Why did my playing hit the wall? The answer was a ghastly surprise.

Ron_R said:
The use of the Ultrasonic Sound device is a promising new modality. Based on my search of the actual literature on it within Pubmed, it seems to have very good results. It hasn't had a huge slew of research with thousands of patients, but the initial results seem good. My trouble is that no one seems to run into any complications. And that is truly unheard of. I always question research where everyone does amazing, and the device is flawless. That's just not reality. It makes me ponder the research design, and statistical analysis of the data.
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Super wise words. I've a research design background, too. It's fascinating how little many understand about statistics.

I found complications in my scouring of the Earth for data, but at staggeringly lower rates, especially for complex multi-level debacles. One stat in a quite large study was incidence of catheterization at 14d post op for old school. I forget the number, but let's just say I didn't like it. That rotating burr is simply horrific. Thanks, uh, Burr, for your service so far, but it's time to move forward. I'll also emphasize that the surgeon I fired has many happy, thankful patients. He wasn't the right guy for me, tho, or, methinks, for any complex case.

Dr. C and his team's approach, execution (right down to great, notoriously tight wound closures), and hardware seem unequaled. He's training others, things are changing. But, as Dr. Chung explained in the above vid, it's not just the tool, it's the artist. It's said that's also true with, you know, guitars and such.

Like I done wrote, I scoured the landscape and he was the winner. Sizing him up as a man in person, on Zoom, and by how the facility bearing his name functioned, he cut the muster, Buster. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Now I ain't throwin' no victory parade yet, just week 7 in a fairly matter, but so far so great. Neck is fluid like a just-cleaned mouse, ain't felt like that in decades. Great range of motion with more to cautiously be gained. "Don't force it." Uhhh, no shit, Doc.

I'll add that my dear girlfriend was also in bad shape after a health care system misadventure following a MVA. Three med networks told her she was screwed. Hideous affair. I found a cutting-edge solution, again, a thousand and some miles away. She's a relative dynamo now, currently at the gym. A bit more on that later, but......

Taking people to the airport who are wasted on legally prescribed narcotics is a hoot.
 
Maddface said:
Similar issues here. Had a neck fusion in Feb of 21, C4-C5-C6. Rough surgery and still recovering a year later only to find out C2 thru C4 is progressively bulging since the surgery. Dr warned me but he didn’t think it would be this quick. Having severe migraines, dizziness and slurred speech in which they are wanting to temporarily bandaid the issue with meds. Also found out that my lower spine is suffering as well with bulging discs at L4 thru S1. They had the same recommended steps with PT and meds. My back feels better and he thinks I won’t need surgery anytime soon but the neck is a different story. He sent me to another neurologist that specializes in Botox shots in the neck but I passed since it’s still only a temporary solution. Not sure what to do next.
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Howdy. That's a pretty spicy meatball, sounds perhaps a bit like what I was afraid of from plan A. Slurred speech, eh? Be sure to check for non-cervical causes. I'd want the cranium included in imagine studies based on three symptoms.

Not familiar with Botox as such, but if something improves your quality of life without blowback too onerous, I say take it. Most of our solutions across life are temporary and the goal is to have the highest percentage of days that don't suck before you expire.

I'd say you especially need a great clinician. Welcome, thanks, and regards.
 
Reading all of this has been interesting. I fear I am headed down part of this path. I finally have an MRI coming on Monday after 3 months of trying to get it approved. Had to fight with insurance and the "you must have 6 weeks of treatment first because most resolve within this time with no treatment". Physical therapist suspected C7-8, primary care says C6 impingement.
 
Jeez, it is little bit scary... I am quite happy the when my playing hit the wall approx two years ago it was just a problem with right and left hand technique... I had a lot of problems with cramps with both hands and my back was tired after playing 2 hours, but at the end of the day strap length and total revision of right and left hand technique solved the problem... I feel that now my mind is more blocking... I am 46, "experienced" by life so in theory I should start worrying...
 
Old car accident neck injury here (March1992). Neck snaps, crackles, and and pops like Samuel L. Jackson was the 4th Rice Krispies elf, and sounds like two big boulders with some sand in between when I turn my head. Occasional bad headaches, and, since major dental work a couple years ago, occasional vertigo, tinnitus, poor balance, and dropsy out the wazoo.

Old lumbar issues from lifting things poorly over 30 years ago, also.

Taking notes....
 
Life got thrown into disarray by fried washing machine motor, the return of Porcupine Tree, and the emergence of Undertow in TOOL's setlist. Appliance shopping and travel plans.

