hey jack, just wondering here if you have ever had ANY type of actual x ray like a flexion and extension type done(its just one of the best ways) to just really 'see' if you have actually fused or not? do you ever feel like there is some type of 'movement' going on or like a bone on bone grinding or scraping there? any types of radiating symptoms that go down your legs from time to time, and not constant?
when really truely trying to just see or know whether or not actual fusion has taken place at ALL of the many endplates involved, espescially with a tri level like you had, it is not always easy. i had an MRI done on my c spine for instance after my c 6-7 fusion was done(6 months post op), and it came up inconclusive for fusion and recommended a CT. well that one actually stated i had 'definitely' fused when i and my primary both just knew based upon my many symptoms that i had not. i could not believe that one. after nine months of dorking around, my NS sent me for that x ray(should have just done this first?) it was only the flex and ext type x ray that FINALLY confirmed to my surgeon what i had already known all along, i was NOT fused fully, only at ONE of the two endplates.
simply really finding out whether or not(for CERTAIN) that all of the many endplates involved in your surgery have fully fused really would be the very first thing here that your surgeon neeRAB to find out for you. if you are not actually fused, you would have symptoms like i mentioned above? i was in at least twice the pain after that fusion surgery than i qwas BEFORE that fusion surgery only because that bone plug was intermittantly shifting around and hitting nerves in my c spine among other things. its just not that easy to always really tell if any given fusion has actually taken. if you have not yet had that type of x ray i mnetioned,it really should be done. its a bit harder to fully see in the lower spine only because the boney prominences are a bit less pronounced back there, but you should be able to see enough to actually tell. you can usually also see gapeing at least a small amount at the endplates when a fusion has not taken. just what i know from my own experiences. hopefully you are fully, but you do need to know for certain. good luck, marcia
