Tweedle Beetle Tri-Atheletle

I am not sure why... but I was totally prepared to schedule a surgery on this herniated disk.  I had come to terms with it and was ready to move forward.  I have to say though, I was taken by surprise when I was told that they would be cutting through my throat to access my spine from the front!  It doesn't take a engineer to figure out the shortest distance between two points is a straight line and if you have two straight lines of different length, it is generally easy to figure out which of those straight lines is the shortest.  Well... where is your spine???  On the the front of your neck? Nope - even I know this one, your spine runs down your back.  It seems logical to me that to get to your spine, you should probably cut through the back not the front!!!

Enough sarcasm, here are the stats on what the Neurosurgeon says:

• Severely herniated disk C6/7
• Disk degeneration C6/7
• Bulging disk C5/6
• Disk degeneration C5/6
• Bone spurs forming on C 5/6/7 (the body's natural way of fusing these joints to protect the spine).

Plan:

• Cervical discectomy and fusion (C5/6 and C67)
  
• Cut into the neck, through the throat to access the spine from the front.
• Remove all of the disk material from C5/6 and C6/7 (maybe - but definitly C6/7)
• Utilize a cadaver bone graph to facilitate bone generation and cervical vertebral fusion.
• Attach a titanium plate to the two vertebrae to support the bone graph.
• Surgery take 1.5 hrs and then overnight stay at the hospital for observation.
• There are lots of good to gruesome videos out there (just Google the Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Recovery:

• Initially, things won't be fun with 4 or 5 days of local pain (at the surgical site and throat).
• The Nerve pain should be gone but this will be replaced with the surgical pain.
• The doctor suggests getting up and moving around in the first few days anything out of bed will require a C-Collar for neck suport.
  
• For the first 2 weeks - picking up nothing heavier than a cup of coffee.
• For 6 weeks nothing heavier than a milk jug (try this on for size when both of your toddlers are much heavier than a milk jug)
• After the first couple of weeks, I should be able to get back to the gym and sit in the recline (granny) bike and peddle to keep my heart rate up.
• After the first couple of weeks, I will be engaged in controlled physical therapy.
• I should be back in business by 12 weeks (3 months) able to train for all of my endurance sports.
  

I am awaiting the actual surgical scheduling but should know more on Monday.  I will keep you all posted!

Hello All,

Well the neck and back pain is improving although I am no where near 100% and don't expect to be for another 2 weeks (just guessing).  Last Thursday, I finally broke down and went to my MD.  The final diagnosis was something akin to a enlarged/swollen/irritated/potentially herniated disk in either C6 or C7 (most likely C6).  I was prescribed a combination of medicines which seam to be doing something as I am finally sleeping through the night.   The first, Pregnizone, which is a steroid to reduce inflammation and the second is Tizanidine which is a muscle relaxant.  Four days later, I was really hoping to be further along than I am but I don't want to seem ungrateful that I can now move and sleep.  I think the scariest thing is the numbness remains in my thumb, index finger and middle finger.   This really indicates that this is more than simple muscle spasms and will probably require a longer recover.  I still have radiating pain down the arm and localized ache in between my shoulder blade and spine - this pain though, as compared to 4 to 7 days ago - I can live with for a while.

Tomorrow, I am looking forward to getting back into the gym on a VERY limited basis.  I am thinking that I will simply strap on the shoes and peddle on the spin cycle for an hour while sitting straight up...  Anyway, I will see how that might feel.

To be honest, I am not terribly concerned about the triathlon.  I feel like I had a good base going into this injury and it won't take me too long to get back into condition once I recover from this.  Right now, I am simply feeling so stir crazy that I can hardly stand it!!!  The past 4 days have been gorgeous out here - 40s and 50s, sun shining and tons of riders out on the road taking advantage of this Indian summer.  

Thanks for listening!