Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection Scheduled - Page 4

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@NickNack you're welcome. You can bend your arms so your fingers should reach the top of your head, in order to wash your hair. You just can't raise your arms up farther than that, like reaching into a cabinet, for instance.

CatsyCline · ‎07-24-2013

@NickNack i had C-3- C-7 fusion and laminectomy 3 years ago, Dec 17 2019 . After the surgery i stayed in the Hospital 2 days, and then went to a SNF - [skilled nursing facility] in a Nursing home.

Two days later the aides helped me to take a shower and helped me wash my hair. i stayed there a few days. Not gonna lie - recovery takes time, you have to allow for healing. it's one day at a time. all the nerves muscles and tissues have to re-marry.

i had a 10" incision from the base of my skull down and they shaved off my hair at the back of my head. the incision is glued together and the glue will dissolve over a few weeks.

i had so much pain and numbness in my shoulder, my right arm, my fingers had no feeling, to have the surgery because the affected vertebrae were impinging on my spinal cord. the surgeon said if i got onto a fender bender or fell the wrong way i might become paralyzed. i also had been dropping things, keys, books, stuff in my hands - for years and had trouble with bladder control. these are questions they asked me before discussing surgery. even as far back as 15 yrs prior i had bad osteoarthritis in my neck. an Xray tech once asked if i had been in an accident.

i had to use muscle relaxers more than pain meds, post surgery. i was up and walking around the day after in the hospital. it's no cakewalk - and i've had two Lumbar surgeries and a hip replacement - the hip replacement was #1 difficult, the neck #2 and the 2nd spine # 3 because it was a lateral approach.

the first few days even weeks i needed lots of laxatives and i had to get up to pee all night. i slept in my bed (no need to sleep in recliner - i have one) No hard collar - just a soft foam one.

i came home 2 days before Christmas and was cooking meals again by New Years.

i still have some residual pins and needles feeling in my right arm. it comes and goes. and my neck mobility is only a bit limited as turn to the left, say as i drive.

DH wanted me to stay at the SNF longer but i wanted to come home. i did just about everything without his help. i showered and washed my hair and went food shopping (i used a scooter cart), laundry, meal prep. only was not allowed to drive until my follow-up appt.

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

Thank you so much for telling me know about your experience @CatsyCline . I have copied your post and saved it to my medical information.

I would have to go to a SNF, too, and also have to have someone stay with my dog and cat. I do have a good petsitter who stays here with them with I go out of town. I worry about caring for them when I would come home.

My right hand and arm are getting more tingly all the time. The other day I had a hard time holding my fork when I was eating.

My main concern is if something went wrong with the surgery. I didn't worry about that with my kidney surgery or other surgeries I've had, but this would be so close to my brain.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

CatsyCline · ‎07-24-2013

@NickNack wrote:
Thank you so much for telling me know about your experience @CatsyCline . I have copied your post and saved it to my medical information.

I would have to go to a SNF, too, and also have to have someone stay with my dog and cat. I do have a good petsitter who stays here with them with I go out of town. I worry about caring for them when I would come home.

My right hand and arm are getting more tingly all the time. The other day I had a hard time holding my fork when I was eating.

My main concern is if something went wrong with the surgery. I didn't worry about that with my kidney surgery or other surgeries I've had, but this would be so close to my brain.

@NickNack i completely understand about your concerns and i was also leery of the surgery being so close to brain. in fact the top incision was right there at the base of my skull.

i had a top neurosurgeon for both my 1st lumbar surgery and my neck surgery. personally i would only trust a neurosurgeon. my surgeon is the head of Neurology at a University teaching hospital.

one thing they did want to do before going forward with surgery was rule out the possibility of MS. i had trouble walking and fell quite often time besides the neurological symptoms. they ordered a brain MRI so see if there were signs of MS in the brain.

i agree, it is not an easy decision to make and for me it was four weeks or so to feel better and i used a walker in the house just so i would not fall.

