Not sure what this means

[titaniumed]

I figured you posted your x-rays sideways so we could get our neck stretches done. I almost posted that x-ray tilted left so we could balance out our stretches....(scoliosis forum humor)

Ask if you can have radiology burn the digitals burned to disc, and especially the STANDING SIDE views. The side views are more important, forget the curves. The whole thing, base of skull to pelvis. Get someone to pull it off the disc for you and e-mailed to your e-mail address. You have had kyphosis problems....everyone seems to forget these things, and they are more important. Change NSF to NKF "National Kyphosis Foundation" and nobody would forget. (smiley face)

Your problems started with the original accident over 14 years ago when you started posting....If you wouldn't have had the first accident, do you think you could have made it without doing any surgeries? Thats the big question...We have to decide if we can make it the rest of our lives with our spines....scoliosis surgeons will be able to tell us that. If we have scoliosis as adults, we should go in for an evaluation (by a scoliosis surgeon only) every once in a while. They recommend tetanus vaccinations every 10 years. The best way to remember this would be to get these vaccinations at age 30,40,50 Etc. This would be a way of remembering for scoliosis evaluations.

You don't see groups of truckers rallying against tetanus vaccinations....I guess everyone has that right to get lockjaw.

I would imagine we probably get a tetanus or DTaP shot when we do our surgeries.....This has never been brought up here before. Hmmm....Not sure.

Ed

[jackieg412]

Thanks for doing that Ed. I don't have great computer skills. And sitting isn't the easiest thing.
The xrays do tell the long journey. I counted today that the last 5 surgeries have been because of the car accident.
I have a great surgeon and great care team now . So that truly helps.
I can actually manage the pain with the pump and Tylenol so far.I also move a lot.and use heat. Right now I can't soak in warm water because I still can't use my right arm to help get me out of the tub. The shoulder is coming along . I see that surgeon this afternoon.
I really don't think the scapula problem is a common problem from scoliosis fusion. But unless this shoulder doctor says differently today, it all points to a nerve injury from the fusion surgery.
It has been a long journey. I will update later after the Dr visit. If I can get a direct copy of his X-Ray I will share it.

[titaniumed]

Jackie, what can I say? Your x-ray is not your average full fusion scoliosis x-ray....

After knowing you all these years and knowing what you have gone through, I guess I have to say that this is one of the most painful x-rays on the forum (if you could categorize it that way). It took you a lot of effort to get to this stage. 13 years of many different types of surgeries and recoveries. There is also no way to see the arachnoiditis....or the scar tissue. No way to see the pain...No way to feel the pain, unless you have been there. I understand....and I always ask about your pain levels because sometimes it can be completely debilitating. You have been through a lot...I hope the pain passes quickly...

I righted it, its below


Ed

[jackieg412]

this is my second try to attach new x-rays from 1/24/2022
this is the new one .. the first one was the old from before the accident. If you look by the right shoulder you will see the strip used for the thoracic scapula fusion

[jackieg412]

tried to attach new xray but i could not get it

[RitaR]

Hi there

Who are you seeing? I’m interested in someone to assist me with a revision surgery. Thanks so much.

[titaniumed]

Drug Induced Osteoporosis

All of these last procedures have been recovered on Tylenol and gabapenten.

I have seen some negative opioid papers on bone healing lately.....We have to take opioids during our recoveries, but there are good reasons to consider quitting. I have a boatload of papers saved on this subject matter if anyone wants to see more of them....
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32249381/

Drug Induced Osteoporosis
https://www.uspharmacist.com/article...d-osteoporosis

RIP Meatloaf.....He sure had his share of spine troubles.....13 screws, plates, implant migration, 4 revisions, major pain.
I saw him during the 1978 original Bat out of Hell tour. It was sold out so we banged on the back door and a security guard let us in and we stood at the base of the stage. This kind of stuff only happens in the movies....(smiley face) He probably weighed 350#.

Let us know.....

Ed

[jackieg412]

I'm glad you are up and going again. I hate being sick. This is a tough time for everyone. I'm glad we have this forum. It helps to connect.
Yes that was a very risky surgery last year. My neurosurgeon ( who I see on Monday) is Dr. Ricardo Fontes from Rush in Chicago. I actually saw a commercial on TV here in Chicago ,with him in it. It was discussing neurosurgery. He is a double trained excellent surgeon. Also, the most gentle, kind ,easy to talk to surgeon that I have ever been in contact with. I am actually looking forward to showing him my new in place shoulder. He was the one that helped make the decision for this surgery.
I should have xrays and will attempt to post them.

The pain level, the best way I can describe it , the broken neck and blood clots in the epidural of the spinal cord was like the final game of the world series. The scapula fusion was T- ball. I don't know if the nerves back there are just not reporting? Soon we will begin moving it more and the pain may change.
All of these last procedures have been recovered on Tylenol and gabapenten. So it can be done. There are a few rough days but it gets better quick.

