No cartwheels anytime soon

Late last night, I remembered that after getting x-rays, the guy gave me a CD of the 3 images to give to Dr. Adams. I had wanted to look at them when we got home, but by the time I remembered, I was too pooped to get up off the sofa. So I checked it out this morning. Meet my new, improved neck:





The third image was very similar to the 2nd one, and it was very light. I think I see the pocket of fluid in that first picture... maybe it’s that dark, long oval thing, you can barely see it... But maybe that’s not it... I know diddly-squat about reading x-rays.

I know that Dr. Adams said the right side of my C6 vertebrae was broken off, so that's the reason there are only 2 screws on the right side, on the C5 and the top of the C7, it looks like. Nothing there on the C6 to screw into. As I understand it, the screws are actually hooks that hold the metal rods in place.

After looking at these, I feel like I should feel the hooks and rods inside of me, but I don't. I just feel pain there. Sometimes I have pain that moves around... like this morning, if I turn my head at all to the left, it hurts my neck on the left side and up my jaw. This moving pain thing is somewhat confusing. I think it must be related to all the nerves there at the incision site.

I tried to find out what kind of “metal” the screws & hook and rods are made from... all I could find was references to stainless steel, titanium or its alloys.

Kev took another photo of the incision this past Monday evening, so here’s the link to that photo, and to an updated group photo.