I completely forgot to mention the fun stuff I've done since the last video: 1. Went to Disney World in Orlando. Yes, I got on almost all of the rides and no issues, but I highly recommend everyone avoid the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster. If ever there was an amusement ride designed to destroy a cervical fusion that is it : ) It's quite dark but there was just enough light that I could see where and when it would 'whip' us the other way. It moves sideways and fast. Other than that I went on most of the good ones with no issues: Pandora, some other roller coasters (not Mission Space though), and it was no problem. And yes, I confirmed with my surgeon prior to going that there were no restrictions/concerns with getting on the rides. 2. In a recent video someone asked me if I have played golf. A couple of weeks ago I went to Top Golf and swung some clubs. It was uncomfortable simply because I haven't swung a golf club in so long. The first 5 swings (irons and then driver) were really uncomfortable but not painful in any way. Eventually I was fine but it never felt good so I'll leave it be for a while. I'll eventually get back out there but not much interest right now. I was never very good at golf to begin with. 3. Someone spotted the guitars in the background of my other videos and asked if I can play them given the neck surgery. YES. Not a problem at all. And interesting enough....my playing improved post-surgery as my left hand no longer cramps up like it used to. It feels stronger and more fluid (hard to describe).

@danielmiller1982

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the videos. What ever happened with the muscular atrophy in your right arm? It seems like you regained the strength but did the muscle return too, or is your right arm still noticeably thinner and smaller than your left arm?

@LearnAtMyExpense

9 ай бұрын

@@danielmiller1982 - good question. With my strength back I hadn't thought about or noticed a difference but I just snapped a pic of myself flexing both arms just to see as I haven't compared in a while and am happy to report that the right side bicep and tricep look identical in size to the left now. All good! Thanks for asking.

@danielmiller1982

9 ай бұрын

I don’t see an email address on your website or KZread channel to contact you. Is there a way to do so, or only through comments to your videos? Thanks in advance!

@LearnAtMyExpense

9 ай бұрын

@@danielmiller1982 I added it to my channel just now - you should be able to see it on the About tab of my channel.

@danielmiller1982

9 ай бұрын

⁠@@LearnAtMyExpense unfortunately an email address is still not listed under your “about” tab on your channel. I’d share a screen shot to show you but apparently one cannot post screenshots as a comment.

Thanks for sharing!

Your video helped me a lot! Thank you

Thank you for sharing your experience. I will have the procedure very soon.

thanks for posting all your videos …. you have helped me 🙏

Super helpful. Thank you!!!

I getting ready for my surgery, THANKS your videos are great. I am not concerned any longer

thanks for your videos. I don't understand English much but I use the translation and I'm very happy that you are recovering. I am going through something similar, my surgery was c4 to c7 25 days ago, the surgeon told me what 90 days of recovery will be. Anyway, the collar I have is much more adjustable but uncomfortable for me because it gets stuck and that makes me feel bad. But I can sleep without it. Now I have an appointment in November. I already had an appointment, they did an X-ray and it says everything is fine. I also use Orthofix 4 hours a day, very similar to yours, but it is not the same. I am very happy with your videos because it is the way to help others. You are a great human being. a hug and thank you brother.

I appreciate your videos! Going in tomorrow 6AM for c3-c6. Excited to be out of pain but still nervous! I’m stocked up on yogurt, soup and toilet paper. Thanks for this info! Much appreciated!

@imveryhungry112

5 ай бұрын

Do you feel better after fusing the spine?!

@fadedillusions867

4 ай бұрын

How did it go?

