Appt with Dr Eberson today

[Jennilee]

Hello! I'm meeting with my scoliosis surgeon today for the first time. Well I have 2 surgeons doing the operation, a spine specialist and a scoli specialist. I've met with the spine surgeon(dr Robertson) twice and today is mostly for questions and to meet dr eberson and set the actual date for the first week of January. Does anyone have any suggestions on the kind of questions I should ask? I am so overwhelmed and anxious that I can't think straight lately on top of quitting smoking 3 weeks ago for surgery. My mind us spinning and I know I need to be as prepared as possible as I probably won't get another chance to really ask questions before surgery. The first surgeon mentioned thoracotomy for my rib hump but Linda Racine advised me that procedure isn't really preformed anymore bc of morbidity rates..I don't know...I feel like an air head but I just can't think straight so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! Again, thank you all for welcoming me to the forum! I think I might have confused thoracotomy with thoracoplasty. There's one question!!

[rohrer01]

You might ask about blood conservation techniques and the use of epogen and cell salvage, since that topic came up on another thread. You might also ask if he is planning on using BMP to help with the bone graft or is he planning on harvesting your own bone from your hip. I haven't had surgery, but those are questions I would ask when the time comes.

[GOE]

Same thing

Hello! I'm meeting with my scoliosis surgeon today for the first time. Well I have 2 surgeons doing the operation, a spine specialist and a scoli specialist. I've met with the spine surgeon(dr Robertson) twice and today is mostly for questions and to meet dr eberson and set the actual date for the first week of January. Does anyone have any suggestions on the kind of questions I should ask? I am so overwhelmed and anxious that I can't think straight lately on top of quitting smoking 3 weeks ago for surgery. My mind us spinning and I know I need to be as prepared as possible as I probably won't get another chance to really ask questions before surgery. The first surgeon mentioned thoracotomy for my rib hump but Linda Racine advised me that procedure isn't really preformed anymore bc of morbidity rates..I don't know...I feel like an air head but I just can't think straight so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! Again, thank you all for welcoming me to the forum! I think I might have confused thoracotomy with thoracoplasty. There's one question!!

Hello Jennilee -

Just wanted to send you a quick note to encourage you. Please do not feel under too much pressure to get all your questions lined up before your visit. I know I had questions all along the way and still continue to have those even 17 months post op. One good question would be to ask your surgeon the best way to get your follow up questions answered. Some surgeons will respond to emails (mine did) and other will have you route it through their nurse. As suggested on this forum, go prepared with some key themes/concerns you want addressed and then based on that conversation, your follow up questions will come to you. Also I am not absolutely sure but I think a thoracotomy is thesame thing as a thoracoplasty. Plus feel free to discuss with your surgeon why thinks this might be necessary for you. I had some pretty larget curves, my surgeon mentioned a thoracoplasty and I had made peace with that going in. Intra operatively he however decided he did not need to do this as he got a decent correction so to Linda's point, I think they only do this when absolutely necessary given newer techniques that help them achieve good results without it. Take care and stay strong.

[Jennilee]

Thank you both for your suggestions. I have a pad and pen now and wrote down what you thought we're good questions..I'm feeling less anxious already and just trying to sort out everything on paper. I think your question GOE, about how to get responses to other questions is the most important one of all and that's why I am so grateful to have you all on the forum. Going to get dressed and head on over to the appt. thanks again!

[Jennilee]

surgery date is Jan 3

I had an awesome appt with dr eberson yesterday! my mom and i were there with him for an hour and a half with a long list of questions and he took his time and answered every one very thoroughly. he never made me feel like he was in a rush or needed to be somewhere else, he was great. even though he is a pedi scoli dr, he will be doinjg the majority of my surgery along with dr robertson who is the adult spine dr but doesnt do alot of scoliosis but dr robertson will be handling the majority of my preop and postop bc dr eberson did say that both are different for adults and children. oh and Linda, NO thoracoplasty! he agreed with everything that u told me and really believes that after he gets a great correction, he will be able to get rid of the rib hump that way. he said if i am not satisfied with the cosmetics of the hump, i can always revisit the idea of thoracoplasty but he doesnt suggest it. my surgery date is Jan 3, and i will be getting a letter telling me dates for preop and blood donations. they will use my blood as well as cell saver. all in all, i feel so much less anxiety and am getting a game plan together now. cant wait to be on the other side

[LindaRacine]

Hi Jennilee...

I'm happy that you're comfortable with your surgeons, and hope you have a perfect outcome.

By the way, I believe in your original post, your signature stated that you were having a possible thoracotomy. A thoracotomy is entirely different than a thoracoplasty. Thoracotomy is a large opening to expose the front of the spine. Thoracoplasty is the removal of parts of one or more ribs to reduce the rib hump.

Regards,
Linda

[titaniumed]

Jennilee

Glad you are comfortable with your surgeons. That’s important.

You have set your date....its something we think long and hard about and never forget. I remember going back down to work that day and just couldn’t think at all. After all the years, I couldn’t believe that I finally did it. Its all in the past now, and coming up on 5 years post. (smiley face)

You can plan, or not plan like me. Just wanted you to know that these things don’t matter much as long as you are ready mentally....that’s the main thing. Positive attitude will get you where you want to go. This works with everything.

Think and dream about a successful recovery, and never ever look back. Know that its going to hurt, and think of it as just a tough chapter in a book, and that you will get through it. Things are always hard when you don’t know, but after you will have that understanding. Major scoliosis surgery is never a piece of cake, but always think and make the best out of it in your mind. You are going to do this.

Keep reading and posting.

If you have any questions, let em rip.

