About eight weeks ago I woke up with a "stiff" neck. I thought that I had slept wrong. I thought that it would work itself out. The second week that it hurt it was spreading to the back of my left shoulder. My Dad gave me a shoulder rub and the pain did not ease at all. Then in the next week the pain spread to the deltoid muscle that connects the shoulder to the left arm.
At this point I went to the doctor. I had an MRI and it showed a herniated disk with herniation completely pinching off the cervical spinal nerves that make up the brachial plexus. Then I went to the neurosurgeon. He did some strength tests. He said I could try three things:
1. Ignore it and hope it goes away.
2. Try disk decompression.
3. Surgery to free the nerve.
I tried the disk decompression for 2 weeks. I had improvement in my range of motion, but not in pain relief or strength building. I went back to the neurosurgeon and he did some of the strength tests again. I had lost significant strength in those two weeks. There is concern that I would have permanent nerve damage. His recommendation was surgery now.
I was nervous. I had been having 'nightmares' about it. Monday night in my nightmare I coded (stopped breathing) during the surgery and woke up in the Critical Care Unit intubated (breathing tube down my throat) and not able to communicate with anyone. Tuesday night the dream was that they peformed the surgery on my hand instead of my neck.
So, Thursday 7/23 I went in for surgery on my cervical spine. In Peri-Op they prep you. Get your gown on, get the I.V. set up. I am nervous around needles (conceptually as well as physically). I pretty much have awful veins to find. My blood pressure was pretty high when they were getting ready to put in my I.V. - 156/101! They put it in my hand.
Then like three different people came and asked me the same questions over and over again.
When it was time to take me back I became super nervous. By the time they got me in the operating room and did my blood pressure it was up even higher - 178/118! The meds burned a little bit when they started them. Then I fell asleep. When I woke up I was still in the OR getting prepped for PACU Phase 1 (Post Anesthesia Care Unit). I stayed there for 2 hours coming off of the anesthesia and getting my pain medication. Then they moved me to Phase 2 where my Mom could come in and see me. They said that I was recovering very quickly and I started off to go home.
That's when the nausea hit. All the way home I was barely able to keep myself from being sick. When I got home, I could not control it. That lasted for about 4 hours. Then I calmed down and had some crackers and soda.
The next day I was able to start eating again. The pain has lessened over the last few days, but I still have it. I am trying to be up and about so that I can go back to work on Wednesday. I cannot drive a vehicle for 10 days. No riding in a vehicle for 6 days.
I'm getting tired and sore just sitting here doing this, so I am off. The minute I can get a photo of it I will. Right now there is a waterproof dressing over the incision to protect it. Luckliy, I can shower with it.
