herniated disc surgery

[kymmyk13]

I have a herniated disc in my neck. I have 3 epidural blocks in Dece, Jan & Feb. I have to wait a year before I can have them again. Well last week my neck has started hurting again and is getting back very quickly. Has anyone had the surgery to fix this and can you tell me about recovery time and returning to work and issues with recovery.
FYI I have an office job and sit most of the day and DD5 has some special needs and is very clingy with me
TIA

 

[Jennasis]

I had herniated disc surgery in April. According to my surgeon, mine was the grandaddy of all herniations (i.e, the biggest he'd ever seen.). The surgery was done outoatient, and took about an hour to complete. I went to sleep in the ORin sheer agony and woke up pain free (I was not given any narcs or numbed in any way pre-op or during the surgery.).

I was sore at the surgical sight for a few days, and it took about 6 weeks for me to get back on my feet, but if I had a desk job I couls've returned to work after 10 days. I work on a farm with horses and am still a bit limited in what I can do (no riding yet, no lifting bags of feed or bales of hay)).

I started physical therapy 2 weeks after surgery and continued it for 8 weeks before I "graduated". Two weeks later I tried to return to normal work at the farm and started having some achey stuff. Surgeon sent my back to P/T for stretching and core strengthening as well as work on some muscle tightness.

Overall? Best thing I ever did for myself.

 

[LJC1861]

I have had 2 spinal fusion surgeries, both in my neck. The first was in 1998 and at the C 6-7 level. The second was in 2004 and at the C 5-6 level. The first used a bone graft from my hip and the second cadaver bone. With the first I was in a rigid plastic brace for 3 months while it healed, but only out of work for 2 weeks. I worked in a vocational program for adults with special needs at the time.

With the second the doc put in a titanium plate over both areas and that kept it much more secure. I was in a soft collar for 6 weeks and was back to work in one.

With both surgeries I went in with a great deal of pain, weakness, numbness in both arms. I came out of anesthesia will a full grip, no numbness and no pain at all! It was instantaneous. With both surgeries I did PT prior, but none afterward. I had more pain from the bone graft site with the first surgery than I did at the actual surgical site. With the second surgery there was virtually no pain anywhere after the surgery, except when it came to swallowing.

With neck surgery the docs go in through the front. You are intubated and then they move everything over to one side to get at the discs. This causes one heck of a sore throat. I had difficulty swallowing for about a week afterward, but believe me it was better than the pain I experienced prior to the surgeries.

If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Good Luck!

Linda

 

[dislaney]

I had two herniated discs and surgery was the best thing I ever did. My recovery was quick- I also woke up after surgery and was amazed at how good I felt. I did core strengthening exercises at P/T and still do pilates which I think helps with my core as well.