The Shures Network

Some of you may have noticed that the number of posts dropped off on the Shures Network on or around the middle of August. This was about the time the pain hit that eventually turned into an anterior cervical discectomy.

I woke up one morning with lower neck / shoulder pain on the left side. At first I thought I had slept in an awkward position and that after a day or two it would go away. After two weeks of not getting any better, I had to go see a Doctor. The pain was driving me crazy. X-rays were taken showing nothing abnormal and pain medication (Tramadol) was prescribed.

Two more weeks went by with a progression of pain to include the forearm and top of the hand. By this time, numbness in the index finger and loss of muscle function in the tricep had also developed. A MRI was scheduled and a referral to a spine specialist was made.

When the Doctors looked at the MRI results, a massive disc herniation was discovered between the C6-C7 vertebrae. Surgery was immediately scheduled. Do not pass go or get to first try conservative physical therapy, go straight to under the knife.

The surgery entailed removing the affected disc and protruding material and installing a bone graft to fill the void. A titanium plate and screws were installed on top to hold everything in place.

Post op, 2 weeks were spent recuperating off work in a soft-collar neck brace. Since the surgery, all of the pre-op paralysis and numbness symptoms are gone. And most of the pain is also now gone and continuing to diminish daily.

Cost of surgery: $32,000 – 1 day stay

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