OK, then, so I fired Doc Tex and off to Florida we went. Had to do a bunch of pre-op checkups here first that should have gone smoothly and ended up being a flabbergasting fiasco that almost 86'd the whole banana on multiple levels. It was quite an adventure, but I'll save some of those tales for later.

Instead of the 3 level fusion Tex wanted, Dr. C did 2 level C5-7. The osteophyte complexes already had 'em fused innyhoo. But that was the second surgery of the morning. First they had me in a different position and did a C2-C7 posterior laminectomy. I've never heard of such a thing. Can't find an equivalent case.

The operative report is long and downright ghoulish to even a well-versed layman. I read many from various surgeons while researching and Dr. C just plain does things differently. It would seem I got a new neck and all the compression was resolved. The scope of the treatment was much, much greater than Doc Tex, which, again, would have left some real big stones unturned and likely led to some real hard times.

It was considerably worse in there than the imaging studies indicated. My 1991 repair had apparently failed or been botched and there was lots of scar tissue, which the BoneScalpel is very effective with. It was just a steaming pile of hot mess.

Now, in week 8 of a heal that takes a year to truly complete, my neck is fluid and smooth, quite unlike before, and range of motion is very good with plenty of room for gentle improvement. Reminds me of my trackball after I neglect cleaning it for too long.

When the spinal canal is changed and the SC shifts position, it abruptly pulls nerves into new position. Unlike Shemp's neck and legs, nerves don't really stretch, so that's a problem. The result was some serious neuropraxia L arm and hand along ulnar nerve path and action tremor both hands but more on right. Both are getting much better with aggressive rehab.

Early, while still in Florida, the neuropathy was so bad I kept thinking I'd left a steak knife sticking up in the sofa or something and had shredded my fingers and knuckles. I kept looking at my hand, horribly bewildered, expecting to see flaps of flesh and blood squirting about. I grabbed a cold beer in a frozen glass and almost shot thru the ceiling in agony. It was absolutely bizarre and, I was told, really sad to watch. Much better now. After several very hard days, things moved forward wonderfully quickly.

I'm certainly better off now than before the surgery. The dreaded severe C5 palsy, much less frequent with Cantor's approach, didn't occur.

This just scratches the surface of what has been a fascinating, terrifying, and ultimately beneficial (or so it strongly appears at this early point) trip through the illness and health care looking glass. More to come and best wishes to all here.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
Old car accident neck injury here (March1992). Neck snaps, crackles, and and pops like Samuel L. Jackson was the 4th Rice Krispies elf, and sounds like two big boulders with some sand in between when I turn my head. Occasional bad headaches, and, since major dental work a couple years ago, occasional vertigo, tinnitus, poor balance, and dropsy out the wazoo.

Old lumbar issues from lifting things poorly over 30 years ago, also.

Taking notes....
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Interesting that you mention tinnitus - I was hearing strange things absent matching stimuli. A sort of wooshing sound, faint but unmistakable. Gone now. It appears I had some pathology in there pinching the vertebral artery, creating a situation not unlike creasing a garden hose. The list of things that went away after my repair is quite striking.

The dropsy and poor balance are especially concerning. Imaging studies of your cervical spine are likely a good idea.

Hey, I have a SpaceStation amp, too. Those things are freaky cool. Got mine for a song at an estate sale after the owner got all tanked up on Jim Beam and rode his motorsickle face-first into a starkly unyielding light pole. I think I gave a c-note for it.
 
Archie Bunker said:
Interesting that you mention tinnitus - I was hearing strange things absent matching stimuli. A sort of wooshing sound, faint but unmistakable. Gone now. It appears I had some pathology in there pinching the vertebral artery, creating a situation not unlike creasing a garden hose. The list of things that went away after my repair is quite striking.
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Currently, the company that contracts me out to the place where I work offers a "health savings plan" from BCBS of Texas. I hope it works better than their power grid. Hopefully I will get converted to FTE soon, and will have better insurance, and will be able to start down the path of navigating the bureaucracy of the Healthcare Industrial Complex to get mine looked at.

Archie Bunker said:
The dropsy and poor balance are especially concerning. Imaging studies of your cervical spine are likely a good idea.
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Managed to get an MRI several years ago, and it showed "mild arthritis" according to the doc, and nothing was done.

Archie Bunker said:
Hey, I have a SpaceStation amp, too. Those things are freaky cool. Got mine for a song at an estate sale after the owner got all tanked up on Jim Beam and rode his motorsickle face-first into a starkly unyielding light pole. I think I gave a c-note for it.
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Lucky you! I had to drive over a hundred miles to Flagstaff to even see one, and paid full price.
 
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