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@@syeedaharris153 I'm glad you are doing well. It's just going to keep getting better! Take care!

@@FusedandFit thank you

@@AnshuAnand2020 good luck! Everything you are dealing with is quite normal, and it sounds like things are going in the right direction. Keep me posted please.

@@FusedandFit sure sir, and one more thing to say, your scar and my scar are almost the same, mine would be a little bigger in length!!! 😊

@@sandrathomas6425 I did for a little bit. The first week I slept in a recliner with the collar, then propped up a little in the bed with the collar, but I don't remember how long. I do remember being pretty nervous the first time I slept without it.

@@user-yg6sf9cm6c My doctor is a neurosurgeon. We talked about artificial disc replacement but for various reasons I was not a good candidate for it. He does perform those, but I was in need of more stability than those offer.

@@christineburns2801 it is a bit nerve-wracking leading up to it, but then it all becomes ok. Anticipation always causes stress. Good luck, keep me posted.

@@adrihernandez6885 I lucked out for sure. And yes, so all you can to assist the fusion. Hope you're well.

@@adrihernandez6885 wow...I hope it's going well for you though.

@@denisereichart5272 thank you. It is such a personal choice with so many considerations. I'll toss one up for you when I hit my knees that you may receive inspiration and clarity. You will know what's best for you. Good luck.

Thanks...feeling pretty good overall.

You will know when the right time is to have it done. I could have put it off longer I think, but it would've been risky, and my quality of life had tanked. For me, I'm very glad I had it done. Obviously did not love having it done, but happy it is done. Good luck, and keep me posted.

I didn't have any physical therapy with any of my fusions. I had a bunch prior to fusions though. And yes, you will get back in shape, the hurry up and wait is ultimately the hardest part for me each time. Good luck...keep me posted please.

I was told to avoid ibuprofen for a year as it hampers fusion . Tylenol worked fine for my pain

@chuckthibault2479 My neurosurgeon told me to take one with a 1/2 of a muscle relaxer. Needless to say, they make me sick as well. I hardly take any ibuprofen now. Just ice and rest... Thanks for your advice.

What's the update on ACDF? I hope you got some good news. And yes, nothing like these issues to slow down progress in the gym...and life in general. Good luck and keep us posted please.

@@FusedandFit I'll keep you updated, I see him at 330 today. I've got spondylolisthesis at C3-C4 and I'm hoping he decides to fix that when we fix the nerve compression from C5-C7 - fingers crossed!

@@FusedandFit Surgery in about 3-4 weeks! We are not fixing the spondy, he doesn't think it will cause any issues since it isn't right now, but the issues from C5-C7 are "bad" so we are on to pre-cert from insurance from here! Thanks for your videos!

@@sncb82123 all the best and blessed to you on it! I love your attitude, glad there is a great path forward for you!

I'm sorry to hear you have to have more fused, but you totally get it...sometimes you just have to. That's how it turned out with my back. If my neck needs more in the future, I'll get it done. And yes, good luck!

I appreciate your honesty about having neck fusion done in the cervix area. I need a surgery but I haven't decided yet.

@@luzvargas1063 yep, everyone can have a different outcome for sure. I definitely have some unhealthy disks above and below but they are not giving me problems.

I wasn't "allowed" to for a few weeks by my doctor. You should not rotate your head side to side for several weeks after the surgery. Obviously when you're driving you have to. You may be able to adapt by rotating enough with your waist instead of your neck. The more you turn your head right after the surgery the less of a chance you give the fusion to actually take.

@@FusedandFit ty I'm in trouble. What do I do? I have. I live by myself. I'll take off work but how do I get food to my house? I'm going to have to be real careful. I heard some people drive after 2 weeks. How about sitting by a computer? I do day trading. I have to be able to get some income because I'm not going to be getting anything from workman's comp. They don't pay enough

@@fliperz24 I did sit at a computer afterward, probably too much. It causes more pain probably, but didn't hurt the fusion. A laptop in a recliner may be better. Not sure where you live, but you can order groceries online with many stores, such as Walmart, and they'll deliver it to you. Let your friends know what's up, as well as your church community if church is something you're involved with.