Just came across your channel. Glad to see you are doing well. I had C5-6, C6-7 ADR 6 years ago, I had balance issues as well as right tricep atrophy. That surgery fixed all of that and I did great up until 2 years ago. I've played golf and guitar all my life (52 years old) and I had to give up playing guitar. I still golf but the trapezius and neck pain I started experiencing the last 2 years has been almost unrelenting. I still golf but I pay for it but it's one of the last things I do that I love. Just not readyt to give up all my hobbies, heck I can't even hold my 2 yr old granddaughter and 4 month old twin grandsons for very long without causing all kinds of pain. With my left trap being constantly contracted it has made my arm over react reflex wise as well as it shakes when I reach across my body. Went to see my neurosurgeon who did the original surgery and found I have a herniation at c4-5 that is pushing on the C5 nerve root as well as my spinal cord. Also have a bulging disc at C3-4. I had a nerve block done on C4 nerve root last week and it brought my pain level from a 6-7 to a 4 but it's already creeping back up the pain scale. I will meet with my neuro at the end of November to discuss surgical options which as of now was leaning towards an ACDF. I never really thought about how much the pain was increasing my anxiety until I got a little relief with that nerve block. I'm not scared to have surgery again, I just hope I get some of my life back. Right now daily living is a struggle but I work through it as much as my body will let me. Sorry for the long winded comment. Reply

@LearnAtMyExpense

8 ай бұрын

So sorry to hear you're going through this Brian. I thought I had it rough but man you're definitely having a tough time. Sure sounds like surgery is warranted for you. Unfortunately you didn't really get the benefit that ADR has over ACDF, which is reduced adjacent disc disease. On the positive side - after this surgery, having C3-C7 done, you should be good long-term. C2 and C8/T1 don't typically degenerate like C3-7 do. Is your surgeon recommending a C3 through C5 ACDF and leaving the C5-7 ADRs in place? I wish you the best and please report back how you do. Best of luck!

@brianh395

7 ай бұрын

@@LearnAtMyExpense Saw my neurosurgeon yesterday. Plan is to do ADR on level c4-5, they will call today with surgery schedule. He doesn't want to do ACDF unless he has to, says I'm still to young and would hold off on going that route unless something looks different once he gets in there. He said since I've had ADR on the 2 levels below insurance might fight against it since that would be 3 levels with ADR. He got to see how weak my shoulder is and how much atrophy I have with the 4 rotator cuff muscles. He did all the tests to make sure it wasn't actually my rotator cuff. Just from him moving my arm up and doing strength test, you'd think yesterday was full on shoulder workout at the gym...I'm that sore, and he didn't do that much...LOL

@LearnAtMyExpense

7 ай бұрын

​@@brianh395 do let me know if your insurance approves the ADR. I know that more than two levels or non-concurrent levels are not normally approved by insurers in the USA, but that's for a single surgery so it might not be an issue. Good luck and thanks for the update!

@brianh395

7 ай бұрын

Surgery is scheduled for 1/22/24, I'm a little aggravated that I couldn't get it done this month since I've already hit my out of pocket max of $7000. Now I get to be out a total of $14000 since I can't get in until january. Oh well, it is what it is.

@LearnAtMyExpense

6 ай бұрын

@@brianh395 good luck to you! Sorry to hear about the insurance. I have the same $7k annual out of pocket max. Sucks!

Thank you for allowing us to go on this journey with you! I was supposed to have "urgent" surgery a few months ago, but no one wants to do it. They say I am too complicated, lol, so I am down to praying for a miracle. Oddly enough, I have full feeling in my right hand and feet again, so...yay? Anyways, I hope that you and your family are free of any issues going forward!

@LearnAtMyExpense

10 ай бұрын

Thank you, and I wish you the best too!

@user-ep1bs9gy6o

10 ай бұрын

Hello why did they say surgery on you would be complicated, and did you get a second opinion?

@e-spy

10 ай бұрын

@@user-ep1bs9gy6o I got very, very ill with covid, and it damaged my lungs, liver, heart, etc. I ended up having both a stroke and a heart attack (which caused the damage to my spine when I fell), so surgeons are reluctant to do the surgery. I have gotten 4 opinions, one from an attending in chicago (way too far from me), one my insurance company won't cover, and two others who said I should go to Mayo instead. Also too far. All of them agreed on the plan, though.

@LearnAtMyExpense

10 ай бұрын

@@user-ep1bs9gy6o I got 5 different opinions. See earlier videos on my channel for the details.

Occupational therapy may be helpful to regain better strength and dexterity in your right hand. Might be worth a shot if you haven’t already tried that.

