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Surgery Advice

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Iseeitnow7
July 24, 2019
8 upvotes
askMRP

Need some advice, guys. Herniated the C5/C6 disc in my neck. Dr. says it’s 10/10 pinching the nerve leading down my right arm. Pinched nerve has caused weakness to the point that lifting a gallon of water isn’t easy.

Dr. wants to do surgery and cleanup the mess and fuse the vertebrae or do a disc replacement. Injury was 1 week ago and he wants to do surgery on Monday. States that the longer we wait, the greater the possibility of nerve damage and permanent loss of strength. I do not want to do the fusion and am leaning towards the replacement option. I was thinking about getting a second opinion, but after seeing the MRI and the blockage, the goo from my disc isn’t going to go back where it came from.

I will be doing my own research as well, but would love to hear your opinions on either option.


Post Information
Title Surgery Advice
Author Iseeitnow7
Upvotes 8
Comments 36
Date 24 July 2019 03:59 PM UTC (1 year ago)
Subreddit askMRP
Link https://theredarchive.com/post/246532
Original Link https://old.reddit.com/r/askMRP/comments/cha16j/surgery_advice/
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Comments

[–]johneyapocalypseThe one that says "Bad Motherfucker"13 points14 points  (1 child) | Copy

You must do everything in your power to get a second opinion and ideally a third opinion.

It's your fucking spine dude.

[–]justpickanyusernameRed Beret5 points6 points  (0 children) | Copy

So, you're saying the internet doesn't count as a second opinion? Pfft

[–]CrazyLegs786 points7 points  (2 children) | Copy

Get the other opinions ASAP, no joke. My wife went from lower back/leg pain to permanent nerve damage and permanent numbness very fast.

[–]Iseeitnow7[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child) | Copy

How fast? A week? 3?

[–]CrazyLegs780 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy

Best I can remember, it was about 3 weeks after the burning /painful sensations in her leg. Then there was a little bladder control loss the day before her doctor appointment. He wanted to do surgery that day.

[–]TaipanshimshonRed Beret11 points12 points  (10 children) | Copy

This is a bad place for professional medical opinion

[–]InChargeManRed Beret8 points9 points  (3 children) | Copy

Lift faggot

[–]TaipanshimshonRed Beret2 points3 points  (2 children) | Copy

That seems helpful

[–]InChargeManRed Beret2 points3 points  (1 child) | Copy

Lol, sarcasm. I was completely agreeing with your response.

[–]TaipanshimshonRed Beret1 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy

Oh I know.

[–]FoxShitNasty832 points3 points  (2 children) | Copy

He can just use a number 4 hammer and bang that shit straight back in. Fixed!

[–]TaipanshimshonRed Beret2 points3 points  (1 child) | Copy

So you've seen spine surgery

[–]FoxShitNasty832 points3 points  (0 children) | Copy

I have played with Lego.... Without instructions! It will be fine

[–]Iseeitnow7[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children) | Copy

You're right. I've never had surgery like this before. Don't even know what questions to ask at this point. Definitely going to get some additional opinions from doctors.

[–]ClickForMoreInfo2 points3 points  (1 child) | Copy

Healing Back Pain by John E. Sarno MD. Read it. No such thing as a pinched nerve causing pain.

[–]Elvis_Death0 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy

Bullshit.

[–]coinbaserep3 points4 points  (2 children) | Copy

Lift , stfu, dread , sidebar faggot

That’s the answer for most questions around here

Ps. Get 2nd and 3rd opinion

Surgeons typically want to do surgery because that’s how they make there money

Your their next paycheck. Exhaust all your options before surgery.

[–]Rogue684861 point2 points  (1 child) | Copy

This

Ask for a doc that's not a cutter

Someone whose balanced in what they recommend

[–]coinbaserep1 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy

When all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail

[–]Cloudy_Pirate2 points3 points  (1 child) | Copy

Are you taking anti-inflammatory meds and icing the shit out it?

Frequently, it's the inflammation from the herniated disc (and not the disc itself) that it pinching the nerve.

​

Get a second opinion from another doctor and one from a reputable chiropractor. You really don't want spine surgery if you can avoid it.

I herniated a disc in my lower back. Dr. wanted to do surgery asap. MRI's showed it clearly flattened and squished out of the spinal column. Dr. asked me if i had lost bowel control yet...

I took the MRI's and x-rays to a chiro and another surgeon to review. The chiro gave me 50/50 odds that he could help me. Did 3 visits a week from 6 weeks then slowly scaled it back to monthly. After 3 months, I was back to 90%.
After 10 years, I think I'm back to 100%. Disc is still technically herniated, but I have no pain, no inflammation, no nerve issues (and no loss of bowel control). And I can still lift heavy.

[–]Iseeitnow7[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children) | Copy

Yes to ice and anti inflammatory meds. Saw the MRI today. The disc seems to be clearly blocking the opening where the nerve to my arm is supposed to pass through. Reading up on procedure outcomes. Pretty sure I'm going to have nightmares.

