Greg...

Welcome to the group. 

I want to wish you well and for you to have some pain free days.  Thank you for sharing your

experiences.

DM

 

Hello All.

My name is Greg. I was diagnosed with Cervical Myelopathy, myelomalacia, cervical stenosis, spondylosis, hypertrophy facet disease, degenerative disc disease, etc. I have been battling the symptoms and dealing with the effects of the disease and the surgeries since 1999. I've had 4 cervical spinal surgeries, but I have pain and problems throughout my entire spine. Like most I began having tingling in my fingers, I began dragging my right side & hunching over like Quasi Moto dragging my right leg. The more tired my body was the worse I dragged around. My legs felt heavy. I lumbered around like Frankenstein. At the time it was unknown to me but cervical stenosis at the C3-C6 level had gotten so bad it permanently damaged the signals sent & received between my feet and brain. What that did was make me fall when the grade of the sidewalk leaned to the side, forward or back. I would lose balance and stumble, often times unable to get my footing back before I fell.

I was seen by several neurosurgeons and even 2 of the surgeons suggested a particular surgeon for this job. Both said and my neurologist agreed that he is the best in the area for this type of surgery. I went forward with him and had an ACDF (anterior disectomy & fusion) of C3 - C6 which worked great for about 6 months. My symptoms were all returning.

By month 8 my neurosurgeon was suggesting a second surgery to C7 and to clean up osteophytes that had grown back in the C3-C6 area. His suggested method was to do it from the backside, a laminectomy. I told him the solution was not to have a surgery every 8 months. After postponing a several months, due to several reasons, I became as bad as or worse than I was originally. During this delay time the neurosurgeon identified that C7 was severely herniated.

To make this story a little shorter, the surgeon failed to correct C7. I got worse and worse. The surgeon did everything in his power to avoid letting me know that C7 had NOT fixed. My next choice surgeon leveled with me what had happened by requesting and studying an MRI. He requested a myelogram but the stenosis at C7 had gotten so bad that the contrast could not even get past the area. I now had proof and he admitted only working on C3-C6 but now denied C7 needed any attention (although previous MRIs said differently). He told me there was nothing else he could do for me.

I did not want to sue I just wanted to get fixed. I contacted 4 neurological groups around the country known for fixing "botched" surgeries. I was told I had 60 to 90 days to live due to my situation which now included the vertebrae tearing apart. Only 1 group of surgeon would accept my case. They were and are awesome. They did the final 2 corrective surgeries back to back on Sept 9 & 10, 2002.

Once again I am beginning to have my problems return but at least they saved my life and bought me 7 years with relatively stable conditions. Now I am beginning to have problems to the point I am having MRIs taken and sent to them.

I wish all of you hope and help. If I can be your friend or a sounding block I will. I certainly understand how difficult it can be as I have been at every stage from feeling fine to unable to hold things without dropping them, walking upright to walking with cane, in a wheelchair, walking upright again to using Loftstrand crutches to keep from falling again, etc.

I hope everyone's tests and procedures come out well. I wish you luck and great doctors.

Your friend,
Greg

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