Thank you for all your sharing. It is so helpful. My surgery 4-6 was on 6/23. I'm still having good and bad days. My scar does hurt from time to time. My thumb is numb and tingles. I have had some discomfort in my shoulders, but not bad. Before surgery, my right arm felt heavy and would have pain and numbness down my arm. I couldn't use my computer on a 30 in. height. Just killed me. That has been completely resolved. I'm starting PT this week. Did PT help you? Did you use any kind of cream on the scar. Thanks for your information. You are right though, not everybody has the same problems or symptoms. I have seen one wackadoo on you tube. Thanks again

@LearnAtMyExpense

10 ай бұрын

Hi Gayle. Sounds like you're doing great! PT definitely helped me but mainly because I had major stiffness in my upper back and shoulders and the physical therapist would start each session by either cupping or eventually using some metal "blade" (kind of like a dull butter knife) in a scraping motion down my neck and that really released the tension and stiffness. Of course I also did lots of stetching and eventually strengthening exercises but the main benefit I got was from the blade and releasing of stiffness it allowed. Definitely do PT if you can. While my surgeon didn't think I would need it I requested it and while it isn't essential I do think it was very worthwhile and am glad I did it.

Thank you! Any positive or negative ACDF updates as of present day? I have C4-C7 herniation and surgeon recommended procedure but I’m extremely apprehensive. Appreciate your reply bud! God bless~

@LearnAtMyExpense

Ай бұрын

I've said in my videos a few times that this surgery should be avoided....unless you have no choice. Unfortunately, since this is always considered an "elective" surgery, we all have to choose for ourselves, even if we have surgeons warning us we risk severe consequences if we don't have it. Given that, I had no choice, so I had the surgery. It's turned out well for me, but am I reminded daily that I had it? Yes. Every time I go to back out of a parking space (even with a backup camera), try to change lanes, etc. The higher up you go in the spine with an ACDF the more impact to mobility. C4-C7 won't be nearly as bad as C3 or, much much worse, C2. I always recommend that people read this paper carefully before considering surgey: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29164035/ The contributors to that paper are THE best cervical spine specialists in the world and the purpose of it is to advise other neuro/ortho surgeons on when to recommend surgery. Bottom line: if your surgeons (yes, you should ALWAYS get more than one opinion especially for this) recommend surgery and you are myelopathic and have mid to severe symptoms, you probably should get surgery, as I did. If you have no symptoms or they are mild, then as the paper's results show, then monitoring is best. Regardless of whether you elect for surgery or not - avoid the drugs, stay in great physical shape, and stay positive and you'll be okay. There's a price to pay for this surgery no doubt. But if you avoid the drugs, stay in shape, and stay positive you'll find that the outcome is good.

Your videos are great!!! I am getting two level in July. I am worried about getting back to pickle ball. How long did it take to get back to playing pickle ball? Thanks

@LearnAtMyExpense

2 ай бұрын

Sorry for not responding sooner - I was away on a vacation (played pickleball in Florida!). I was expecting I would not be able to play pickleball or any real activity aside from cardio for perhaps up to a year. But when I visited my surgeon at 7.5 weeks post surgery, he shocked me by telling me I could ditch the cervical collar and can go back to doing any activity I want and to just listen to my body. I specifically asked about lifting weights, pickleball, golf, etc. I wound up doing cardio for a few weeks or so and around the 13th week post surgery I started playing pickleball again. But looking back (no pun intended) that was probably pretty risky given I was playing at open plays and fairly low level upon my return and so you never know what your random partner might do lol. Fortunately no one hit me with a paddle. : )

Hello and thanks for sharing your story. Am also from the Philadelphia area, south NJ. Was wondering who was your surgeon?

@LearnAtMyExpense

8 ай бұрын

Dr. James Harrop at Jefferson University Hospital.