Taking deep breaths was absolutely necessary after this scapula fusion. I must have done okay because I had no problems. I did have some skin issues because of the atrophied muscles and the brace. But it is better now.
I see the surgeon for the scapula next Friday. I think he will increase the movement soon.
I will report on both of the visits next week.

[titaniumed]

Thx Jackie, Being sick is no fun....but I can't imagine doing a scoliosis or spine recovery with all that is happening now...You know how scary it is coughing after our surgeries, and must have felt just lovely with your scapula fusion....

That was quite a set of serious procedures you did last year (Nov 2020)....to lift your chin off your chest and get your head up again is just amazing.....Osteoporosis and kyphosis in adults is not a good combination. What was that surgeons name again? He gets huge bonus points for pulling all of that off.

What is your pain report on that whole procedure? The broken neck, broken neck rods, replacement neck rods, T8 Ponte, T1 PSO, T5 debridement for infection, and the 4 rods in your thoracic....(get your x-ray copies)

And the hand pain? and the elbow (ulnar nerve)? Any improvements?

I hope it isn't too hard since we do get used to pain, and we do forget.... There are times that I really have to think hard on what it was like many years ago. It's been 20 years this month that my sciatica hit...but then sciatica is hard to forget. So bad it drove me into some serious scoliosis procedures. My surgeon and surgeons also get huge bonus points....

Ed

[jackieg412]

I am 10 weeks post op from scapula fusion. It is good to be out of the big, heavy brace. I am moving more and working on using my right hand more.
I see the neurosurgeon for the 1 year spine surgery on Monday and on Friday I see the surgeon for the scapula surgery. I think everything is going well with this surgery. It is hard to know because of being so restricted.
I hope your flu is gone Ed. That is not fun.
Hop everyone remains well

[jackieg412]

Yes Ed we are so complicated. Like the bone song from children, everything is connected to the next bone.
Without a doubt, the broken neck was way worse than the scapula fusion. In fact the scapula pain doesn't even make it in the same ball park. But I don know how the true rehab will go.
I did over do the holiday, and had to rest a lot the next few days. II get a lot of pain in the lower neck or upper shoulder area. I can only relax it by resting back or using heat..
Some people really go through a lot. And some children are really remarkable. They are so amazing. Children just want to play.
I do think the pump is helping but it does not help the neck.
The scapula fusion is a real rare surgery. Even in that rehab hospital , the therapists would come in the room just to ask me about it. If they asked,I would answer what I could.
My PT now, said I have been a PT for 20 years and have never seen this. So they will need a lot of direction from the surgeon.
l

[titaniumed]

So far the pain isn't any where close to the broken neck. It isn't even on the same page.

I can imagine.... Was the broken neck your worst pain?... or was it the Arachnoiditis attacks? Your broken neck x-ray was a doozie....It hurt just to look at the x-ray.

It seems like your pain pump is doing a good job in the thoracic....What do you think? It's probably helping with the scapula fusion.

My neighbor (She is 86 now) went through a whole host of heart and cardio surgeries over a few years......she has more scars than many of us combined....About 6 cardio revision surgeries and she lost her leg. We don't hear about these things since this is a scoliosis forum but sometimes it takes a few tries to get things right and it doesn't have to be spine related. Our bodies are complicated, there is no doubt about that. BTW, She is doing great....

Christmas day for me was very short....I had to eat and run due to the snow storms as I don't have a 4 wheel drive car right now and crashing is out of the question.

I didn't get to overeat.....believe me, I wanted to. This saved me the next day. The yams were to die for. If you leave them in the oven about 30-45 seconds longer to slightly burn the marshmallows, they come out perfect. Timing is everything with marshmallows. (smiley face)

My neck problems have healed. I am convinced it was a trap strain at the skull. It took 4 months. Chiro actually agitated it and was very painful the day after each adjustment which is not the norm.

Ed

[jackieg412]

So far in Illinois we haven't n had snow but I think that is about to change. I am in a smaller sling now with passive movement from PT for next 6 weeks. Christmas wore me out. I have 7 grandchildren and some young. They had fun.
This to will pass. So far the pain isn't any where close to the broken neck. It isn't even on the same page.
I just hope this is the end though.
The surgeon wrote A PT order that spans 12 months. This to will pass.
I should get a X-Ray copy at the end of January. I've seen it on a computer. It looks like a strip of snaps or buttons. I think there are five. I will find out soon.

[titaniumed]

We are running specials on Cyro therapy out here.....(It's free) It's like Antartica with white out conditions....about 10 feet of snow has fallen so far in the last few days....Filling up the reservoirs in California.

Jackie, try some foam under the neck sling. You can take a 2 inch foam topper and cut off a chunk with a knife.

I hope things have gotten a little easier by now...

Ed

[jackieg412]

Just as suspected, the pain was worse with beginning of PT. We did just a little movement and massage. A long way to go. We are very familiar with scoliosis surgery having a long recovery but this scapula surgery recovery seems to be up there also.
The sling bothers my neck A lot.
I would guess the recovery will be slow. But it has been a 10 year journey to get to this point. A long time.