Vlog Excerpts: My Range of Motion Post Cervical Fusion

Рет қаралды 15,438

7 жыл бұрын

This video is an excerpt from my "Week 4" Vlog where I show you my range of motion post full spinal fusion/stabilization. If you have seen my vlog then you will have already seen this, but I figured a shorter, stand alone version, of this may be helpful to some people.
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Пікірлер: 47

@ranchugoldfish3822 7 жыл бұрын

An excellent video. I'm glad you are strong enough, emotionally, to do this video. There is somebody out there that will see this and know that it is worth it to go through surgery, and the pain of therapy. You have shown the world that life is fun and to not give in to disease and pain. Bill

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

+bill hundt Thank you so much Bill!

@cartofgiant 3 жыл бұрын

You are so positive,, good for you... had my fusion done about 4 years ago.. it gets better.. your great disposition ,,is inspiring.. take care.

@Ballerinamylife 7 жыл бұрын

I just started watching your videos and I love all of them! You're so positive even through battling EDS and it's so inspirational. I don't have EDS but I had spinal fusion (T3-L2) 6 years ago and have dealt with some loss of mobility as well. Everyone has their struggles but how you deal with them makes a big difference. :)

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

@Ballerinamylife 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I stayed about a week in the hospital and recovered at home for a month before going back to school. It was a lot, but my back pain is so much better now! Before my surgery I wore a few different back braces, with one hard-plastic Boston brace that looks similar to some of yours. Girl, I totally empathize. Braces are no fun, but they're necessary...

@peachypanda96 7 жыл бұрын

I too have a thoracic fusion :) although for much different reasons than yours! i totally feel your pain on the lack of motion front, although my range of motion is a little larger than yours. I managed to break my metalwork in the past year so I'm waiting on another surgery for that! illness are such a pain in the bum but i must say watching your videos and seeing how despite the odds you continue to be happy and chirpy really helps me out when I'm in a slump! so all i can say is thank you for that and i hope you continue to feel better as time goes on!

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

+peachypanda96 Sorry to hear about your broken hardware. I did that once too. So frustrating! I really hope that your fusion has given you a positive outcome though :)

@ABN6565 3 жыл бұрын

Had six cervical disc fusions CT one through six. 11-23-20 the pain for the first 2 weeks was unbearable. Still wearing neck brace as much as I can. But if I try to go without it and walk I get pain in my neck. Very Long healing process according to my Dr. No more weakness on right side but left side there's still numbness and tingling. With every person day it subsides A little but it's still there and very frustrating cuz I can't even pick my granddaughter up who's 18 months old. Today it's been a month since my surgery and I'm retired because of my lower back damage which they tried to operate on which was a failure and I wouldn't let him do it again. but my cervical had to be operated on because it was starting to affect everything and they had to get the disc off my nerves but I'm glad you're doing fine hopefully I can get better in a few months to where I can be without the neck brace take care.. God bless

@janecampbell4662 7 жыл бұрын

This was very interesting thanks for the video! I had a c1c2 fusion and decompression for Chiari a few years ago (al,out exactly two) but I'm having some problems with my lower neck near where it meets the shoulders. Something I'm super grateful for was that my surgeon (Chiari Institute in New York) was super careful to give me as big a range of motion as possible so I can still do most of my turning and compensate by tilting my head, and he never had to use excess bone either from me or a donor

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

+Jannie Campbell Thats really great that you had so much luck with your surgery 😊 One of my biggest problems going into my first fusion was that I had had chiari decompression surgery before we knew I had EDS and he had taken out so so much bone that there really wasn't even enough bone there to put the screws into. So my new surgeon has to get a bit more creative with plates, screws and bone. This why I stress the importance of having an EDS competent doctor from the very beginning 💜

@janecampbell4662 7 жыл бұрын

Christina Doherty Dang that sucks! It's weird I went most of my life undiagnosed but in pain and as soon as I got diagnosed with EDS we really started to figure things out and found the Chiari. As much as I hate the fact that it took forever to figure everything out I'm great full that we found things in the order we did because of like you said the importance of really knowing what's going on with EDS. Thanks for the reply!

@GM-gj8hs 4 жыл бұрын

Jane Campbell so how much mobility did you actually lose? I had a similar surgery recently...

@mcg267 7 жыл бұрын

I was born with fusions and have just about as much range of motion as you. I have always felt alone, so even though your fusions were surgical I'm so glad I found your channel!

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

+mcg267 Hey there! Welcome! Its funny that we are kind of opposites (you were born stiff and I bendy) but we ended up in the same boat 😊

@mcg267 7 жыл бұрын

Christina Doherty man, it's really amazing to watch your videos. You are an inspiration. Do you have pain in your neck now?

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

+mcg267 Yes, unfortunately I still live in a significant amount of pain. Fusion is not a cure for that ( as im sure you understand better than anyone). Its a lot of hardware and it puts a lot of strain on all my other joints. But im still very glad I went through with them.

@magiskablumpen1428 5 жыл бұрын

Where did you get surgery and how common is it to use fiber tape?

