Neck Injury

In 1978 when I was attending college in Florida I was in a car accident. A drunk ran a stop sign and plowed into my car and pushing it into a telephone pole. I hit my head on the steering wheel and was a little dazed by the accident but after a few minutes I thought I was all right. That was the start of my neck problems.

The following is a brief description of lifetime symptoms (that I wasn't smart enough to recognize at the time) of neck problems (more specifically 4 bulging discs in my neck). If you have similar problems I urge you to go to your doctor and have it checked out. It may save you a lifetime of discomfort and problems.
Over the years I obtained my engineering degree and held a number of engineering jobs which involved a lot of time sitting at desks and drafting boards.
About three or four times a week I would get frequent migraine headaches and stiff necks. I was keenly aware that that my shirt collar was rubbing against the back of my neck as I bent over the drafting table. That bothered me to the point of almost hurting. When I drove home at the end of the day my migraines sometimes gave me blurred vision.
When I would get home I would take some Excedrin, go right to bed for a nap and apply some deep heat ointment to the back of my neck hoping that it would supply some relief. After an hour in bed many times I would feel better to resume the rest of my day.
I would also have times where I could not turn my head to the left. This stiffness in my neck and shoulders would come and go. I discovered that one way for me to help relieve this stiffness was for me to sleep on my left side only. If I slept on my right side I would wake up with a headache in the morning. During the night I discovered that if I did reposition myself to lay on my right side, I could only stay there a minute before having to switch back over to the left.
Life continued in this fashion until one day things got serious and I began losing muscle in my right hand. I later discovered that I had four bulging discs in my neck.
 
 
After I found out that I had four bulging discs in my neck I had a lot of questions. These are some of the questions that I asked my neurosurgeon.
Which discs require surgery? What about the others?
What is the operation called?
Through the front or back of the throat?
Bone graft, screws and plates needed?
If bone graft, my bone or donor bone?
How to they do the operation?
Will atrophied muscle in hand grow back?
Will surgery stop more atrophy and future problems?
What are the odds of paralysis from surgery?
What about risks and complications?
How many of these has he done?
How long will the operation take?
What about recovery?
Will the myelomalacia heal after the surgery or will it stay injured?
What is the urgency of the operation?
How long will I be in hospital?
Is operation good for the rest of my life? Or will I need another later?
Could tummy tuck operation or anesthesia have anything to do with bringing this to light?
Cost of operation.
Verify covered by insurance.
Are there alternatives to surgery?

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