Sorry to hear what you're going through man. Hearing your story made me want to try and help if I can.
Last August I had to have fusion surgery for 2 herniated discs in my neck. C4 and C5 if I remember correctly. My condition wasn't life long like yours sounds... but it was caused from degenerative discs, not an injury.
I actually had to cut a vacation short and fly home from Jamaica because I was in so much pain.
Anyway... the surgery I had was done by the best here in Central Florida. They went in through the front of my neck instead of the back. I would be happy to provide you with my Doctor's information if you're looking for another opinion. He is the best... I checked around and have connections in the medical field.
I would also be happy to share what happened throughout the process if you're interested. I've even got x-rays of my hardware that is now a part of my neck. This is all very fresh for me as it's only been a year ago that I had this done.
As a fellow diver... I feel compelled to offer assistance. I was terrified about the whole thing as I was going through it and I really didn't have anyone to talk me through it who had actually had the procedure performed on them.
Please don't hesitate to ask.
And good luck with everything. You'll get it fixed, it's gonna happen.
