Haha, I usually fish 1-2 x a week! But after stay home 10 days I got bored! And wonder when I can go back to fishing that all:)
Everything still up to the doctor!

had bone graft from my left hip and a plate over c4 c5 c6, DO NOT try to do anything before the dr says to, I tried and now get a pinched nerve sensation from time to time. not worth it to push it at all.

Plus #1. Doctor would know best!

Fused at c 5 6 7, do not rush it, or you will be sorry

I had no neck brace. I was not allowed to drive for 18 days. No PT for about 50 days. I was in pretty good shape going into it.

I also worked at a desk at the time.

Real plus side is you can just barely see the scar.

The important thing is the therapy as soon as they release you for it.

Thank you for all good advices! The only problem now is i have hard time to look up and down or look around!

I had my C4-6 fused on 8/5/11. Dr told me that I could bow hunt that Oct, but he wished I wouldn't. I followed his instructions. I was back at work, on limited duty, in two weeks, and back up to speed at about 8weeks.

My throat bothered me more than the fusion did. It took a while for everything to settle back in after being moved around. I still notice some difficulty swallowing at times. I guess the Titanium plate causes some interference.

As stated earlier in the thread, the most range of motion I lost is looking up. Although I can tell I've lost a little when looking extreme right and left.

As for wearing a neck brace; My Doc had me in 7days after the surgery for a follow up. I came in wearing the brace and he laughed, surprised I was still wearing it at all. I took it off right then and never put it back on. I didn't tell him I only put it on for his benefit, and hadn't worn it for about three days before our appointment. He even told me immediately after the surgery, that he didn't expect me to try and sleep with it on, that the plate should hold things in place unitl the bones fused together.

So, who used donor bone? Had the bone taken from your own hip? Or chose a substitute of some kind?

I chose donor bone myself? I knew a guy who had them take it out of his hip, and it took longer for him to recover from that than the neck surgery.

Wow, doctor want me to wear neck brace for 4 weeks, and I still wear them just for safety!
And what psycho0819 mention above exactly happening to me.( i use bone from my hip)

C 5-7 for me. I tried to do too much too soon, (I could feel vibrations in my neck when I did some yard work like mowing) so nearly 15 years later, I can barely make it through two days in a row on the water. My right hand tingles 100% of the time and I get frequent cramps where my hand and fingers lock up. I can't hold a fishing rod in my right hand for more than a few minutes, but turning a reel handle is still OK.

It is boring during that recovery time frame and you can only watch so much TV, but as has been said, don't rush it. That makes it worse in the long run.

I think the injury started when I rode with an idiot driving his suped up bass boat through 2-3' waves at 80 + MPH. I could hear my neck popping all the way back to the ramp.

I'm curious Fishboy...What made you decide to use bone from your own hip? I faced the same decision, and after doing some research of my own, went with donor bone.

On the brace, just a difference in Docs I suppose. Mine told me he had performed the procedure on a few pro football players at the end of season, and had them back on the field full force by spring training camp.

Don't get me wrong, my neck will never be the same. But having restored control of the muscles in my left arm, the absence of shoulder pain, and regaining feeling in my fingers is well worth the stiffness and occasional dull pain I get now.

I don't know anything about neck surgery before, I just follow doctor advices. My hip got no problem recover! But lost almost 60-70% of motion looking up and down! Lost 50% motion looking left and right!
But it just almost 3 weeks after surgery, hopefully it get better!

had fusion of C5/6/7, bone from hip, titanium plate done in 08. have excellent range of motion and it works great. hasn't affected fishing at all. don't catch any more, don't catch any less

FB123, I had surgery in March 09, fixing a problem stemming from a minor rear end car wreck 14 years before. Titanium plate, 8 screws, 3 titanium cages, fusion from C4-7. Lost a lot of range of motion and am just now (4 years later) getting able to do things I wanted to, like fishing unassisted, golf, yard work. I'm still on pretty tight lifting restrictions, best advice is to listen to what the Doctor tells you. I can tell when I've done more that I was suppose to, I pay for it afterwards.

Had a fusion.Have two artificial disk a metal plate and three screw.Hurt like hell,when I had it done.I say about 3 months,then some light duty.The shock from bumping waves will hurt.But now I can not even tell it's there.I am so glad I had it done.Be patient my friend.