Depend on insurance, but if you have Medicare you can arrange for PT and Nurse to come to your home after your stay at the SNF. the Nurse does vitals and checks incisions. Nurses came maybe 1x per week and PT 2x a week. they help you with your strength (hopefully they do this in SNF ) After my hip surgery in 2020 i received 2 weeks if meals delivered (idk if my ins had the meals for my neck surgery)

maybe try the steriod shots first. yes theyused a flouroscope when i had my L spine issues.

just take things one day at a time and please - see another practioner for a second opinion - it is always a good idea. i did see second and third surgeon for my 2nd. i went with the 3d (not my neck surgeon) for my 2nd spine surgery. i would never go to him again. i should have just waited a bit longer to see the top surgeon.

sorry this is so long...i truly hope you feel much better! Take care! (any questions just ask!)

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

Thank you @CatsyCline . I am scheduled for my steroid injection this Thursday. I will go through all of the processes that they recommend before onsidering surgery.

The Pain Management Center is at our University Hospital, which has an excellent reputation. If I do end up having surgery I will remember your advice to see a Neurologist at the same teaching hospital.

The NP that I spoke with before I saw the doctor did mention MS. I didn't realize how MS was diagnosed, but I did have a brain MRI this summer when I mentioned my headaches to my PCP. The brain scan was without dye. I will have to look up to see if the MRI needs dye to diagnose MS.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

CatsyCline · ‎07-24-2013

@NickNack i think my brain MRI was with and without contrast (dye). was a verryy lengthy MRI procedure.

hope you have peaceful and safe holidays!

Barbara-QVC · ‎10-12-2015

Moved:

This post has been removed by QVC because can be deemed inappropriate

Sage04 · ‎07-10-2011

@homedecor1 wrote:
@NickNack

Thank you for your kind thoughts.

We see his neurologist this week and I'm hoping they can give him Gabepantin. He already takes so many meds🤦‍♀️

But, if it gives him relief I'm game😉. We have legalized medical marijuana (FL) so I'm asking him to reconsider. Many people I know use it with wonderful results.

As I said 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 you get relief nothing worse than chronic pain.

homedecor1

@homedecor1 it would be great if they can prescribe Gabapentin. It works for when ever I have nerve pain. Hope it works for him.

Sage04 · ‎07-10-2011

@NickNack wrote:
@CatsyCline wrote:
@NickNack hope these injections work for you. i've had multiple steroid shots.they are only a band-aid.

why are you anti surgery?

@CatsyCline I spoke with the NP first, and he was telling me the different options and what the surgeon would probably recommend first. He didn't suggest surgery but said something like "I don't know if you'd be interested in surgery ..." and I shook my head "no."

He said that he didn't blame me, and that it didn't always work. If the prognosis was extremely good for great improvement I would consider it. It just doesn't sound like that's the case.

I had surgery for kidney cancer in February, and it was such a hard recovery. I just can't imagine having another surgery. I remember when I had my hysterectomy at age 39 the recovery was fairly easy. It makes such a difference when you're young.

@NickNack for me, surgery was what helped me. Had Cervical Spine problems and one knew why. I had surgery and C3-C4 were fused and I felt no pain whatsoever after the surgery.

Then I had C6-C7 fused a year later. Every few months or so I will feel pain but was prescribed flexaril which worked great.

Last year I started taking Gabapentin but only take at least one or two every now and then. That also works for me.

Hope you can get some relief from the pain. Surgery isn't for everyone but for me it was the best option.

Sage04 · ‎07-10-2011

@NickNack wrote:
@eadu4 I'm so sorry that you're in so much pain. Did you have the epidural steroid injection? I ask because you mentioned that it depended on whether they got it in the right place.

The doctor told me that they use a type of fluoroscopic imaging to guide them when they inject it. He said he would use some type of wire and start at the trigger point (?) and aim it up towards the rest of the area.

I'm very much hoping this will help but not sure that it really will.

@NickNack I really hope it works. Be positive. Even if it helps for a while, it will be worth it.

I must say that it was something that I refuse but I'm glad you are doing it.