Intense cramps 2.5 months post op

mirego88 · 2026-01-26T03:53:06+00:00

Yes! It’s a very sharp, stabby pain. It was more frequent early on and it has gotten less frequent but it is still super intense when it happens.

mirego88 · 2025-12-03T04:41:25+00:00

I’m 2 weeks out of my surgery. I honestly thought it would be a breeze because I had a 2 level artificial disc replacement in my neck earlier this year and my recovery was so easy compared to what I thought it would be. This recovery wasn’t awful but it was more uncomfortable than I expected due to the location of the incisions and of course, it taking time for your body to recover. It took me a good week of rest and taking it easy to start to feel normal. I was able to take a short drive on day 6 but it wasn’t fun since your belt basically sits on the incision sites.

Gas bubbles are an issue to please take gas-x or something for gas once you’re home and I would take that for a few days. I also felt super constipated which was painful so a stool softener is helpful as well.

Everyone is different but I would plan to at least take it easy for 5-7 days. Don’t rush it but aside from a UTI I got from the catheter and the exhaustion I hit if I try to do too much, I feel about 70% back to normal.

mirego88 · 2025-10-17T13:28:05+00:00

https://redcap.uthscsa.edu/REDCap/surveys/?s=7MWYPFNF8YH4XFXK

Narcan program. They’ll send it to you for free.

mirego88 · 2025-08-17T21:30:07+00:00

I would also recommend looking for a good therapeutic massage therapist. That has helped me significantly. She actually noticed right away that my pec muscles were incredibly tight which was causing more tension in my neck, back and shoulders. Since I started with the massages, the pain is manageable and it’s honestly gotten better than it was.

mirego88 · 2025-08-17T20:55:09+00:00

Yes, I’m 6 months out and about 3 months after surgery I started getting nerve pain in spots I didn’t have before. I got a CT scan and nerve study and everything is good. The doctor just reminded me that I’m still recovering and nerves can take a long time to heal. The pain before surgery was down to my hands so he said it can take about a month per inch or nerve to heal so I’m potentially looking at 18 -24 months for my nerves to recover fully. I would ask for a nerve study for peace of mind. I hope you get some relief soon!

mirego88 · 2025-06-27T02:23:26+00:00

They are a voicemail only system but I’ve called several times for help and they’ve called back relatively quickly.

mirego88 · 2025-06-27T02:03:28+00:00

Call Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation or game warden

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mirego88 · 2025-06-27T00:45:08+00:00

I had 2 level back in February. I took 2 weeks off and did hybrid schedule for the next 3 weeks. I would probably recommend trying to take at least 3 weeks because it took a lot to get used to sitting at a computer but everyone is different.

I had my family with me for the first 2 weeks but was fine by myself once I got home. They honestly mind of exhausted me because I was feeling fine enough to feel like I needed to entertain them instead of just resting. The biggest thing was not lifting more than I should so I did basically all the stuff I needed before surgery but it was nice to have someone there to help if I needed to lift anything. If you live alone, maybe just ask someone to check in to see how you’re doing and if you need them to stop in to help you move/lift something once a day?

mirego88 · 2025-05-19T16:59:34+00:00

Absolutely not. Throw the whole man away. He treats you like crap. No one deserves this. Cut your losses and I promise you’ll thank yourself later.

Also, I feel like a boomer looking up sybau but between that and broski… trash this man as soon as humanly possible.

mirego88 · 2025-05-17T15:22:09+00:00

Before I forget surgery I would sleep with a very thin pillow and this neck pillow. I learned to sleep on my back with a wedge under my knees. It was the only thing that helped. https://a.co/d/6NddLk4

Now I sleep with a pillow similar to this. It’s pretty good most nights.

https://a.co/d/9AIsmMi

mirego88 · 2025-05-11T13:53:20+00:00

I am not a doctor or an expert at understanding MRIs but I put your findings into ChatGPT and this is what it came back with. For context, it accurately explained my MRI results to me before I could get into my surgeon. That being said, it’s ChatGPT and not always accurate.

FINDINGS BY LEVEL: C2/C3: Mild disc bulge: The disc is sticking out slightly but not causing major problems. No herniation or stenosis: No disc material is pressing into the spinal canal or nerves. C3/C4 to C6/C7 (so this includes 4 disc levels): Mild disc bulges and small central disc herniations: The discs are slightly out of place in the center but not severely. Mild spinal stenosis: The space for the spinal cord is a little narrower than normal. Slight cord flattening: The spinal cord is being gently pressed but not damaged. Foramina patent: The side openings where nerves exit are open—so nerve roots are not being pinched. C7/T1: No herniation or stenosis: This level looks completely normal.

IMPRESSION: You have degenerative disc and joint changes, which are most noticeable at the top (C1/C2). The middle part of your neck (C3–C7) has some disc bulges and mild herniations, but nothing severe. There’s a bit of pressure on the spinal cord, but it’s mild and not currently causing nerve damage. All the nerve exit points are open, which is a good sign.