@georgetrantas4499

8 ай бұрын

thanks for the quick reply. @@LearnAtMyExpense

@LearnAtMyExpense

8 ай бұрын

No problem - good luck @@georgetrantas4499

I forgot to ask you if your arm strength has returned? Thank you for answering my last question. You’re very kind. Thanks in advance 🙏

@LearnAtMyExpense

2 ай бұрын

It mostly has, though my right hand's grip strength is not all the way back for sure. I haven't been lifting weights consistently (maybe once per month or so when I get motivated) so haven't been tracking. Last time I used a bench press machine, the kind with independent arms, I could tell there was still a slight imbalance with the right side being a little weaker. It's not noticeable in my day to day activities though, and the tricep muscle that had atrophied prior to surgery is fully back in terms of size.

@AndyL940

2 ай бұрын

@@LearnAtMyExpense That’s wonderful to hear . Be well my friend 👍

Oh, sorry, it's me again. I forgot to mention that i had also 4 levels ACDF on 5/3/2023. :)

Hi , I was curious about your ear symptoms. I have the same thing . My left ear tickles and gets itchy , that’s been happening for a couple of years on and off , now for 4 months in my right ear has weird pressure and the sounds are robotic or echoy . ENT can’t see anything and has put it down to Eustachian tube dysfunction. I bet it’s from my stenosis. Did your ear problem go before surgery? Or after. I have mild compression on 2 levels 456 but serious foraminal stenosis in 5 openings . My whole neck is an arthritic mess . I wish I could show you the mri . Hope your doing well now and thanks for your videos they have been really helpful and comforting Thanks regards Andrew

@LearnAtMyExpense

2 ай бұрын

Thanks - I am doing well! "tickles and gets itchy" - yeah, that is a perfect description for my left ear before surgery and unfortunately it hasn't completely gone away. I remember after surgery it felt like it had but then it came back. It was always an intermittent thing as far as the itchiness/strange feeling in it, where it would seem to flare up for days and then subside. Unfortunately I do have hearing loss in that ear as well and the ENT I saw about it years ago warned me it would get worse, and although I haven't had it tested in a long time now it definitely has over the years. Good luck to you!

@AndyL940

2 ай бұрын

Thanks

Had one level c5-c6 due to myelopathy. Herniated dic on spinal cord

Did u have myelopathy or radiculopathy ?

Hello. I am recovering from my surgery due to myelopathy. I think I went to the surgeon you mentioned seeing in New York City. How are you today?

@LearnAtMyExpense

10 күн бұрын

I'm doing great! How are you doing? Was your surgeon Dr. Riew?

@mrboombastic5813

10 күн бұрын

Yes he was! I have watched your videos for the past year as I have dealt with the pain from a failed fusion at C3 to C5. I am recovering 2 1/2 weeks out from a C3 to C5 posterior hemilaminectomy and fusion. He also diagnosed that I had congenital stenosis so gave me a laminoplasty at C5 C6 and did a little bit of a laminectomy at C7 to prevent future surgeries. I’m 2 1/2 weeks out and started feeling some nerve pain down into my arms again and I’m feeling really nervous. watching your videos gives me hope that I can improve and it may not happen overnight.

@LearnAtMyExpense

10 күн бұрын

@@mrboombastic5813 I assure you you had one of the best, if not best, surgeons in the world. Many surgeons won't even do laminoplasty because insurance companies pay way less for them to surgeons, and many are not skilled or comfortable doing them. One thing I've learned over the ~22 months since my surgery - it really is a 2 year recovery process. I felt like I was healed after the first couple of months, minus some serous neck stiffness due to being in the collar. But looking back, there is continuous healing. Hang in there!

The surgery wants to replace my disc with cadabor bone and put me in a collar for 6 weeks. Was the collar bearable

@LearnAtMyExpense

9 ай бұрын

I went in assuming that the collar would be required 24/7 for 6 weeks but before leaving the hospital someone there (I believe it was either a nurse practitioner) provided me with a soft collar and a Philly collar (waterproof, for use when taking a shower). He then told me that I should wear the hard collar when standing/moving, but could wear the soft collar when sleeping, sitting, and eating. That made it a whole lot easier for me. After the first week or two I primarily wore the soft collar except for when leaving the house.

@user-wq5fl1mx4m

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info

At 30 years old

Quick question.. how long did you wait before being proactive in terms of pursuing surgery?