@@FusedandFit it's not that easy. I live upstairs. I have to depend on people. I don't have many people left. Only relatives live far away. I do everything on my own. I can go a couple days without being near the computer but I have to go back to it. That's my other side hustle. The other one was driving for a living that I'm going to take it easy. I could take a week off from the computer but eventually I have to go back to it

It all sounds like textbook post-op. Nice work on all the steps...keep that up for sure!

Most definitely. This is surgery number 10 for me. 4 on each foot ankle, shoulder, now neck.

Sounds very similar to my first few days. I'd have to go back and watch my videos to remember how long I slept in a recliner. Seems like a week though. My swallowing was not great for quite some time though...glad that is going well for you. Be patient and diligent in not overdoing anything, that is so critical. All the best and blessed to you. Keep us posted please.

I'm waiting to have my surgery but been having shoulder pain and neck pain for 4 weeks had to stay in the hospital 5: days cause it made me sick

Thanks for chiming in. Good luck with yours! I was on crutches for a week and a half I believe. Also, I was told to walk by not pressing off the ball of the foot that was operated on (my right foot). So, I would kind of shuffle step once I got off crutches. I would bring my feet side by side with each step, by leading with my bad foot then bringing my left foot to my right foot. Hope that makes sense. And yes, for the first several days I was off it a lot, keeping elevated and icing it. I didn't use pain meds because I am super sensitive to all of them and allergic to many of them. I did try ibuprofen some, but still not a lot of that. Anyway, hope this helps a little. Again, good luck. I'm almost 7 months out now and it's doing really well. Just feels like a weird stuff toe now. I jumped down out of my truck the other day and landed on my tip toes, and that kind of zinged my toe, but that went away soon enough. Keep me posted on yours.

I appreciate you explaining this . I’m a very active person . I didn’t want to lose the flexibility. Some mentioned using a knee scooter until I can put pressure on my foot. You mentioned the toe feeling stiff. Do you know if the feeling is temporary or permanent? I will let you know how my surgery goes. Thanks!

@@Bone783 I think the feeling will be pretty permanent. Since it's fused, it is stiff, so it totally makes sense it will feel stiff. I think it's something I'm getting more used to, though. It doesn't seem to bother me as much, it's just annoying I think. I live in a hilly area and did a long walk this morning going up some steep hills (prepping for some big hikes) and it didn't bother me hardly at all, just annoyed me since it feels different. All of what I'm experiencing is far better than the intense pain I had before. Same thing with my back and neck fusions...none of them feel perfect, but all of them feel much better than before the fusions. Once a joint is fused it's never the same, it's impossible for it to be, but with slight adaptations I've been able to remain active. Barring anymore injuries, I believe I'll hit most of my fitness goals by the end of this month. The toe fusion will change some things for you, but it won't stop you. Good luck!!

I still apprehended about it. I’m not in that much pain. 0n a scale 1-10 I’m about a 5. Thanks for the response.

@@Bone783 I was at about a 5-7 for about 1.5 years and treated it with steroid shots that brought it down to 4-5 for a few weeks. Then sat at 9 to 10 consistently for just under a year. If I would have had it done sooner there would have been enough cartridge to just clean things up without having to fuse. My friend hat that done (at the moment don't recall what that procedure is called), and while the healing somehow takes a little longer you retain your flexibility. Eventually he will have to get it fused, but he probably bought himself another ten years before it's done. Anyway, I was apprehensive, too, that is normal. The pain got to the point I couldn't do much, now I'm doing all of it again, at least what I want to. In any case, you will know when you're ready.

They can. Fortunately it has improved, so not an issue presently.

I appreciate the tip. My knee has gotten much better now that the toe fusion has healed. My walking/gait has improved and that has helped the knee. I'll check that out, though, you never know when things are going to act up again.

