Sunday, November 22, 2020

ACDF

This is what I want done to me.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion  (gross surgery stuff. don't click if that squicks you out.)

Fuse some neck vertebra and stop disks from pressing against my spinal cord above and below C6.

The neurosurgeon has shown me with simple strength tests, "Hey that left tricep and right bicep aren't getting full enervated.  You probably can't do a pushup anymore."

Boy howdy.

The muscle is brawny enough, but the nerve signal to it is inadequate.  

You've heard me whinge about not having the stamina to do a class with a 500 round count?  50 is more my speed?  It's because of this.

10 years ago I tried to get up into my attic.  Stand on the top of the ladder and hop up into the hatch while doing a tricep dip.  Whoa!  Lucky to stick the landing and not kick the ladder out from beneath me.  I remember Dad, in similar shape, having no issue with such shenanigans at this age.  Now I know.  It's because of this.

Steroid have done wonders for my lumbar area, but the imagery there is normalish.  The neck is awful.

"Who is gonna wipe your butt, T-Bolt, while convalescing?  Better hurry up and get married."

Actually, the procedure is less than 2 hours, out patient, and I can do everything on my own immediately.  Including watch movies and surf the web.  And wipe.

"That's all you do at work, so you will just go to work T-Bolt?"

Naw.  You have to commute to the office.  That's the issue.  Neck movements driving, or, heaven forbid, in an accident.  Two weeks off.

But I should be much better after.  

1 comment:

JayNola said...

My father, who at that point in life was a desk worker, had a multiple cervical fusion. Something like 3-6. His doctors didn't properly relay the message that going back to desk work severely shortens the efficacy time of the fusion and speeds the time to.the next fusion up. In hindsight he should have started processing his disability paperwork while convalescing from the surgery.