjoy your posts and I couldn’t agree with you more about it being off putting when doctors don’t want you to research your own condition. I have been lucky to find both doctor and physical therapist that encourage me to share what I’ve learned off the Internet and steer me in the right direction. Also, I’d like to mention that both my doctor and my physical therapist said my hypermobility was a major issue in my conditions Never was an issue when I was younger, but as my pain has progressed I continued to do range of motion work but. Pretty much stopped lifting or doing cardio. The docs told me no more yoga, do muscle activation instead.

I love what the current UPenn surgeon is saying. The other surgeons made some sense but I was weary about the advice of going above and below but not fixing the failed fusion. I do see why UPenn surgeon wants to fix the fusion with your own bone and see if doing that is helpful for your recovery before taking out more hip bone to fix segments above and below the fusion. I do wonder what Dr. Daniel Riew of Weill Cornell would think. I vaguely recall you saying that you had hypermobility stuff which can be impactful in regards to surgery recovery. If you do have hypermobility, even if it is not formally diagnosed, I would explore that with your surgeon at your next visit and see if he can provide you with a referral for pre-operative PT and direct you to a hypermobility specialist. If you have any other medical specialists involved in your care (like a rheumatologist or neurologist) I would message them on my chart and let them know you are deciding to have a second surgery and ask if any of your conditions will impact your DDD and post-op recovery. I think this newest surgeon is a keeper overall. This is the first plan from a surgeon that has not left me feeling more anxious for you. I would never go back to your original surgeon. He did you dirty 😬 I can detail why I think that if you want, but now that I am post-op myself and looking back at your old videos I realize how many oversights were happening with your post-op recovery plan. I think if you go to UPenn you will see what I am talking about. My heart goes out to you and now that I am in the thick of it ugh! It’s a lot for a single person to go through and being younger adds another layer of anxiety and isolation. Whatever medical anxiety you identify as having, it is earned! On a side note, I wanted to share the intake packet from Dr. Riews office but I don’t think I can share a pdf through social media dms. The forms really help synthesis medical history and it might be a helpful “cover page” to provide surgeons. I’ve also started using it to log symptom changes post-op. His office also provides very detailed post-operation recovery packet that I can share. Do you have an email address or another way I could forward a pdf to you? I don’t see an email address listed on your page.

Thanks for the update! It seems that your spirits are good which obviously is important! Information is key and I always go with the Dr I think is most competent first, after seeking multiple optinions. Glad you are keeping that wonderful smile and again thanks for the update!

Don’t do a posterior laminectomy without fusion. You’ll end up with postoperative kyphosis.

I would take one step at a time. Get the CT scan, then reevaluate. The CT scan may give you confidence in one approach or the other. For example, if the CT scan confirms this latest surgeon's suspicions, then you may feel more comfortable with his appoach. If you still feel uncomfortable after the CT scan, then you can seek another opinion. I believe Mayo Clinic may offer a remote service for second opinions. VSI in Reston, VA also has a good reputation for revisionary work and could offer an opinion. I would see what the CT scan says before making any decisions though. More testing is good! Better to have as much information as possible.

Don’t go back to the original surgeon. If it didn’t fuse, it’s partly the surgery. Very surprised you haven’t had a CT scan till now. That’s the only way to determine non-union. CT scan will help you answer what to do next. If it clearly shows non-union then this rec makes sense. Once you fuse more levels, or do a laminectomy, there’s no going back . Worth it to Get a third opinion.

Yeah I hate to say it, but get a 3rd or even 4th surgeon and just get more opinions. You owe it to your Future self to be *thorough*. The advantage of seeing a 3rd or 4th is that you can tell them what other approaches have been recommended, and ask their opinion. The more information the better. For my fusion they used my bone spurs as the donor bone. As I understand things have a better chance if healing if it's not foreign. Having said that I'm not sure yet if mine has fused as of 6 months (talking w/ surgeon tomorrow) Best of luck!

Hello, I'm giving you an update on my c3-c5 laminoplasty surgery. The surgery is painful and I'm not sure if it help my lower extremities issue yet because it's been 5 weeks. But I'm going to PT and I'm able to do that. FYI I know what your going through with the Doctor situation because all surgeons has an ego. Just follow your own heart and you will find the answer.

I had two ACDFs 13 months ago , and very luckily mine are so far so good. In terms of you, hopefully the cat scan will give you a lot more information to work with . For what it’s worth , I would go with the full "redo" of your prior operation. Why? Because the only reason you are contemplating another operation now is because you currently have a ”problem” Getting a secondary operation is like putting a band-aid on the problem and not actually addressing the problem! Doing remedial work from the ground up is usually the best way to fix something. And , as the one doctor says , you can also fall back on the other surgery if the remedial work does not fix your issues. Anyways, good luck and the above is just my opinion !!

