My disc at C5 completely broke down and slipped hitting my spinal cord. I had excruciating pain in my shoulder blades, arms and back of the neck whilst at work. I was sent down to our A&E department whilst on duty. The A&E consultant said i had pulled muscles in my back. I was treated for pulled muscles in my upper back and had acupuncture for three months until the physiotherapist refused to do any more work on me until an MRI was done urgently. They found my spinal cord was inpinged by 90%. I was emediatly transfered to Derriford Hospital in Devon to their specialist spinal unit from our MRI department! It was a real frightening emergency experience. An urgent operation called an âanterior recectionâ (operation through the front of the neck to get to the spin)) was done to hopefully stop me from being paralysed from the neck down!!!
The operation was partially successful but it left me with an incomplete spinal cord injury. Six months later I had severe mylopathy so a second operation had to be done because I was loosing the use of my arms. I also have degenerative disc disease. From experience I would not recommend you leave having a cervical spin operation done. The spinal cord and itâs protective space around it which contains spinal fluid is so important. If you have severe pain in your shoulder blades, sudden weak arms and inability to walk properly please promise me you will not leave it!!!
I also have a degenerative problem with the spinal space causing it to narrow which is called mylopathy. I know about the bones in our body because I used to be a theatre nurse in the trauma and orthopedic theatres. I worked in theatres for sixteen years before I became disabled.
I do understand that it may become a necessity but Intuition is telling me it wonât be favourable, I spent 3 months worrying about it and kept coming back to the same decision so I said no again. Iâve had severe problems for 12 years and have already had 2 failed operations but the first left me with permanent nerve damage. This time itâs acdf Surgery, anterior cervical disectomy and fusion with bone graft to 2 levels at c4/c5/ c6/c7 but the list of issues throughout my spine is very complex (i donât want to go into it on here) and so the risks of surgery are higher than previous.
If I was still reading the tarot cards i might have asked them which way to go i did consult the oracle cards and pendulum but in the end went by my gut feeling. I have 3 friends who are also witches and when I spoke to them they all said the same, trust your instincts.
Thank you though Gail and I hope your appointment goes well and that the outcome is very favourable for you x
You know your body best Debby, and I hope you will keep reasonably well too not have to warrant surgery in the near future. Only one more week to go before I know any more! Like you I have nerve damage hence the incomplete spinal cord injury which in itself leaves me with my normal daily pain. I suppose you have too take powerful drugs on a daily bases to help with pain.
I hope to return to doing more jewellery making soon. Sitting upright at the table in my disability work chair actually causes more problems with pain at the moment. I also have a lot to photograph of jewellery already made but unable to stand for more than a few minutes trying to take a half decent photo! These things are sent to try us, but I have had enough and I am getting very down. I hate seeing hubby having to do absolutely everything, shopping, housework, gardening, ironing and cooking. I just manage to do some light washing up and do my knitting when I can. I feel itâs no life for him or me, but he just says " you worry to much". When people say they have a bad back I donât think they know what itâs like really having a bad back; if you know what I mean? They can go to work, go to the gym, sit on plane to go on holiday, go out of the house, do their hobbies etc, For me thatâs the impossible.
Well time to do the usual try and get some sleep without much success. Your other post is spot on Debby!
I do understand as my hubby has done the housework and garden for the past 10 years , it was hard to come to terms with for some time but now itâs just the life I have been dealt and I tell myself there are people a lot worse off, I can now walk around the village, many canât do that. You have to learn to adapt, I sit on a bed most of my day to do my sewing, had to give up my job as sitting at a desk was impossible but years on I am enjoying life again. It wasnât easy but Iâm very bloody minded and refuse to let it beat me, I take the meds and do as much as I possibly can, bad days and really bad days but we now go away a lot, attend concerts again and do what we can. When I look back at an event or holiday I donât think about the pain I was in in order to take part I just remember the fact that we went to that place or that the concert was amazing. I think once you accept and allow other people to help it gets a lot easier to live with. All the best for next week, for the majority surgery can be life transforming if I didnât have other conditions I would have taken mine, think about the light at the end of that tunnel.
I do think other people are far worse off than me. You seem to be able todo so much more than I can do now. After my brain surgery I had to learn to talk again and i still struggle with speaking to people and finding the correct words to express myself. After my two cervical spine operations i had intensive physio to learn to walk again and use my hands. I still canât feel all of my hands and arms. Itâs amazing how the brain learns to adjust itself with the right after surgery care. I know what determination means. The past eighteen years I have like you been bloody minded to my conditions. However, I have really gone down hill over the past four months. Thank you so much for our little communication chats itâs nice to know someone actually understands what I am going through. I am still saving for another one of your bears to go with my Demelza doll you made. She sits in the lounge on her own chair and I get so much enjoyment just looking at her every day.
Take care Debby and hopefully I will soon get some life back and feel life is worth living.
I was concerned when i read your post as you sound so low, I hope I didnât upset you at all, I know how strong you are. If you need to chat send me an email, I should have said that yesterday but never thought about it until nowâŚpost menopause brain cell fog
i did consult the oracle cards and pendulum but in the end went by my gut feeling. I have 3 friends who are also witches 
I hope you get to play with your grandson very soon.