Wow... Lookin' good!

Well... The surgery is complete. I had to stay overnight for monitoring but I am back home now.

The disc between my C5 & C6 neck vertebrae has been completely removed. The doctor said the rupture was a "monster" -- I am thankful it is gone. It was replaced by a cadaver bone to maintain proper spacing as well as for promoting the fusion process. The doctor said it would take between 6 and 12 months for the fusion of the two vertebrae to complete. Until that time, I have a metal plate holding these two vertebrae together. I will start physical therapy in 2 weeks and that should last for 4 weeks.

My neck, shoulder, and arm pain is completely gone -- praise God. I have about a one inch incision on the front of my neck that I will have to take care of until it heals. I have a sore throat that will persist for about 1 week. Hiccups, coughing, and swallowing food are very painful things for me to do right now. For the next 2 weeks I am required to wear a neck brace when traveling in a vehicle. I don't have to wear the neck brace around the house except for comfort purposes.

Since I have a dead man's bone in my neck... I like to joke that I am a "dead man walking."

Kudos to everyone who participated; and congratulations to the winners! These are some very impressive projects.

A special thank you to Omnimaga for conducting a very cool contest. And thanks to the judges for spending the time required to judge all of these entries.

Okay... so here's my latest update...

Met with my neurosurgeon yesterday. He performed some strength tests and discovered my strength in my left arm and hand have diminished significantly -- possibly implying nerve damage. So, he scheduled me for surgery Thursday Oct 14th (2 days from now). He will be performing the discectomy and fusion of my vertebrae as I thought would be the case due to the size and location of the rupture. I was hoping for something a little bit less invasive. But there was not many options left for me in my condition.

Total cost of the surgery appears to be around $33000 of which I will pay $2500 -- thankful for insurance.

I will be out of work for 3 to 4 weeks with a full recovery requiring 6 weeks.

And... yes... I am a little scared about this surgery (who wouldn't be?). But if it takes my pain away for good then it is worth it.

Well... crap... it is official.

I will have neck surgery this Thursday (Oct 14th). The doctor said that I am already experiencing symptoms of nerve damage -- a noticeable decrease in strength in my left arm and hand. As I suspected, he will remove the entire disc and fuse the two cervical vertebrae together -- it is the only realistic option for me. I'll be off work for 3 to 4 weeks.

I can't believe this is happening to me.

I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon tomorrow (Moday Oct 12th).

Wish me luck!

Even if the Casio does only basic programming, I'm sure it will be much better than Ti-Nspire basic

That is very sad. TI better get their hands out of their pants and get busy.