@bekisinera 4 жыл бұрын

Thnks for the ideas you shared... 😊 Keep connected...

@sawdustcaesar6853 5 жыл бұрын

thanks you helped me to chose between surgeries given I am a cyclist.

@Molly-cm4sr 7 жыл бұрын

holy crap! I just realized you're not located that far from me! Do you have any recommendations for doctors/specialists or hospitals in general??? Please let me know. im having such a hard time finding people who know of and will work with people with such illnesses

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

+Molly Vallee (learning2loveU) Absolutely, I admit I have to travel for a lot of my specialists, but there are a few good ones around here. If you message me on facebook or Instagram (or email me) I would love to chat about it :) My info is in my video descriptions. The KZfaq messaging system isn't so great lol

@harmargb9028 4 жыл бұрын

i hope your ok now... more power to you GOd bless

@daynagriego9392 7 жыл бұрын

Did your shoulders and neck muscles feel strained and weighed down prior to to the fusion for cervical instability ?

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

+Dayna Vigil-Griego I may have answered this question on your other comment. But in case I didn't, yes I definitely felt a lot of strain before surgery. I felt like I couldn't properly hold my head up. Im glad to have had the surgery but am still working hard to strengthen those muscles.

@daynagriego9392 7 жыл бұрын

Christina Doherty how long ago did you have the surgery? (Btw this is my grandpa's pic when he was a US marine)

@allant5999 6 жыл бұрын

Can you drive a car? I have 3 herniated cervical disk which might need cervical fusion in the future

@GM-gj8hs 4 жыл бұрын

Has anyone ever had a c1 and skull fusion?

@jessicagibson6011 7 жыл бұрын

Do you have chiari as well???

@jessicagibson6011 7 жыл бұрын

And yayyyy 1000 subscribers

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

Yes, or at least I did. I had a decompression surgery back in 2012 and my imaging is now clear for chiari

@AraceliLS 7 жыл бұрын

Did the fusion reduce your pain?

@christinadoherty3212 7 жыл бұрын

+Araceli1199 LS This is a bit of a hard question to answer. Yes and no. Yes it reduced the pain that I was having from the instability itself, but no I am not free of pain. Now I have a lot of pain from hardware, scar tissue, muscle spasms and nerve damage (from years of compression) . These surgeries often aren't a quick fix for pain and you are sometimes trading one pain for another. Although I am sure that people who have had more minor surgeries have had more success with pain relief. But I am still very glad I had them.

@AraceliLS 7 жыл бұрын

Christina Doherty Thank you ❤ The first two doctors that I saw said that I should have the surgery done but that was before they discovered that I had EDS. Once discovered, both doctors told me that they don't recommend this at all for EDS patients because there are too many complications after. I however am desperate for something to relieve the pain in my neck and I guess I am just trying to consider each and everyone of my options, there are so few, again

@PARADOXBK201 6 жыл бұрын

Christina Doherty Hi there, its inspiring how positive you are with your life with all these hurdles you've come across. You've come alot far n I hope you keep doing well ! 😊 Btw I had a few questions as my father has been advised C1 n C2 fusion surgery and I am worried... Do you think it would be ideal for a rheumatoid arthritis patient too?? Do you feel any sort of numbness or altered sensations with your spine or body or any sort of mental stress or change of mental processes? Like people complain of sudden blackouts or confusion or delusion, dillemma n stuff..do u feel them too?? Kindly help...please!!

@meritofapproval 4 жыл бұрын

@@christinadoherty3212 🌻

@lukeism2 6 жыл бұрын

I think you’ve got more range of motion in your neck than I do and I have no hardware in it. Just a bunch of injuries.

@chrisw5742 6 жыл бұрын

When your discs are herniated it totally screws your range of motion.

@jlutie2943 3 жыл бұрын

Can you drive

@chrisw5742 6 жыл бұрын

I am fused c3-c7 front and back.

@matthewsundhu2630 5 жыл бұрын

Hey how is your range of motion? I need the same

@artnunez1939 4 жыл бұрын

Did you have a revision fusion laminectomy ? I originally had c4- C7 anterior fusion after a year it was a fail fusion so I had to do a revision fusion laminectomy C3 to T1 and that was last October 12, 2018 and I swear I feel worse I have constant nerve pain muscle spasms my neck gets weak..its just been horrible I lost a lot of range of motion looking up & looking down and tilting my head side to side like a teapot..how are you doing now Chris?

@artnunez1939 4 жыл бұрын

How are you doing now ?

@shivamlute7986 4 ай бұрын

How you are now

@williammurgida7521 3 жыл бұрын

Christina your way too young for all of this. Im freaking out as im about to undergo c5c6 fusion. Im hoping that Jesus will step in and heal me before the surgery because He is more than able. Prayer is a powerful tool. You should go to a pentecostal church and find God . It must be a pentecostal church though. Check out some Lee Stoneking preaching on youtube. Can i just say that you are absolutely beautiful and i would love to be friends on facebook if you like. I live in Cronulla beach Sydney Australia. William Murgida