snap sees a neurosurgeon

[teigyr]

Oh Snap, I am sorry that you have to go through this. I think it will be so nice to have it be over and I bet you will feel SO much better after. Kudos for your determination and doing this after the marathon. Be Careful!!! I suppose this means your career as a base jumper is over, for now.

I've never been involved a surgery like this but I've had other ones. What I can say is the period before is ALWAYS worse than after. Before is the unknown. When it's after, you can focus on recovery and then you realize it wasn't as bad as you thought it would be.

I will keep you in my thoughts.

[SadieKate]

Wait a minute. You know my thoughts about the surgery. But what about the drugs? And do they come in flavors?

[Wahine]

(((((((Snap))))))

You'll be so much better after you recover. I've seen many cases like this pre and post surgery and the quality of life change is amazing. Take care.

[Tuckervill]

My dad, my brother and I all had this surgery...(except mine was in my lower back and I wasn't fused). We all felt better immediately afterwards. My dad and brother both have a little stiffer necks than they had before, but their surgeries were precipitated by accidents, so who knows whether they're stiff from the surgery or the accident? They don't exercise, either!

Good luck Hoping for the best.

Karen

[ClockworkOrange]

Hey Snap, really sorry to hear about your back problem, I have not been on here very often, so somewhat out of touch.

Sending lots of good vibes from over the pond.

Good luck with forthcoming op.

............well, back to this post after just posting on the Nike thread, yikes, I am confused! (now doesn't that sound terribly British)........

Anyway, you take care.

Hugs

Clock

[melissam]

Hey snap,

Sorry to hear about the latest development in your neck saga. I'm hoping for the best for you -- that the surgery goes well and that you're pain free afterwards.

- Mel

PS What's the surgeon's official position regarding lemon drops and your daredevil lifestyle?

[snapdragen]

Thank you ladies....you are all so kind.

sk - stay away from my drugs. They're mine all mine!! Unless they are purple grape flavored, then you can have them all.

mel -- as teigyr say, no base jumping...... I will not give up the LemonDrops! I just have to put my "living life on the edge" on hold for now.

Don't be confused clock! I'm postponing any surgery until after I finish the marathon in October. I may not be able to ride a bike, but I can walk just fine!

[SadieKate]

Thank you ladies....you are all so kind.

sk - stay away from my drugs. They're mine all mine!! Unless they are purple grape flavored, then you can have them all. . . . .!

EWWWWW. No purple. How about the red?

I may not be able to ride a bike, but I can walk just fine!

Her head only bobbles a little bit. It's not really noticeable.

Really. Not much at all. . . . .

[Dogmama]

I had a fusion of C4-C6 in December 2005. I was off the bike for a good six months. The hand/wrist/arm numbness took awhile to abate. My neck was pretty messed up, though. He took bone from my hip for the fusion & that made recovery better. Will you be fused?

Do your physical therapy religiously.

Stay off the bike until they tell you it's OK. I tried to ride with my cervical collar on. The vibrations through my arms to my neck were awful. BUT, cars REALLY gave me a wide berth!

[bmccasland]

((((((((((Snap))))))))))))

I hope you get to feeling much better soonly.

[Dogmama]

Snap, I hope you're wearing a cervical collar. In my case, the MRI didn't show the full extent of the damage. A vertebra was pushing into my spinal cord. A cervical collar will limit your neck motion.

[RoadRaven]

((((((((((((((((Snap))))))))))))))))))))

But just gently... I think biiig hugs might be trekking down the dare-devil line of risk...

So I guess you have to give up the kayaking over waterfalls, and your Indy500 attempt too?

Glad they have named the monster and the solution pathway.

You're a woman of grit and determination, you'll be back tight-rope walking (and maybe even cycling ) before too long.

[snapdragen]

Dogmama, for me it's 5, 6 & 7 that are affected. I'm not absolutely sure what the surgery will be, but I suspect it will be a fusion. Dr B mentioned deciding whether to use my bone or cadaver bone. My MRI was super clear, vertebra is definitely pressing on the spinal cord.

RR - yep, no waterfall jumps or re-creations of the car chase scene from Bullit. Doctors can be such buzz kills......

[Dogmama]

I had them take the bone from my hip. I have lupus, so my body is keen to attack anything that looks foreign. My spine surgeon said that taking your own bone generally results in a better fusion.

[snapdragen]

DM-when you were recovering, did you use any kind of wedge pillow on your bed?