My Cervical Spine Operation

For a few weeks I was a bit quiet on the blogging front. Think nerves took over before my operation.

Well for almost 5 months now I was suffering with severe pain in my arm. Many weeks were spent to and fro from my GP with x-rays and scans on my arm with nothing found. As a last resort the doctor, who had 'tennis elbow' on the brain referred me to a physiotherapist.

My visit to the physiotherapist was short. She got me to move around in different positions and just said "I want you to have a CT Scan on your neck before I can do anything".

After the CT Scan my problem was found. I had 2 bulging discs, C5/6 & C6/7, which were also trapping nerves. My arm pain was then diagnosed as 'referred' pain. Not once did O have pain in my neck. Pain was by now in my left shoulder blade and chest area with electrifying pins and needles.

The physiotherapist popped me on to a neck traction machine for about 6 sessions, it didn't help. A referral to a brain and spine specialist was then made. Firstly the specialist wanted me have an MRI and then to try cortisone in to the discs. I must say this was not nice and I had to have Valium to calm my nerves. This didn't work.

Second option was the 'surgery of the cervical spine'. I had this operation on 21st October 2009 and on waking the next morning the horrendous pain in my arm and pins and needles had gone. just ached in the neck area from the operation. After 2 days I was released, after they removed the few staples in my head and the drain from my operation area.

To put it bluntly the surgeon shaved bone from the 2 discs to make a hole for the trapped nerve to escape in to.

It is now 30th October 2009 with tingling in my fingers and still aches in my neck and shoulder area. I am hoping this will go away but only time will tell. I didn't need any stitches to be removed as they were dissolvable and as you can see the scaring is minimal. Quite neat eh?