Spinal Problems Archives

asking your opinion

In March of 2001 I went to a neurosurgeon for help with shoulder pain and numbness in my right hand, after an MRI he explained that I had ruptured a disk at the C-6/7 level and suggested surgery which included a diskectomy and the placement of a metal plate w/ screws and a bone graft. His enthusiasm made me feel That I was in very capable hands! Three hours after the surgery he came into my room to check on how I was feeling. I had no pain, no numbness and felt great, I told him that I was feeling so good that I felt I could go home, He released me thirty minutes later and told me no fishing for a week. Since I am an avid fisherman I knew I would be back on the water in no time! My problems were only begining! Three months later I began to have shoulder problems with severe immobility though it is more prominent in my right side it is also present in my left. I had only been fishing twice and don't feel that I had done anything to reinjure myself, you see I catfish and it doesn't require constant casting like bass fishermen. to make a long story short at the follow-up he tells me my shoulder is encapsulated and suggests cortisone injections of which I am very opposed, at the end of the follow-up he says "see ya in the funny papers" not another word was said. This comment made me feel that I had made a terrible mistake one that I would pay for dearly for a long time to come. I have had more headaches in the last six months than I have had my entire life and my neck is so stiff that I can barely turn to observe traffic as I drive. I cannot bear any weight on my right side as far as lying down, and my sleep has been disrupted with intolerable pain when I try to turn over in bed as I sleep predominately on my right. I personally feel that he is trying to cover something up as to negate any personal responsibility. I am not a medical doctor but I can and have researched this dilema, at first I thought it may be the formation of scar tissue around the site but after hours of carefull searching I believe it to be similar to pseudoarthrosis. I would like your personal feelings on this. Any information you could give me about this would be very helpfull to guide me back on the road to recovery.

Thank You and God Bless!

Follow Ups:

• Re: asking your opinion (Archive in spinal.) Walt Stoll 10:15:35 10/29/01 (0)

In Reply to: asking your opinion posted by Joseph Davis on October 28, 2001 at 16:07:05:

Hi, Joseph.

Isn't it too bad that you had not read the information in the archives about spinal problems BEFORE you decided to have this surgery????

You are one of the 60% who are NOT improved by surgery and further surgery will likely not help. It still is not too late to do what is suggested in those same archives, results will just take longer and not be so complete.

Let us know what you learn.

Walt