Neurosurgeons are different than orthopedist spine surgeons. I am not surprised by that doc’s office tone. My neuro had a similar tone. Don’t take it personally. They are laser focused to stay on topic.

One day at a time. Yes get the CT scan. My neurosurgeon explained to me why the CT Scan really helps them see the health of the bone. Get the CT scan disc and get all 3 surgeons to update their opinion on new recommendations. Go with your gut feeling on who to schedule with. You still need to get these symptoms controlled to prevent any damage.

Very annoying and I’ve had doctors tell me not to google but I’ve also had doctors tell me that I was very informed, which I liked. If you don’t like this doctor, you can always find another doctor. I personally have to feel comfortable with any doctor who operates on me.

I’m definitely not an expert but I like the idea of redoing the surgery with the new doctor using your own bone. Laminectomy seems more invasive with a longer recovery time and I don’t like them removing parts of the bone, which can further destabilize your neck. Also, if the original Dr didn’t perform the original surgery right, I wouldn’t go back to him. I also think neurosurgeons are better than orthos. I’m sorry you have to deal with this again and appreciate you sharing since I’m having issues from my 2021 surgery and scared of adjacent segment disease.

I went to the same surgery 2 years back .3 level acdf with my on hip bones .Now I'm doing well

Advice? The more information the better. I swear, when you started out recounting the assistant's attitude, I was ready to get pitchforks and torches out to go after such a rude person. I'm glad the doctor's response to your records was more measured and thoughtful. If the CT shows the cadaver bone caused a failed fusion, I'd give your original surgeon an opportunity to respond. I think the way in which each surgeon responds to new information can give you clues as to how open they are to modifying their approach to meet your needs. In a completely unrelated matter, our dog had tumor removal surgery last year. Unfortunately, the tumor grew back, meaning our local vet who had done the surgery had not been able to get it all out. When we brought her back in, we weren't upset, because we knew it might occur. I would have been fine with having him go back in, but I asked him if *he* was comfortable repeating the surgery. He admitted he'd prefer we consult a specialist that had a practice devoted to veterinary oncology, as their experience included more exposure to difficult cases. We did, and our girl had a second surgery with the specialist. Great outcome, all happy. I guess what I'm getting at is, which surgeon is comfortable starting with a (potentially) failed fusion and has the patience and skill set to think the entire problem through rather than applying a bandaid.

I'm going through a similar situation I've had three surgeries on my neck the first they fuse three levels the second time they had to go back in because one screw was broken another one was coming out third time had to go back because the disk above was going bad now I'm in a lot of pain in the back of my neck everyday the doctor wants me to wait another 3 months to see if it gets better if it was me I wouldn't let them fuse anymore levels

Hi Kim! Good to hear from you & an update. My question is i was curious how you injured your neck? My 1st ACDF with donor bone...has collapsed. Nothing there. That's why 28 years later a 3 level surgery C3-5 qss needed, for me. Sending 🙏😘

Go with your gut feeling, your bone

Any last minute advice?been following your posts, thanks for doing this

Going in Thursday for 3 level cervical fusion

I feel bad for you sweetie I am dealing with similar a total Fusion like broke many bones in my spine

REQUEST A SPECT CT!!! It will show the hot spots in your spine and provide more information.. Artificial disc's above or below the fusion would stop adjacent segment disease, id consider going to Germany if i were you, that's what i did, twice!! 🇩🇪 👑

Hi - your WhatsApp- or telegram contact

5 weeks today 345 fusion. I'm laying here with my turtle suit on. Today im going to try 2 miles on my treadmill. You are a breath of fresh air, I can see where you are at now. Thank you

It's so hard Thr pain itself is scarey . I have had this since 20. I am now57 and have had 5 surgeries. They want to take out all rods and realign and fuse entire spine I understand the fear. All I can do is pray You are so young you will bounce back great. Prayers.

Hi Kim I find you videos very informative regarding your ACDF surgeries and you sharing your experiences! I recently had one of a two part ACDF surgeries, Sept 9th 2024, C2 thru C7 The second part of the surgery is still pending, might possible take place after the first of the year, multiple reasons for delay’s in 2nd part of surgery…. Thank you for sharing in detail your experiences, !!

Hi. Do you mind sharing your MRI image? I got mine done last week and it doesn’t look good. My fusion area (same as yours) is protruding a lot and my chiropractor asked me if it’s hard to swallow. It’s been hard to swallow since surgery (Dec 2020). I have pain daily.