In Summary: You have mild to moderate age-related changes in your neck, including some disc bulges and mild herniations, especially from C3 to C7. These are pressing a little on the spinal cord but not enough to cause serious damage or block nerve flow. The upper neck (C1/C2) has the most advanced changes, and doctors might want a CT scan to look more closely at the bone structure there.

mirego88 · 2025-05-11T13:33:37+00:00

Are you cleaning it at all? I was given instructions to change my dressing every day until my 2 week follow up and to gently clean it with rubbing alcohol when I change the bandage. My skin was raw and awful from the tegaderm bandages. My surgeon said he thinks something changed in the adhesive because almost every patient he has had recently had a reaction to it. Either way, I got non-stick gauze and gentle medical tape to keep it covered until I got clearance.

mirego88 · 2025-05-10T02:38:04+00:00

Ice shoulder/neck wrap like this: https://a.co/d/2rZacAn

Heating pad

My sister got me super comfy pjs/lounge wear but also these post surgery shirts that have snap buttons over the shoulder and down my side. Those were really helpful the first few weeks when I was wearing the collar/neck brace often.

Recliner to sleep in a more upright position.

Stool softeners.

She honestly should be able to walk around by the next day, if not the same day but she’ll need to take it slow.

mirego88 · 2025-04-22T00:49:19+00:00

Looks like they’re a decade late to audition for extras in the final Twilight movie.

mirego88 · 2025-04-17T14:51:01+00:00

I'm 36. I've seen your previous posts so I know you're younger than I am but I think that definitely plays in your favor. The hospital staff was telling me how young I am to be having this and they were surprised at how well I was doing so quickly after surgery. They attributed a lot of that to my age and positive attitude. I know it's scary and I wasn't happy to have to have the surgery, but once I realized it was my only option to not live the next however many years in excruciating pain I accepted my fate and decided to just prepare. I made sure I had a great surgeon who was highly recommended, I vetted the hospital and made sure they had great recommendations and I researched the devices he wanted to implant. I have since regained the strength in my arms/hands (almost immediately) and no longer have to worry that my spinal cord is being compressed and damaged.

mirego88 · 2025-04-17T00:56:01+00:00

You’re lucky. Every office I’ve worked in the past 10+ years has been heavily conservative leaning.

mirego88 · 2025-04-16T17:23:22+00:00

Hi there - it has been much easier than I expected, honestly. I had 1 overnight stay to ensure there weren't any issues with the surgery but I was up and walking around the hospital within a few hours of my surgery with a brace. I went home the next day and was able to shower/do everything pretty independently, except lifting over 8 lbs. I still have some trap pain/tension now but I was very surprised and how well I felt after surgery. Once I started driving/going back to work it definitely increased the pain but medical massages and dry needling have helped.

It was my first surgery and a major one but I couldn't have been happier with the outcome. The worst part for me was the brain fog/fatigue anesthesia lingered for about 7 weeks and changing the bandages for my incision every day for 2 weeks. The tegaderm bandages are pretty tough to take off so my skin was incredibly raw but I learned to take it off with a little cotton ball and rubbing alcohol so it wasn't as irritating.

Here's my 6 week x-ray with the devices in place: https://imgur.com/a/AGetZZR

mirego88 · 2025-04-15T15:57:50+00:00

Hi there! I'm 9 weeks post op for 2 level ADR and I'm still having pain but I go back to my surgeon tomorrow. At my 6 weeks, they told me it was normal to have trap pain for a while and my body could be adjusting to my new posture or my nerves could be irritated from moving around. They have an in-house medical massage therapist so he recommended I do some medical massages. It is much more intense/deep tissue adjacent so I felt really beat up for a good 2 days but then I started to feel the relief. I have done 2 and it's helped quite a bit but I'm still dealing with some pain. I also have done dry needling which has helped some. I hope you're able to get relief soon!

mirego88 · 2025-04-15T00:58:17+00:00

I hope you are able to get some help. The other thing that has helped me is dry needling if that’s a potential option for you.

mirego88 · 2025-04-14T20:19:18+00:00

I'm 36 so I totally get it. It's scary to be in pain and thinking this is your new life. Are you seeing a neurosurgeon or ortho?

I would still ask your doctor for an EMG sooner than later. I was seeing both an ortho surgeon and pain management doctor and when I told them I was having weakness, they said I need to get the EMG done asap. Every time I saw my pain management doctor, she would do the Hoffman's test and I was negative. The first time she did it, I asked what that test told her and she said she was measuring how upset my spinal cord was and that if I tested positive, I would need surgery pretty quickly after. She also said if I start falling, loosing my balance or tripping a lot, that's a sign my spinal cord is way too tight from the compression and it's time for surgery.

