Artificial Cervical Disc Arthroplasty (ACDA)
The last five years have been extremely frustrating and challenging with pain and a significant reduction in activity. At this point I have loss of feeling in my right index and middle finger, the tops of my forearms feel as if one were to have a migraine headache where there is constant pounding and pain protruding from the tops of them. If I grip anything with weight it feels as if knives want to jab out of my forearms. My right pec minor feels as if someone is tugging a marionette string across my face to the left and ripping it off my chest. My right tricep and forearms have that gym swollen throb and pump nearly 24/7. I can no longer sit in a car/airplane seat without looking like a meth head tweaker constantly twitching.
I stopped cycling nearly 5 years ago due to the pain in my hands, arms and shoulders from gripping the handlebars. I eliminated playing golf three years ago due to the shooting pain in the tops of my forearms after every shot. Gave up hockey two years ago as I could no longer grip a stick and shoot, pass without forearm, bicep, tricep and shoulder pain after each game. Fishing rod/reel combo purchases have been based on total weight of the set up the last few years. I purchased three sets of carbon fiber ski poles this year, each lighter then the previous trying to find a pair that would not kill my arm or grip. I don’t use straps as any catch or tug would send me cringing bent over at the waist in pain. As this season progressed the poles magically kept falling out of my hand. I would try and convince myself that it was getting caught on something.
Water glasses and coffee mugs started dropping to the floor. No longer able to do anything that required dexterity like putting an allen head in to its slot or place nuts on bolts. Signing my name to a check or adding a tip, I look like a 2yr old with a stick drawing in the mud. Eating with chop sticks, might as well be finger food. Sitting on the chairlift became so miserable that I was constantly stretching/re-positioning trying any position to get comfortable without falling off the lift. Plane rides, sitting in the car and in a chair have become so painful that I eventually feel nauseous as if I have to vomit from the pain. I have been walking around and driving with sleeves on my forearm/elbow/bicep the last 6 months to alleviate the symptoms of radiculopathy. I work a lacrosse ball on my back as I drive to try and alleviate the pressure and manipulate the nerve. I stand 75% of the time in meetings and while eating. At this point I have not slept in over a month. As a stomach sleeper I can not sleep on my stomach as it sends all the pain to my lat, tricep and forearm.
I have tried traction, I was sent to PT and a chiropractor which all attempted to work on me. With minimal to no results from their efforts I was scheduled for an MRI. The MRI was excruciatingly painful. 7 minutes in to the 15 min cycle, the tech walks in and asks if everything is ok. Well, no I can not lay on my back with my head locked in place without my pec feeling like it is being ripped off my chest and my tricep not cramping. She said if I take you out it will extend the time you have to be in for as we are not getting any solid images due to your constant movement. FKNA women get me out of here and let me stand for 3 mins. Let my arm get above my head so I can get comfortable. She lets me out, I stretch, stand and then hop back on the table for 12 more mins laying as still as I can be. Thankfully they are able to use the images to diagnose severe foraminal stenosis at C 5/6 and 6/7. I show up to PT and chiropractic appointments the following morning and get fired from both after they read the MRI as they have nothing for me.
Two weeks ago I went for an injection at T1 with minimal to no effects. If I lay with my legs bent and supported while slightly on my side with my neck tilted at the exact proper angle I am able to reduce most symptoms except the numbness/tingling feeling you get when you smash your finger in a door or with a hammer, in my fingers. Had an appointment with a surgeon (orthopedic w/spine fellowship) who tested my strength (same results as the chiropractor and pt had both previously done) to find significant weakness in my right bicep and right wrist compared to my left. I thought the issue was my grip which he then explained it was not my grip it was my wrist. Thus leading me to the point of being recommended for the cutting room floor and an ACDA to preserve the range of motion vs multiple levels of fusion.
I know, trust and respect the surgeon. I have a very close relationship with him and I’m familiar with his work. I have seen him talk MANY people out of surgery and truly believe he has my best interest at heart and is not just cutting to cut. People travel from all over the states and internationally to see him as he is well trained and touches the crap no one else wants and he handles complex revisions with positive results. He is ex-military who has operated on many special warfare operators that have returned to jumping out of planes as well as athletes who returned to their competitive sports and living life with no restrictions 6 weeks after this procedure.
A life well lived has finally caught up to me. My spine looks like that of someones at least 2x my age. I searched to see if anyone else here had gone through this procedure but I found most posts regarding issues much further down the spine or those with herniated or bulging discs. I have talked to another individual (ex SEAL) locally who was recommended this procedure and he is opting for stem cells prior to going down the surgery route. Unfortunately the research is not there for stem cells regarding this application and the severity of my issues are greater then his at the current moment.
Anyone sitting on research relative to stem cells and severe foraminal stenosis?
Anyone here have an ACDA?
Artificial Cervical Disc Arthroplasty (ACDA)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mooseknuckles
Getting together to make laps at BBI is all about celebrating life and engaging with others, not for me to dump medical questions and bitch about my pain on the field of dentists. Bitching about pain at my house is not an option so keeping it quiet had been pretty easy. I was able to tolerate/manage/self convince myself that everything was ok...up until the last month.
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Just read this. Totally. Everyone deals with adversity. More or less but there’s always someone worse off. Much respect!
Cervical much more troublesome cause contains spinal cord. Risky business.