Laura O
Well, I have a date for surgery. I go in on June 17th for pre-op. and June 18th for surgery. My visit with the "top" neurosurgeon went well. He seems to think that he will be able to make all repairs needed from the front of my neck. Yeah! It should be a 3 - 4 hour surgery with a 2 or 3 day stay, he says. If he does find that I will need both front and back incisions, then it will be a 10 - 12 hour surgery which he says is hard on everyone involved. He referred me back to my family physician for an approval and medical clearance. I like that he is keeping the lines of communication open....so does my family doc. I was told that this neurosurgeon is quite possibly the best in our four- state area. This makes me feel better. Also, my MRI results were actually explained to me in layman's terms. I have 4 ruptured disks, bone spurs growing in towards the spinal cord and some nerves, and fluid in the spinal canal that is putting pressure on the ligament that runs between the spinal cord and vertebrae. All this going on in a much narrower space than usual is cause for much concern to the docs. I was given a collar to wear and told not to sneeze if possible. Even a minor fender-bender could cause the bone spurs to sever areas of my spinal cord leaving me paralyzed. Needless to say, I am ready for the surgery, as I cannot live a normal life left this way. Thanks to all for the well wishes and please, if any of you are religious, say a little prayer for me. I will keep you posted.