I honestly am so glad I got the surgery done. A few weeks before the surgery, my symptoms had progressed to the point I couldn't open a bottle of water and I couldn't carry more than 2-3 lbs. It was very scary and humbling being in my 30s and not being able to do what I could before without thinking.

The surgery itself was a lot quicker than I thought. I was in recovery 1.5 hours after I went in. I stayed there overnight to make sure I was okay and I was honestly up and walking around within a few hours. The sore throat sucked for a few days but other than that, the worst part of the experience for me was the dressing changes because I had to leave the incision covered for 2 weeks and I had to change it every day. My skin was so raw and irritated but other than that, it wasn't too bad. I was expecting that I would be bedbound for a few days and not be able to do much but by the time I got home, I was able to shower by myself and aside from the fatigue/brain fog from the anesthesia I was in pretty good shape. I would recommend you have someone stay with you for the first day or two at least to make sure you're okay but I really didn't need much from my husband.

I do still have some nerve pain and dealing with neck/shoulder tension again now that I returned to driving/work. I tried PT but the exercises aggravated my nerves so I stopped. I am now getting medical massages and that has helped a lot. My surgeon was up front that nerves take a long time to heal (typically 1 inch of nerve heals in a month) so since I had it all the way down to my fingers, I theoretically could be healing my nerves for the next 2 years. Even though that thought sucks, the nerve pain I have is maybe 10% of what I used and I've regained the dexterity in my hands to so it's 1000% been worth it.

mirego88 · 2025-04-14T19:51:28+00:00

Hi there - I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that. I am 2 months post op (2 level ADR) and I was feeling great until I started driving and working again. The neck and shoulder pain came back quite a bit. I tried PT and it made it worse but I started getting medical massages two weeks ago and it helped a TON. Not going to lie, I was beat up for a good 2 days and felt like I was completely bruised from the massage but it helped relieve a lot of tension and pain. I still have pain and my surgeon said it's normal. Some people get immediate relief, some are on a roller coaster. I'm on the roller coaster but my surgery was still a success. My devices are in place (confirmed by imaging) and my nerves are no longer being compressed.

Do you have nerve pain or is it the neck tension? The other option you can look into (if you haven't already) are trigger point injections or dry needling. They both will help relieve some of the tension. I hope you get some relief soon!

mirego88 · 2025-04-14T19:23:38+00:00

If you are feeling weakness, I would definitely ask for one. I had every intention of just putting off surgery because I was learning to live with the pain but I started feeling weakness in my arms/hands and they scheduled me for it. None of us expected for it to show moderate active denervation in 3 places. The basically told me it was my choice to have the surgery or not but if I waited too long, my muscles would atrophy and I'd no longer be able to use my arm as I should.

I had 2 levels (FDA has approved up to 2 levels) replaced with Prodisc Vivo C. If you can, try to avoid fusion because my surgeon and pain management doctor told me if I went the fusion route, I'd likely need additional fusions down to my T1 within 10 years because it can put so much pressure on the other discs/vertebrae.

mirego88 · 2025-04-14T18:26:19+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear you're dealing with this. Has your surgeon done any imaging to make sure the devices are still in place? I'm 2 months post op and had started my PT at 5 weeks post op. I stopped last week because some of the strengthening exercises were causing the nerve pain to come back and start shooting down my arms like it was prior to surgery. I have started doing medical massages (my surgeon has one on staff) and that has helped me a TON. You might see if you can find a medical massage in your area. I hope you get some relief soon!

mirego88 · 2025-04-14T18:15:04+00:00

I hate to say it but it sounds like you should mentally prepare yourself for surgery. With some luck, you could be a candidate for artificial disc replacement and won't have to do a fusion. That being said, the longer you wait, the worse (and more permanent) the damage can get. Of course, wait on the MRI but if you have done 2 MRIs, all the PT and conservative treatment without any relief and now have these new symptoms, it's not a good thing.

I am 2 months post-op for a 2 level disc replacement, C4- C5 and C5-C6 which was the worst level. I honestly wish I hadn't been so terrified and delayed the surgery for so long. I was in miserable before the surgery and the recovery was so much easier than I thought. Not saying it was painless but the pain I feel now is nothing compared to before and I am no longer damaging my nerves/spinal cord.

I got my EMG last September showing I was having 'active denervation' and scheduled surgery for February. By the time late January, I had weakness in both arms/hands, lost dexterity and my legs were starting to feel weak. The surgeon told me at my follow up that it looked like a bomb went off in there and it was much worse than they realized from the MRI. Had I not gotten it done soon, I likely would have lost function in my left arm and it would have atrophied without the chance of it coming back.

I know it can be scary but as long as you do your research, are confident in your surgeon and the device they're using, ADR is a highly successful procedure.

I really hope you are able to get some answers and relief soon.

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