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My one-year anniversary is going to be on March 5/7, but I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Hu today. She said that fusion looks very good and all the implants are in place. I don’t have any back pain, but I do have some discomfort in my right buttock probably caused by iliac screw and tingling in the big toe of my right foot, which happens only when I am laying down on my back.
Several months ago I noticed some muscle loss on my right lower leg – this long bone is more prominent on my right leg than on my left leg. It doesn’t cause me any additional pain, in fact, I am getting less and less discomfort every day, but I wanted to make sure that this leg muscle loss is nothing serious.
I asked Dr. Hu about it and she suggested having an MRI. She assured me that it’s nothing dangerous and there is no hurry in doing anything about it. It is up to me whether to get an MRI or not, but I should contact them if it’s getting worse. I am going to take a wait and see approach because first, I really don’t want to go into another however small surgery it might be, and I am starting a new job on Monday. It won’t be a good idea to ask for time off to get an MRI and go for more doctor’s appointments right off the bed. I am super excited about my new job and if this leg issue is not dangerous, that’s all I need to know.
The bottom line – I am very happy that I have had this surgery. I have no back pain, just occasional tightness and buttock discomfort. I can walk, stand and sit for as long as I want. Before the surgery the longest walk I could take was about half-an-hour and my back was killing me after 5 minutes of standing up. Not anymore! I am also very pleased with the cosmetic result and that I can wear anything I want, feel confident and be able to turn heads at the ripe age of 46!
Looking back and reflecting on nasty complications that I had right after the surgery, I would say that I would do it all over again. Of course, I would prefer not to have that abdominal hematoma that brought me back to the hospital for an emergency surgery, but it’s all behind me. First month was a pure hell and honestly, there were a few times when I thought: “What have I done?” but when that issue was taken care of, I started improving steadily.
I am writing this mainly for people that are considering having scoliosis surgery. This forum is a great place to get information, ask questions and share your fears. But it could be a scary place too. I remember being horrified after reading some posts of people who were not lucky… I feel really sorry for those who didn’t have a good outcome and hope that everyone finds a resolution and relief. But, I also think that representation on this or any other medical forum could be skewed. People that are happy with their results move on with their lives and tend to forget about these forums. And people who have problems tend to stick in here and support each other. I belong to the first category and unfortunately don’t post as much as I used to because I feel good and life is going on. We are all blessed with having a few regulars here, who are several years out and still take their time to post and support other people. Thank you Ed, Karen, Jennifer and Susan!
So, to the people that are considering surgery – please, keep in mind that there are a lot of us who are happy with the outcomes, but we just don’t post often anymore. The odds of getting a good outcome are much higher than the odds of getting a bad outcome. Yes, we should all know about risks and complications, but we should make an informed decision based on facts, not on fears. Do your homework, get as much information as you can and best of luck to all who are considering, recovering or are already several years out!
Several months ago I noticed some muscle loss on my right lower leg – this long bone is more prominent on my right leg than on my left leg. It doesn’t cause me any additional pain, in fact, I am getting less and less discomfort every day, but I wanted to make sure that this leg muscle loss is nothing serious.
I asked Dr. Hu about it and she suggested having an MRI. She assured me that it’s nothing dangerous and there is no hurry in doing anything about it. It is up to me whether to get an MRI or not, but I should contact them if it’s getting worse. I am going to take a wait and see approach because first, I really don’t want to go into another however small surgery it might be, and I am starting a new job on Monday. It won’t be a good idea to ask for time off to get an MRI and go for more doctor’s appointments right off the bed. I am super excited about my new job and if this leg issue is not dangerous, that’s all I need to know.
The bottom line – I am very happy that I have had this surgery. I have no back pain, just occasional tightness and buttock discomfort. I can walk, stand and sit for as long as I want. Before the surgery the longest walk I could take was about half-an-hour and my back was killing me after 5 minutes of standing up. Not anymore! I am also very pleased with the cosmetic result and that I can wear anything I want, feel confident and be able to turn heads at the ripe age of 46!
Looking back and reflecting on nasty complications that I had right after the surgery, I would say that I would do it all over again. Of course, I would prefer not to have that abdominal hematoma that brought me back to the hospital for an emergency surgery, but it’s all behind me. First month was a pure hell and honestly, there were a few times when I thought: “What have I done?” but when that issue was taken care of, I started improving steadily.
I am writing this mainly for people that are considering having scoliosis surgery. This forum is a great place to get information, ask questions and share your fears. But it could be a scary place too. I remember being horrified after reading some posts of people who were not lucky… I feel really sorry for those who didn’t have a good outcome and hope that everyone finds a resolution and relief. But, I also think that representation on this or any other medical forum could be skewed. People that are happy with their results move on with their lives and tend to forget about these forums. And people who have problems tend to stick in here and support each other. I belong to the first category and unfortunately don’t post as much as I used to because I feel good and life is going on. We are all blessed with having a few regulars here, who are several years out and still take their time to post and support other people. Thank you Ed, Karen, Jennifer and Susan!
So, to the people that are considering surgery – please, keep in mind that there are a lot of us who are happy with the outcomes, but we just don’t post often anymore. The odds of getting a good outcome are much higher than the odds of getting a bad outcome. Yes, we should all know about risks and complications, but we should make an informed decision based on facts, not on fears. Do your homework, get as much information as you can and best of luck to all who are considering, recovering or are already several years out!
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