This seems to be my biggest issue. The tension and the nerves...wondering if I'll be healed in time to put the boats in in the spring. I purposely didn't schedule any winter work. But, being a sole proprietor is stressful as it is. Nobody's gonna care if you can't get back to work. It's all on me and all my eggs are in one basket right now. Nerves, i bet that's the worst of this right now. At least I can use my right arm at the moment. No more shooting pain now it's just a huge.ball of pain in my neck. If I hadn't been losing so much strength in my arms I don't know if I'd have done it.
I missed these couple of posts, sorry......
I'm self employed too. Don't worry about spring. It's a long ways away. More than likely you'll be able to deal with boats. May have to start out slow at first, but it shouldn't take long to get back in the swing of things. You'll have to retrain muscles that have been idle for a while..... You just had surgery, give it time.......
Pain in the neck and not in the arms is a good thing! I had the same thing and my therapist said that once it does go in my neck, it means you're healing good. Eventually the pain will be mostly gone. It's scary, but what you went thru is also a common procedure. Look how many neck surgeries Peyton Manning had, different situation, sure.
When you speak of the "prosthetic" are you refering to the metal plate screwed into my vertebrae or this neck collar thing. Swallowing has been dangerous, came close to choking twice. I seem to have a healthy fear of choking. Many years ago at a dear friends funeral I choked and had to have the heimlich(sp?) maneuver performed on me by our other best friend. Scary stuff.
Did you know the fear of choking is a contributing factor to feeling that sensation? Your throat does contract a little. I had that same feeling and that's what the doc told me. When I relaxed the sensation went away. I felt like I was a cat o a hot tinned roof. You appear to be the same. That's ok. It's the unknown that puts us there. Just don't let it get out of hand b/4 you talk to your doctor. You may want to consider some sort of muscle relaxant. You don't have to "man up" and suck it up. Manning up is seeking help when needed.
When I saw my MRI I saw 1 disc pushing a third of the way thru my cord and another that was less. I wish I never saw it. For many weeks, every waking minute I thought the one disc was going to cut the cord and i was going to be paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of my life. Trying living like that on a daily basis. Your discs are gone. It's just a matter of healing. Mine are still pushing. My "Mayo" specialist and doctors said it wont happen unless I got into a really bad accident or wrapped my snowmobile around a tree. Then it might happen anyway. I didn't believe them.....
Eventually, after worrying every minute for weeks on end I went into a deep depression. A place I never want to go again. No, I wasn't suicidal, but I wasn't living either. I was just going thru the motions each day. Sought spiritual help, which did help, and eventually gave in to my doctor and took a mild anti depressant. Worked like a charm! My wife was thankful she got her husband back.
Not saying it will happen to you. But if it does, seek help. Don't let it get so bad like it did for me.....
You're going to be fine, just give it time to heal...... Deep breathes, relax...