[–]captainbourbon502 points3 points  (0 children) | Copy

If you have a university hospital or medical school near you go there for a second opinion.

[–]Cmvplease22 points3 points  (1 child) | Copy

I'll share my story.

Had shooting pain down both thighs. One went all the way to my right foot. Thought it was overtraining from running too much. Didn't heal for like 6 months wtf. Went to an orthopedic. Did ex rays. Said I needed surgery on my hips. My hips? Went to a neurologist because it seems more like nerve issues. Said I had fibromyalgia. Ok. Went to a chiropractor. Sounded like he made up a whole lot of bullshit to overwhelm me and make me think he was smart. He ended up letting me know what the problem was BY MAKING IT WORSE. He kept pushing/rubbing my lower back discs. That night the pain was x 100. That told me it was nerves in my lower back and doctor #1 was wrong, doctor #2 was wrong and quack man made it worse.

I started doing strength exercises that focused on my lower back and that helped. Problem solved.

Point of the comment. If you go to a surgeon he's going to want to do surgery.

That said, it sounds like you actually need surgery. But I'm no doctor. Good luck!

[–]Iseeitnow7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy

Thanks. You described exactly what I'm afraid of. I'll have to have a talk with the physical therapist before I make any decision.

[–]Non_Merger2 points3 points  (1 child) | Copy

Surprisingly, surgeons usually recommend surgery.

Get a 2nd opinion. On physical exam in the office, they should be able to position your neck in a place where the nerve isn't being as smashed, and pain/numbness/etc will be relieved or reduced. This would be similar to the neck traction stuff that someone else here recommended.

What did you do to injure your neck?

[–]Iseeitnow7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy

Chiropractor adjusted my neck when I went in for a shoulder issue

[–]Imaginary_Historian1 point2 points  (3 children) | Copy

I injured my neck too, same thing, C5/C6 and pain was unbearable, along with muscle paralysis (pecs, triceps, could not move them at all) numbness in my hand and arm.

However, apparently unlike you I couldn't even get insurance approval to see a neurologist for a month, and it took two months to get the insurance to approve the MRI. MRI was bad. Same shit, herniated discs, severe damage, surgery recommended. Insurance refused to cover surgery. Only after dozens of calls and bitching with insurance to get surgery approved.

In the meantime I did PT out of pocket, and bought a neck traction device, also out of pocket (basically a collar you wear with weights, pulleys and cables to pull your neck up.) Well, guess what, after three months of this shit, despite the extensive damage to my spine and nerve, my nerves healed themselves, muscles started working again, pain went away, and feeling returned in my hand and arm before the surgery date, and so I canceled it.

Not saying you should not get surgery, I would have had I been able to get insurance to cover it. But, sometimes these things do somehow manage to heal themselves. How, I don't know exactly, but just PT and neck traction did it for me.

[–]Iseeitnow7[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child) | Copy

Damn. Happy it worked out for you, but sorry to hear about the insurance bullshit. I haven't had any pushback yet. PT is putting me in a traction device to release the pressure and I've been laying down and icing frequently. The pain was pretty bad at first. Tylenol keeps it tolerable for now, but the strength loss is concerning.

Just really not wanting surgery on my spine if I can help it, so thanks for posting this.

[–]OCR821 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy

Avoid spine surgery at all costs. I review records for spinal surgeries almost everyday for litigation. They almost never work out. It is well known within the tort litigation community that there are surgeons willing to operate on almost anybody. Remember, they don't get paid unless they do surgery.

I would recommend you get a second opinion from a neurologist and a neurosurgeon (not an orthopedic surgeon with a spine specialty) at a university or research hospital. Research hospital surgeons are generally less money hungry and will give you better advice.

[–]Rogue684860 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy

PT first

[–]BobbyPeruRed Beret1 point2 points  (1 child) | Copy

And the medical post trend continues....

Talk to your doctor retard

[–]Iseeitnow7[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy

I did. And I will talk to other doctors. My doctor is a hammer. I'm a nail to him. I'm looking for all the information I can get my hands on since paralysis is a possibility if this guy fucks up the procedure. I know it's only anecdotal, but I find it very interesting that someone with more severe symptoms has already posted that it resolved itself with therapy.

[–]kratbegone1 point2 points  (1 child) | Copy

Get options. I had herniated lower disk and my doc said if it does not get better in 6 weeks would have to do surgery. For back that is the time it takes if it is going to get better. At 5 weeks was going to do surgery. 5.5 weeks no pain, no surgery! Now my lower back is the strongest part if my body, upper not so much lol

[–]Iseeitnow7[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy

Damn. That was close. Thanks for sharing. I think I definitely need to give another week or two and reevaluate.

[–]red-sfpplusHard Core Red1 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy

Hang like a Bruce does in "The Dark Knight Rises" by a rope and have some old ex-heroin addict punch your back.

Should fix you right up.

[–]shouldergirdle0 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy

bestdoctor.com is covered by my health insurance at work and is to be used in exactly these types of situations



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