Here's A Look At My
Titanium Neck Implant
By David J. Stewart | July
2013
I received
a copy of my cervical (neck) MRI's and X-rays today. I thought some of my
friends around the world would like to see what my titanium surgical implant
and six screws looks like in my neck. I had the discectomy and fusion
surgery done in July of 2009 and then redone in April of 2010. The second
surgeon said my bones weren't fusing according to a CT Scan, so he took a
bone graft from my left hip to put into my neck. During the first surgery,
an artificial implant was used. The hip bone is necessary for the neck bones
to fuse solid, and the titanium plate holds it all together. I don't notice
any loss of range of motion (being able to turn my head), but I was told
that range of motion is usually only noticed if the upper neck disks are
removed between C1 to C5. I had the two disks between bones C5-C6-C7
removed.
The pain in my neck has been intolerable lately. The high dosage of
Oxycontin (120 mg daily + 20 mg Oxycodone) does help considerably at times,
but at other times it's like I didn't even take anything. I just took
another 40 mg because the pain is so bad. As I type the pain is unbearable.
It feels like a raw tooth root exposed, but where the bone is located in
back of my neck. It's a burning, aching, agonizing, throbbing, constant,
pain that never goes away. I've had this pain and tension now for 9 years
since 2004. It dominates my life.
My right leg still kicks out further than it
should when my reflexes are tested, which my doctor says still shows
compression on my spinal cord. I have spinal stenosis, radiculopathy,
peripheral neuropathy and Cervical Degenerative Disk Disease. Thankfully, my
body is functional and my biggest problem is chronic neck pain and to a
lesser degree the discomfort of puffy-feeling arms, tingling, burning and
mild radiating razorblade-like pain in my limbs. I have no complaints to
God. The Lord is good, beautiful and greatly to be praised!!! My afflictions
keep me humble and praying continually. James 5:13, “Is any among you
afflicted? let him pray...”
Although I already had pain extending down my
right arm and right leg prior to my first surgery in 2009, it was minimal. I
went for a re-evaluation in 2011 and a second surgeon said my CT scan
revealed that my bones at C6-C7 weren't fusing. So he recommended redoing my
surgery in hope of alleviating my neck pain, but using a hip-bone-graft this time. He said, “I think I know what
the problem is,” so I let him redo the surgery. Since the first surgery
hadn't made me worse, I jumped into the second surgery, figuring at worst it
wouldn't worsen me (boy, was I wrong). The bone graft didn't hurt at all,
but the surgery made me much worse, leaving me with peripheral neuropathy. I
returned from surgery with both arms feeling doubled-in-size, puffed up. I now have constant mild
sharp radiating pain extending down my right arm and leg (20% left side of
body, 80% the right side, extending into my right thumb and big toe). Both
of my arms tingle all the time.
My neck feels extremely tight all the time,
like a wound-up giant rubber band. My neck is very stiff whether turning or
at rest. My neck 24/7 feels like it's being ripped apart from within.
Needless to say, it makes having a normal conversation very awkward and
difficult, because I have all these afflictions going on at all times, and
no one can see them. Therefore, few people have understanding, patience or
sympathy for my suffering.
I ask for your prayers and appreciate my
regular visitors who desire to know what God has put in this gospel
preacher's heart. I suffer horribly everyday of my life. I look forward to
the coming of the Lord or the end of this earthly life. I have peace with my
God and am ready to go at any time! Amen for the blood of Jesus that
cleanses our sins away!!! Yet, as long as I am alive and able, by God's
grace I plan to keep serving the Lord Jesus Christ. I ask for your earnest prayers for this
ministry and me daily. This ministry is much bigger than me, it's about the
Lord Jesus Christ, Who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE (John 14:6)!
HEAR YE HIM!
For those of
my web visitors who've been with me over years, you know of my horrible
ongoing affliction with neck pain and peripheral neuropathy. That's why I
don't maintain e-mail contacts with anyone. It's just too much for me. If
you've ever written a friendly letter to me in years past and didn't receive
a response, I promise you that it wasn't for any personal ill-feelings. I
have no personal bitterness against anyone. I place everything into the
Lord's hands in prayer as Philippians 4:6, 1st Peter 5:7 and James 5:19
teach. When you're in constant pain, you just want to be alone. The neck
pain makes me 10-times more irritable over everything.
I have to be careful because I'm always irritated due to the relentless
pain. My second neck surgeon explained my condition by tapping on my knee
repeatedly. He then asked me while tapping on my knee, “Would this bother
you if I did this for 3 hours?” I replied, “Yes, of course.” He said,
“That's exactly what you're going through. Your neck is continually in
chronic pain and you have constant stiffness in your neck that irritates
you.” He perfectly illustrated how I feel inside because of my afflictions.
I was in so much pain the other day that I went to the doctor on the wrong
day. I thought it was the day ahead. Then I walked out and forget to get my
prescriptions. I forgot to put out my garbage last week. I'm always
forgetting things.
A Precious Scripture That I Learned Today
I read the following wonderful Scripture today
in the Bible, which I had never noticed before. Hebrews 6:10, “For
God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye
have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and
do minister.” Isn't that precious? The Lord said He is not
unrighteous to forget our labours of love for Him. Jesus PROMISED each and
every believer that giving even a cup of water in a disciple's name will be
rewarded. Matthew 10:42, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of
these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily
I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
The Lord paid for everything concerning our
salvation; but everything we do from that point on will be rewarded. Isn't
God good to reward us for our “reasonable service” (Romans 12:1-2)! 1st
Peter 4:1, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm
yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in
the flesh hath ceased from sin.” Since the Lord suffered, bled and died
for our sins, it is only reasonable that we should suffer for Him by ceasing
from sin (1st Peter 4:1, as we just read); but God does NOT require it for
salvation! Many people, especially sanctimonious (hypocritically religious)
ministers, confuse the gift of salvation with the reward for serving God.
Salvation is a GIFT, but our labours are a REWARD. Eternal life is a free
gift (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9)—freely provided (Romans 5:15), freely
offered (Romans 10:13) and freely received (Revelation 22:17). Salvation is
only free to mankind because it came at a great price to God, costing His
only begotten Son, Jesus, Who is the Christ.
Here's an interesting and I think, very
important article, that I wrote earlier today...
The Error Of Expecting Everyone To Have The Same Salvation Experience As
Paul
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation
22:20).
I love you all in the Lord,
whoever you may be!
Christ Paid Our Debt
Of Sin!
1st
Thessalonians 5:25, “Brethren, pray for us.”