@LearnAtMyExpense

10 ай бұрын

When I woke up one morning and when I went to lift my right arm I realized I had lost about half the strength in it somehow overnight. Back in 2012 I had some neck pain/stiffness, serious enough that I went to a doctor and they had it x-rayed. I had completely forgotten about it until just recently when going through my medical records after an annual physical visit. That x-ray came up clean, and the pain/stiffness went away and stayed away for years. But I suspect what caused that is what caused some of the major herniations. It wasn't until early last year that the pinched nerve at C6/7 became severely aggravated. I tried chiropractic (which was a stupid decision and I knew it at the time but figured it couldn't hurt (hint: it can! avoid them)). From February of 2022 to early May 2022 the nerve pain was bad and would flare up so severely, especially at night, for a week or two at a time, but then begin so subside to the point where I could function, exercise, etc. as normal with only mild pain. After giving up on the chiropractor I went to a sports med doctor who prescribed steroids to no relief, so then next step was to get an MRI as a step to get approved to get an epidural injection at the C6/7 nerve. She was confident that would alleviate the pain. A couple of nights after the MRI I got the call that I needed emergency spine surgery. I couldn't believe it. That led to a series of 5 consultations with 5 different surgeons over the following 2 months. Surgeons 1 and 2 told me I needed major surgery, but differed on extent. They both urged me to get surgery soon because I had severe mylelomacia (scarring of the spinal cord) at C3/4 as well as the other herniations and I was myelopathic (awkward gait, + hoffmans and romberg, etc.). They said if I didn't get surgery I might begin to lose strength or worse and it might not come back post-surgery. Since those two recommended different surgeries to fix it, I went to a third. Surgeon 3 said I should hold off and avoid surgery for now, since the nerve pain was mostly gone by that point. So I did...and decided to forget about it and take my chances and go about my life...until a week later when I woke up with loss of strength in the right arm. I was devastated. I knew I needed surgery but still didn't have consensus on the exact type (ACDF, PCDF, laminoplasty, etc.). Knowing this is real now, I immediately began searching for the two best spine surgeons within a day's driving distance to me. I know some doctors who made recommendations and also looking at the published research on cervical spine you see the same names popping up. On the east coast of the USA the two best are thankfully close to me - one in Philadelphia, the other, who is world-renowned, is in NYC. They both, like the others before, recommended completely different surgeries : ) In hindsight, they were both right. My case was pretty abnormal and the one surgeon was trying to preserve my neck range of motion through an ACDF/laminoplasty combination. The other option was an ACDF C3-C7. Both surgeons, who consulted each other as they were colleagues on some research studies, were not sure which would be the best approach. In the end, I was given a choice and opted for the straight ACDF. It seems to have worked out! I posted a video about this whole ordeal, but it is admittedly very long and very boring, just like this reply : ) All that said....this is the type of surgery that should be avoided at all costs unless you have a case that warrants it. Some nerve pain is not a reason of itself to get this surgery. But if you have mid to severe myelopathic symptoms (you can self-rate that using the MJOA assessment which can be found online, or ask your surgeon about it), then that's the evidence needed IMO.

@gabriellemauzy600

10 ай бұрын

Wow! Thank you so much for the very in depth and not boring at all response. I have weakness in my left arm and muscle atrophy / wasting of bicep and shoulder . 3 level acdf c4-7. Was recommended by a highly respected ortho spine surgeon at Cleveland clinic .I surprisingly don’t have pain .. just weakness .. so I am just so confused as to what to do. I was on vacation and away from work for a week recently (I’m a dental hygienist) and I started to get strength back and I felt so much better. I could lift things w my hand and I have full range of motion .. just weak . My mri shows cervical disc degeneration as well from all of my years in the dental field . What are your thoughts . Surgery is so scary to me and I’m 48yrs old and in good shape.. almost as good as you . What are your thoughts ?