Good luck with the continued healing. Definitely be patient, the time will pass. It doesn't seem like it when you're in the middle of it, but you don't want to be in the middle of it twice. Find something different to do with your time. Give yourself a couple short term goals to occupy that same timeframe. Something you need to work on daily. Good luck and keep me posted.

Glad it's helpful. Good luck to her on the recovery. Keep me posted please.

Did you fuse your neck into a stick yet? 😊

@@imveryhungry112 NO! I'm trying to find other options shots, P/T , medications. I already had one fused yrs ago ,but afraid thinking of my entire neck being Fused at 75. Cathy

Sorry to hear of your struggle, hoping that improves for you! I never experienced that. My scar is basically invisible now, and I never treated it with anything. I'm amazed how it faded over the past two years.

Good luck with it all...keep me posted!

Thanks for chiming in. I limped a lot before surgery, but not nearly as much afterwards. It's been just over six months now, and I don't think I limp at all now. Sometimes my end joint will be a little sore, but that rarely causes a limp. I think some people limp because the toe feels so stiff...because it is...and so they intuitively limp. That's just my opinion. Limping is not permanent. Good luck!

@@FusedandFit Thanks a lot. Your message gave me lots of hope🙏

One more thing. Can you bend your toe?

@@sadafamini8615 no. I still jog on a treadmill, hike, ride bikes, etc. The tip bends a little, but not much. Still feels so much better than before.

Great insights brother! All the best to you!

Feels that way sometimes for sure. I just keep getting bolted back together. I'm almost brand new.

​@@FusedandFit😂 One piece at a time. Hope you got the extended warranty this time!

... This video looks familiar. Was suppose to have my surgery (as an emergency) in March; so, may have watched it then. Long story short, having it on the 14th instead.

Ok, awesome... Everything went pretty much as planned. Not looking forward to the issues sleeping. Already have a hard enough time sleeping to begin with.

Sorry to hear that. Everything you are experiencing, I also experienced. There are often tough side effects with this surgery, and those are some common ones. All of those will improve in the coming days. I wish you the best...you got this!

Hey there, sorry to hear about the pain. There is a lot of inflammation in that area, they tough it up pretty good. Inflammation will help heal the area because it causes more blood flow to the area. The bad news is, it causes the pain you're feeling. All the pain you are feeling I felt too. I do not recall how long it lasted, but I'm quite sure it was more than a couple weeks. Everyone improves at different speeds, so yes, keep being patient. It will improve. Good luck, and all the best and blessed to you.

Yep, it's a sucky thing for sure and happens a lot. Good luck and hang in there. All you can do is be careful, be patient, and hurry and wait. I hate that I had to have the surgery, but so glad I did it. You'll get there. Keep me posted please.

Good luck! You should be fine. I went on the Splash Mountain ride at Disneyland 3.5 weeks after. I shouldn't have but I did. Drove out there from Utah, about 11 hours.

That sounds like a rough go of things for sure. I've heard of hardware coming loose after many years as well. I also know if cases as long as 20 years ago that are holding up just fine. There are so many things that go into determining how successful it is going to be, it's a very individual thing for sure. I hope yours trends in a better direction for you. All the best and blessed to you.

Yep, I live in Springville. His name is Peter Maughan, his number is 801-507-9555. His main office is in the IHC (now IH) hospital just off the freeway on about 5300 south in Sandy. Good luck, and keep me posted.

@@FusedandFit Have you heard of John Edwards in Lehi? At the very least I think I'll get a 2nd opinion from Dr. Maughan.

@@kelliday4850 I have not heard of Edwards. Second opinions are typically good to get when you can. Good luck and keep me posted.

I started lifting weights at the three months mark, which felt like forever. I didn't do much at that time though. I haven't done behind the neck presses since then, but so shoulder presses, pull downs (front and back) shrugs and shoulder flies. Behind the neck feels uncomfortable so I haven't tried behind the neck presses. It's probably as much my rotator cuff issues that prevents me from wanting to try. I quit doing upright rows a couple months ago because it put a funky pressure on my neck I didn't like. Sorry to hear about the vertigo. My guess is it's related to the inflamation from surgery. I actually used to get vertigo badly, but it's almost non-existent since the surgery. Migraines are almost non-existent too. Anyway, good luck! keep me posted.