Kim you will be fine, your youth will help you get through. May god speed in your recovery. Remember you have an option Unlike you don't have an option. Be comforted you are hitting in the right direction. The wait have been achieved and now undergoing better less invasive procedure. This what waiting patient and moving at the right time to have the lastest most effective surgery. Again God speed in your therapy

I just had a one-level C5-C6 fusion with Dr. Marcotte @ HUP on 9/10/2024. I would recommend him to you. His whole office was great and very efficient during the whole process of being worked up for the fusion. I had gotten my first opinion from him and then a second opinion from Dr. Harrop at Jefferson. Both recommended the same one-level fusion for the herniated disc at C5-C6. I had neck and shoulder pain with numbness and tingling into (mostly) my L hand.

I wanted to continue my thoughts and prabears for you.I'm going through h*** with my back.My neck is fine.Thank God I hate that you're going through this. Just do the right thing and choose the best person

Hi , it's been a very long time since i've seen you on video. I had my next surgery in twenty one and everything is great except my lumbar. Alot of pain everyday in my lumbar. It's affecting my daily life on the 27th.I'm gonna get put to sleep and they're gon to give me some shots Physical therapy does not do much for me.I'm so sorry to hear of all of this troubles you're having you're so pretty. Don't cry

This is my issue I’m so weak I’m struggling to lift my arms it wakes me up out of my sleep when I toss a turn cause I have a hard time lifting my arms my body fells like a ton I’m supper off balance and I have so much pressure in my head and my neck fells like jello and fells like it’s just flopping around and it’s scary and there still wanting to me to try the physical therapy and the pain management and the steroid in the neck and then surgery but I fell like I neee it now I’m really bad but I fell like where I’m young no one thinks I’m this bad can you give me some tips of like stuff you take to help with like bone strength and the exercises you do with you neck cause mine is very flimsy and I’m having to hold it up with my hands it’s so bad I’m only 24 and have all these issue also my daughter not even in school yet makes me nervous I don’t wanna be the one that has to lay in bed not able to go do things with her 😭 I’m crying with you girl I fell so bad I’m so depressed and sad and just fell so helpless and that’s the same for me everyone like don’t do it I wouldn’t do it but it’s 2 years and I listen to everyone and now I’m supper bad off of you ever need someone to talk to girl I’m here cause I fell your pain

You should try regenerative medicine if you can! U might have a chance to avoid surgery stem cells prp and prolothery and doing at least 6-7 treatments.. hitting discs qnd more

What’s your nerve conduction test result?

I think we had the same issue after my c3-c5 infusion last year. My c5-c6 is protruding and i might have the surgery on the back rather than the front.

Hi This is Tim I am going to have a 7 level fusion surgery from c-2 - T 2 what surgery did you have and how is your recovery going and what level’s did you have and mine is going to be in the back of the neck .

Thank you for your update. Praying you have a good team after all your consultations and see a clearer picture. My surgery was 3 years ago. I had both front and back done. Numbness remain in my hands and feet. I'm using a walker. 4 plates and 12 screws. I keep asking myself how I got here but it doesn't really matter anymore. I noticed that taking supplements help like MSM and I drink Kombucha daily. Hang in there; get the answers youre comfortable with in your heart. You've got this.

Awesome review, Thank you! Being gorges makes it more positive , thank you!

I had my C4 C5 and C6 done three years ago. I’ve been having a ton of pain and went to my neurosurgeon, which told me I needed myl5sl in my lower back done same as the neck.well then got call last week that I need my neck done over and I have to have surgery in January. I have been losing feelings all on my left side and I’m very nervous about the surgery again so I’m very happy you’re doing this video. Yes tension makes it 100 times worse and all I’ve been doing is laying down very limited in motion or sitting in my recliner and I’m in constant pain, So hard to cook or just even make a cup of coffee and I’m 45yrs old.I don’t want to get the surgery done again because of how much pain and healing it took afterwards so I appreciate these videos because I am so frustrated myself. I believe in Jesus so I know that’s were my strength is coming from. Also 5 children and 3 grands that need me moving. It’s getting worse as the cold hits but just want to be going out to my kids events and traveling in less pain. Praying for your pain and healing journey 🙏🏼

Wishing you the best, Kim! You have a community of people here that are on your side! I think the best thing that you can do is what you said- stay positive. I am sure it’s not easy. It really does make a difference though. Just try find something positive from this and focus on it. You’ve got this. You are one of the strongest women I know. You have friends and this community that will help support you.

I was same boat as you. My cervical spine in 2021 had herniated disc at every level plus arthritis and a straight neck. I was 50 at the time so the surgeon only did five through seven first then a year later did three through five. Now I have 12 screws and 2 plates. The adjustment segment problem is a real thing specially if you’re spine is already weak good luck.