I saw my cousin this past weekend, who I hadn't seen in over a year. She's 62 and has a thorocolumbar curve very similar to the one I had. In the past couple of years, her curve suddenly progressed to the point where she's shrunk at least two inches and has a lot of trouble standing up straight or walking for any distance. She also has intermittent nerve pain down one hip and leg and lots of aches and muscle fatigue all through her back.
For a variety of reasons and life circumstances, my cousin is not a surgical candidate. I can't imagine what she'll look and feel like in another ten years. I know none of us have a crystal ball, but it seems to me that I got a glimpse of what my future might have been had I not had surgery. I felt so fortunate -- and so STRAIGHT -- after seeing her struggles.
We all know how dangerous large thoracic curves can be, but curves that are mostly lumbar (like mine and my cousin's) can be really disabling and painful. For anyone who's on the fence about whether or not to have surgery, it's something to think about.
For a variety of reasons and life circumstances, my cousin is not a surgical candidate. I can't imagine what she'll look and feel like in another ten years. I know none of us have a crystal ball, but it seems to me that I got a glimpse of what my future might have been had I not had surgery. I felt so fortunate -- and so STRAIGHT -- after seeing her struggles.
We all know how dangerous large thoracic curves can be, but curves that are mostly lumbar (like mine and my cousin's) can be really disabling and painful. For anyone who's on the fence about whether or not to have surgery, it's something to think about.
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