@LearnAtMyExpense

10 ай бұрын

Sorry you're going through this @@gabriellemauzy600. We clearly agree - this surgery should be avoided unless you have no choice. Too often I've seen people get forced into it by surgeons giving the "You'll go paralyzed!" line even though they only have a pinched nerve and/or some mild cord compression, and there is literally zero data to back that scary prognosis. That said, what can happen in extreme cases is we do lose strength and if not corrected through surgery in time the nerve may never regenerate and thus that loss of strength may never come back. As to whether you should go with surgery - do you have cord compression? If so, how compressed? Did your surgeon discuss the MJOA? I recommend you take a look at the link below (1) and self-rate. If you have symptoms of myelopathy then it really depends on how advanced those symptoms are, which you can tell via your MJOA score. From there, you'll want to read through this guidance paper (2) as it was co-authored by some of THE best cervical spine surgeons in the world and was meant to advise other surgeons on when surgery is warranted. I met with two of the authors of that study. If you're located on the east coast of the US I highly recommend you consider seeing K. Dan Riew (NYC at Weill-Cornell). You can submit your imaging to his office online and then get a decision, I believe you can do it all via telehealth but I took the drive up to see him in person. He didn't do my surgery only because I was located too far and I didn't want to risk that drive home post-surgery. myelopathy.org/assessment-scales/#:~:text=The%20mJOA%20scoring%20system%20is,bladder%20control%2C%20as%20shown%20below. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29164035/

@gabriellemauzy600

10 ай бұрын

I will definitely check out all of those links . I don’t think I have spinal cord compression but something abuts the spinal cord mildly flattening it . Would you be open to me sending you my report ?? I know your not a doc but you are extreme knowledgeable and did your due diligence w your own situation. You have an amazing understanding of this particular situation. I don’t mind showing you . I know your not a doc I just want your educated opinion. Thank you so much for your responses . Gabrielle

@e-spy

10 ай бұрын

my two cents doesn't count, but Cleveland clinic? Recently rated as one of the best for neuro. I hope everything turns out well for you, whatever you decide. @@gabriellemauzy600

Hello, glad to hear you are doing well after 1 yr post-op. I watched your every videos and it helps a lot during my recovery. I just had my hard collar off on 8/3 after 3 months (24/7) wearing. i am glad that i can finally get rid of it. But, ever since i had the collar off, my neck feels really tired and i've got so much muscle pain on the back of my neck, especially on the left side. I can feel like my head is really heavy and the neck is stiff and weak. Do you think it's normal? Did you experience the same? How did you make it better? My surgeon said i could do as much walking as i can, elliptical, no running. i asked him if i could get some PT, he said no. I am kind like depressed because of the weakness, stiffness and aching on the neck though. How long did it take you to get the neck mobility back? I am sorry i asked so many questions... Hope everything goes well and thank you for your videos.

@LearnAtMyExpense

10 ай бұрын

Hi Heather - wow, 3 months in hard collar 24/7, I can't imagine! I had a lot of stiffness for a number of months after surgery and I believe it is due to the collar and I was only wearing it when I left the house as I was allowed to use a soft collar when sitting/sleeping. If you were in a hard collar for 3 months 24/7 then I'd be surprised if you didn't have weakness and stiffness. Give it time. Walk as much as possible and be very sure that you are not hunching your shoulders when doing so. Also, a HUGE help for me was a heating pad I bought off of Amazon. It is a wrap-around one you put on your neck. It would loosen my upper right back and neck for relief. Hang in there!

@heatherheight4498

10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for your quick response. Yes, i am trying to stay positive and strong. I didn't expect the recovery. time would be so much tougher than the surgery. Your videos are giving me a lot of confidence though. Thank you again! @@LearnAtMyExpense

@user-ep1bs9gy6o

10 ай бұрын

Hello Heather have you posted any videos my surgery is scheduled on 10/06/2023 and Im trying to gather as much in for nation as possible, not sure if its helping or making me even more nervous about the surgery smh.

@heatherheight4498

10 ай бұрын

@@user-ep1bs9gy6o hello ! I didn’t post any videos. The surgery itself is not that bad but the recovery is more tougher than what I thought was since I was put in the hard collar for 3months. Hopefully your doc is not as conservative as mine. Good luck!