Woke up from nap

Well I woke up from nap since the trip home from the hospital wore me out. It was a rough nites sleep there, I was awake every 40 -45 minutes becasue of the IV and constantly having to go to the bathroom. How annoying.

Anyhow I noticed that my walking has improved a little, but I am still using my cane cause I almost lost my balance 3x since being home. I will give it more time to see if it corrects itself cause the fusion had moderate pressure on my spinal cord. also upon waking up after going to a deep sleep, is that both of my arms were numb again. the came out faster from the numbness, but still having great difficulty typing.

Therefor I am starting a new symptom log to provide the NS with a primary focus on what he thought might be relieved with the fusion.

Anyhow thanks for the positive thoughts and well wishes and don't worry I used the time wisely when I had a student nurse say she would be assisting in my care today. I promptly told her I have a very unique condition that was just a blurb in her medical books and if she wanted to she could review my medical chart and ask me any questions she would like about it. To my surprise she came back and we discussed CM and Sm for about 1/2 hour. I also told her that I might be the only case she could possibly see in her medical career. She took intent notes and I gave her some good websites, like ours so she could learn more as well as WACMA.org, ASAP.org, Chiarione.org. Hopefully we have another person we will get another person in the medical field who will educate herself and therefore gain another ally.

Also for my friends who have had the fusion, I am not noticing the pain right away unless like in the care all the bumps and jolts strike it up well. I also have to were a hard neck brace for 24/7 for a month . Any tips on how to get ice or heat on it?

Gentleness surround you my friends. Good night

I did not have to wear the hard brace except for in car and at night. What seriously helped me was low heat straight to the back of neck. If you are laying or in recliner I do not see why you cannot take it off to apply the heat/ice but do not move alot. Also do not leave the heat on for to long same with the ice. It does affect the metal and it isn't the most comfortable.

Hi Michael!

Glad everything went well and you're home! I only wore a neck brace to sleep for the first week, but my husband moved our recliner into our bedroom and I slept in the recliner for a few weeks (same after my Chiari surgery and my Lumbar surgery). It was a huge help...I just couldn't get comfy in the bed and it really helped with the tingling and numbness in my hands and arms. If you have a recliner maybe that might be more comfortable for you too.

Way to keep our future medical providers informed--good thinking!

Keep healing and feeling better! XOXO Monique