Will be on the DL soon

I had a MRI last Monday and got a call from the MD yesterday saying I need surgery on my neck.   She said that my disc bulge has progressed to a point where I may start to loose strength and motor function if it gets much worse.   The was evidenced by the numbness I was having last month.  I am always in some sort of pain with it and several  times  this season I have had a tough time fighting fish due to  it fatiguing so much I would start to loose strength.    Thought I was doing well when the numbness left, but alas it is not.  Getting an appointment with a Neurosurgeon later next week to go over my options and the final call.   I am hoping to put it off until  mid March due to snow removal and of course ice fishing, but will follow Neuro's advice if he says I need it sooner.   I will be getting what is called an ACDF,  anterior cervical decompression and fusion.  Basically they go in through the front of your neck, pull out your disc, install a cage with cement and donar bone (either mine or cadaver) to take the place of the disc and then install a plate between the 2 vertebra to keep them from moving  until the bones fuse together.   With any luck all I will lose is a little range of motion in my neck and about 8 weeks of sick time (I am very lucky as I have about 16 weeks saved up).   I think my biggest issue is going to be what  I am going to do for the first 4 to 6 weeks with a 5 lb lifting restriction and possibly needing to be in a cervical collar.  You can only watch so much TV................
 

As you already know the medical profession can do amazing things these days.  Good luck with the procedure.  Prayers for a successful and speedy recovery.

Clint , that sucks for sure but I bet in the long run will be all for the better. Can't blame you for being nervous . I never , ever go to the doctors and when I had that plate done in my collar bone I was scared to no end. It was all for not ..
Get it taken care of ASAP and heal up quickly .
I'll be sending good vibes ..

I had it done a couple years ago.
Overnight stay just for observation.
Then the collor for a couple weeks then just at night for a while.
I had some kind od electric co;;ar that was supposed to aid in the bone grafting.
Carefull there.
Not covered by insurance and it was while I was have that on a couple times a day that I face planted in my mac n cheese.
Fought and they took the couple (that is right) couple grand off my tab.
 
First two weeks suck bad with the lack of mobility.
PA its tough to tie when you can't really look down at the vise.
 
Gets better pretty quick after that (in your mind) and after 6 weeks I was fishing for kings (not landing many since I weight restriction kept my drag loose and if I couldn't fool them into doing what I wanted they won)
 
You know the drill.
Follow doctors orders (within reason) and do your physical therapy and all willl be well.
I have to twist a bit sideways to look over my shoulder but that is it.
Scar is very minor and being on the throat almost unnoticeable. 
 
 
 

Clint hope the best for ya man... rest and heal well

I will go see the Neurosurgeon next week hopefully and get a time frame.   Thanks for the well wishes guys.

I have a few ideas.........
When I talked to the doc a few years ago he said probably only a collar a night, just no lifting and extreme rotation
 
 Neuro Surg appt on 2/16 to consult and set up date for surgery. 

Thanks for the update . Sounds like a lot of pain and discomfort even on the communication front. All that stuff folks endure and march forward makes our , my day to day gripes minuscule .
I have always tried to do the things I enjoy no matter what others think and keep on truckin

I don't want to get all into things but my sister of 39 years has down syndrome, severe diabetes and mental retardation.. She requires full time care from my only surviving parent, mom and someday that care will rest on my shoulders. While she endures these struggles every day of her life, she is one of the most happiest person I have ever known..I understand fully about others struggles in life and always consider my time here precious , my other sister was not so lucky at age 9..
 
Now this morning I got a huge scare, still a little worried..
While pouring my morning coffee something snapped like a rubber band on the left side of my mid back.. It was excruciating pain.. I couldn't move and breathing was tough.. All I could do was bend over to help ease the pain and it took a good half hr before I was able to stand back up.. The sharp pain is now a dull pain but it seems inflamed.. This is all new to me as I'm always a very active person and not used to things breaking down on me.. I hope 4 ibruprofen do the trick so I can get back to the sawdust and chalk dust in a little while.. The fish wont wait forever but the wife may have too..
 
sorry for the sappy story

I don't have anywhere near as much knowledge of this stuff as Clint, but based on past instances that were similar, and advise from my doctor, I would not return to the heavy arm work involved in sanding, etc, while taking 4 ibuprofens.  Those NSAIDs are pretty effective at masking the pain and damage, and you could make things worse with the additional work.  It might cost you an additional weekend later to finish after resting things now, and then maybe checking the doctor during the week, but the alternative could be worse.
 
L13

well by the time I got to reading (9pm) all the great advice you guys offered it was far too late and my project work day was over.
Ended up going and buying an interior pre-hung door, cut-sanded and put up the trim work for 3 windows and 2 closet doors, primed all the trim, sanded and refinished a quarter sawn red oak coffee table (which came out awesome), took a part and moved bunk beds from the apartment to the second level of my house and moved a queen sized bed vice-versa, hauled my 80 lb ice shanty down to my basement and moved various types of furniture around.. Yup the fool I am..
The wife gave me some meds that said "take some of these and you will feel no pain" well yesterday I felt none, today I'm already taking Ibruprofen like they are flintstones vitamins..
Definitely pulled-strained something , it hurts pretty bad today and I hope it goes away soon.. Much more work to do and hoping , big hope, to get the kayak out on the Mighty Hudson River today..
 

Thanks for the update Clint . Hope it all works out man.
My wife just had a scope put in her heart and was scared to death. Everything went well and her fears were for not.
Heal up and I hope light duty don't mean you can't reel in salmon aboard the Daisy Mae

I know its a way off but good luck and prayers for a speedy recovery Clint.
 
I hope Mrs. Tuna is feeling better too.

Thanks for the well wishes everybody.  
Glad everything worked out for your wife HT.
TB those bone stimulators usually are reserved for smokers or other folks with whose bone density is not up to snuff.   I have seen a few on some of my patients.  I know the boat and mowing the lawn will be out for a while.   Could be good for the end of September for salmon though as the Doc said the last 2 or 3 weeks you can start working on building your strength again.  Plan is 8 weeks out of work.

Life long non smoker but I do have the bone density of peanut shells rather than walnut shells.
 
The U of Roch medical arm  suggests them for every neck disk operation.
 
My rod reel combo I used  only weighs about 11 ounces so raising it and casting wasn't against my instructions.
The trouble was talking fresh kings into not adding the other 4 1/2 pounds of pressure on my arm.
Only fooled 1 into staying in the meadow so I could actually land it.

 Trutta and Slayer were kind enough to help land it.
Like the day after the kumbayarty.
Whenever that was.
 
 
The  others bolted after the second or third time I got them to turn and headed to the lake.
Aim the rod and broke the 4# test.