Jellyhall

I had a right sided approach for my ACDF. My swallowing of food, (and especially smoothies and ice cream!) is definately getting easier but liquids can still be a challenge. I try to hold my breath, take a sip of water and swallow, and then breath out. This does seem to stop anything going down my trachea. I do still make these strange noises like a croaking frog though! I hope I am not left with that!

There is definately more swelling on the right side of my neck. My drain did fall out before it should, so I wonder if I have some blood there. I imagine it will all be absorbed by my body with time. I think that my voice is improving a little bit today, so hopefully it is all just temporary.

I am not sure why I am on the Gabapentin. I was taking Nortriptyline for nerve pain before my surgery. Then when I woke up, they stopped that and put me on Gabapentin instead.

I did tell the anaesthetist and surgeon just before my surgery, about some spastic stiffening spasms that I would regularly get. Sometimes they were so strong that they would cause my back and neck to arch up off the bed. I was very concerned that if this happened after surgery, it would harm the surgery, and that it would be very painful. I would get them every day. Perhaps this is why I was put on it.
Do you think that could be why?

Also, as I woke up from surgery I was tossing around in pain. When the anaesthetist asked me where my pain was, it was in my lumbar spine (I have problems there too and have had a lumbar fusion.) They adjusted the bed to raise my legs and that felt much better. I think I had been lying flat, which is always uncomfortable for me, for just too long during the surgery. Perhaps they thought the Gabapentin would help that.
What do you think?

After the surgery, for the first few days, I didn’t have any spasms at all, but the last couple of days, I have had the leg stiffening when I get up out of bed or up out of a chair. I haven’t had any of them while in bed though, so I am hopeful there will be some improvement.

I am feeling very good, and have been for a short walk outside holding on to my husband today.

Dr Corenman,
Thank you so much for the generosity of your time and skills. It is so helpful to have an expert open to our questions and willing to give answers and your opinion.

I wanted to let you know that I have scheduled a 2 level ACDF for November 5th. On Wednesday next week, I am having an MRI scan done so that my surgeon has up to date information. I will let you know how I get on!

Thank you Dr Corenman, although this is not what I wanted to hear.
Before my fusion the discs above and below were not in a good state but the surgeon felt that they weren’t bad enough to warrant fusing or putting in a device to take the pressure off. (When I asked about that he said that my insurance wouldn’t cover it.)

Are there things I can do to help myself?
I generally walk 2 miles each day to keep things working as advised by my physiotherapist, but have stopped other exercises I used to do because they seemed to be flaring up my neck and thoracic spine.

I do not have the buttock and down the leg pain every day, just occasionally. I do have other nerve pain in both legs and feet that I believe is coming from my neck compression. This has improved since I have been taking Nortriptyline.