Welcome to the forum

Ed

[Jennilee]

ed, thank you so much for your encouraging words. aside from being really funny, you always seem to say the right thing!
you are right...setting the date is a huge step. i was dx'd @ 10, but the deformity and progression didnt get out of control until the last few years and since i have been considering surgery, this is all that i can think about.
this surgery is a life changing event for all of us, and i am suffering with horrible pain like so many of us not to mention cosmetically i hate the way i look but i also cant picture myself any other way. scoliosis has been such a huge part of my every day life for so long that its literally a part of me, of who i am. i dont know...i make no sense sometimes and my emotions are all over the place lately...i guess i am just going to give this to God and like you said ed, never look back. i am so grateful to have this space to vent or ask questions...whatever as afterwards i always feel more at peace. especially reading what all of you have gone and are going thru. this will mark a definite new chapter Ed, a painful but great one. and i am ready...time to stop letting this define who ii am.
Linda, thank you! and again, you are right, i learned that yesterday..

[titaniumed]

As far as defining who we are, we will always be scoli’s fused or not, with or without pain. It’s a life long club, and we are part of that club. We just all sit around a cyber table and gather our thoughts here.....Some are active posters, some are not, its really about understanding our issues and knowing what to expect. Attending your local scoliosis meetings is also a good thing, it’s a face to face, meet and greet kind of interaction without having to type on a forum. Communication through typing misses the face to face interaction, which can make communication difficult sometimes.

Linda has a great website, I would check it out.
http://scoliosislinks.com/

Preparing for surgery
http://scoliosislinks.com/PreparingforSurgery.htm

I would say that the foam topper for the bed is most important. Most will agree. 2-4 inches thick, latex foam.

Posters usually start posting when pain is out of control or they are making a decision. All we really need to know is what’s going to happen? We can talk to each other and find out how others are doing with each others method. It can be as simple as doing nothing, to having a 10th revision surgery. Those are the heavy threads, those posters truly know about the pain that scoliosis provides. Revision surgery is a correction surgery after initial surgery.

We are truly fortunate that we have this forum, and all the people and surgeons that perform our surgeries. I know that I wouldn’t be around without my surgeries, and waited for technology to improve since 1975. Medical technology has come a long way in the last century, at least we have the options that we have compared to all the people that really suffered through the centuries.

David Wolpert wrote a great book. He does a great job answering many questions. I would recommend a copy for the library. (smiley face)
http://www.scoliosis.org/store/books.php

Ed

[Wish2bstraight]

Thing to buy for post surgery

Thanks Ed,

This list is something that I have been looking for. Wow, going to print this out. I also have a question (among many others), what does BMP stand for? I have noticed this in a number of posts, but am not able to figure out what it means.

Thanks to every one who posts. Iam petrified of having my surgery. I am not in a lot of pain, unless I do certain things like housekeeping, gardening or shopping, then the pain starts, but I noticed that my curve has gotten worse and dr. Glazer informed me that I could end up with so much leg pain, that I won't be able To walk and end up in bed for the rest of my life. Wow, I have two small granddaughters three and a half and three months. I want to enjoy them. So surgery, here income.

[titaniumed]

Libby,

You should go through the whole site. There is a plethora of info there....

BMP in layman’s terms....? Miracle grow. It grows bone faster.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_morphogenetic_protein

Unless your surgeon is mentioning that he will use BMP, I wouldn’t worry about it. Did he say that he wanted to use it? Did he indicate what levels he would fuse or where he was going to cut?

Do you have a date, or are you in a holding pattern?

Ed

[Wish2bstraight]

Ed,

The doctor's office is trying to schedule surgery for the week of January 7, just waiting for a date and the insurance to say yes. He mentioned three different surgeries. One is anterior for spacers, second is removing a rib for fusion and the third the big one. there was so much information that I can't remember it all. I have my xrays and mris, so I am going to compare the notes and then send questions to the doctor. my curve is 80 degrees, mostly lumbar, starts around T5. I also have a fracture in L5. I remember him saying that he is going to fuse L5 to sacrum. As far as the bone growth, he mentioned some electrical stimulation device.

Thanks for getting back to me. I'l definitely look up the sites you sent me. I just printed out the 11 page spreadsheet for preparing for Scoliosis to put in my every growing file folder.

[Jennilee]

Ed, thank you so much, those links were incredibly helpful. I feel like I have so much to get ready in the next 6 weeks. Mostly my emotional well being as I feel like I'm going out of my mind! Question...should I buy a recliner for my bedroom? My room is upstairs and the recliners we have now are part of a sectional DOWN stairs and I don't want to get stranded down on the recliner as there will be a 2 hour window each day where I will be alone. I'm willing to buy one for upstairs to put next to my bed, I just don't know if I need to. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[Jennilee]

Libby, it looks like you will be 4 days after me! I'll be praying for your insurance to go thru and hopefully we can compare notes!! Good luck!

[leahdragonfly]

Hi Jenilee,

I would advise against buying anything just yet--it's too hard to say what will be comfortable and what won't be. I did best on a very firm, flat hospital bed for at least 5-6 weeks post-op. Anything that was too soft including my own Temperpedic bed felt unsupportive, and even today I am not comfortable on a big, soft couch or recliner.

Lots of soft, comfortable bed pillows are good, though. One for between your knees when you lay on your side, one long, soft one for behind your back, a perfectly comfortable pillow for under your head that supports your neck, etc.

One thing to definitely buy ahead of time are some laxatives to keep on hand. A bottle of Magnesium Citrate (~ $2.00 at any drug store), some Miralax, some Senokot pills or something similar. Most of us needed them all the first weeks while on heavy narcotics. Constipation and bloating can be worse than the actual surgical pain at times, if allowed to go untreated. There are several threads about this unpleasant topic if you need more info.

Best of luck,