@@FusedandFit I only do behind the neck presses with a smith but after this I may stay away from them. I also don't like how upright rows hit my neck and wrists. If I can bench, flye and front mil press I'm happy. Thx.

That's the same two levels I had done. You will still have good range of motion. The first week won't feel so great after the surgery, but things will start to improve quickly and consistently after that. I was nervous the week leading up to it, but not the day of. It has all worked out awesome. Good luck!!

Good luck...keep me posted please.

I understand the hesitation, especially given your age. I first messed up my back at age 28 and waited 7 years to do have operated on. Has your surgeon discussed artificial disc with you at all, or just fusion? Either way, it sounds like something needs to be done. I'm actually more annoyed by my right big toe not being able to bend or flex anymore than I am about my neck fusion. The quality of life will be much better and I suspect well worth it. It sucks that the options are surgery or prolonged pain, but for me I'm glad I picked the surgery. Keep me posted, and good luck!

@@FusedandFit just fusion , I think given artificial disc needs to be replaced after 10-15 years and given my age fusion should mean only one surgery. It’s just my c3/4 all other discs are in perfect health . So did you notice any limits to your range of movement in Your neck ? And can you still play sports 2 years on, like football, bike riding , swimming etc? I assume yes! From this video . Understand these will be off the cards for a good 6-12 months . Thanks Michael

@@zharb8263 the only range of motion is still really good. I struggle to hold a phone to my ear, hands free, pressing it against my cheek with my shoulder. I can't do that. Also, looking up above me, like to see an airplane in the sky or something isn't as easy as it was, but that's about it. No big deal there. About six months after my surgery we went on a cruise and, along with one of my sons, played in a dodgeball tournament and a volleyball tournament. Would've done bball (three on three) but not enough interest so they cancelled it. My neck wasn't an issue at all. I pride myself on diving and digging in volleyball and did so. I mountain bike. I'll play flag football again this fall without any worries. I was going to start boxing again, but decided not to...that may be too rough on the neck. I ride my motorcycles again, street and dirt, but a bit more responsibly now. I swim, and have boogie boarded a bunch since as well. I'm doing all this with the back fusions as well, so I think you will be surprised and happy with what you can do again after you recover. You have to follow their rules religiously though and be very patient and not cut corners on recovery.

@@FusedandFit Thanks Michael , I'm a fairly patient person so I should be okay - Im happy to wait 12 months or more. As long as I know I can get back to those activities in time! injury was likely caused downhill MTB - so maybe like you said I'll be a little more responsible in future. Thanks for being so responsive. It looks like your channel has helped heaps of people through this journey. You should be very proud, You have made a difference :) Meeting my surgeon in 15 Minutes !

Input mine off for a bit due to fear, but glad I finally did it. It stinks going through it, but was definitely worth it in my case. Good luck, and please keep me posted.

Mobility is great. Not perfect, but most of the time hardly noticeable.

@@FusedandFit thank you for the reply. My problem is c3-c7 with several problems including injury from the past

Thanks for chiming in. I wondered about leg raises, too, but decided on my own not to. I know me too well, I would have rationalized doing more than that. I held off completely. Looking back on it, to me went by quickly. Sucked big-time at the time, but has been worth waiting. Although, I risked it on the Splash Mountain ride at Disneyland 3.5 weeks post surgery. That was a lot dumber of me than leg raises would've been. I would just walk a lot...get 8-10k steps in each day and call it good.

Replacement was an option but fusion was my best option. My surgeon does both, but the type of instability I had was too much for an artificial disc to handle in that area.

My surgeon does both, but convinced me fusion was best for me given the levels, the height he was trying to regain in my neck, and the long-term stability. They all have drawbacks, but given my situation fusion was best. Fortunately it still seems to be the case.