I would like to first let everyone know how much I've enjoyed reading the entries on this Forum and what encouragement they have given me. Sometimes I feel so alone and as if no one really quite understands what it's like to have scoliosis. When I read the Forum, I know there are many others who share the same challenge.
After suffering for the past ~10 years or so, I've finally decided to have surgery. I go back to my doctor in mid-February, and we plan to set a surgery date for late March. I'm afraid and my husband is also very afraid, but we've both agreed that it's time to bite the bullet. I've had surgery before (misdiagnosed appendicitis) that caused 3 months of pain and illness, which almost took my life, so both of us get very nervous when we're even in the radius of a hospital. (I still detest the smell of hospital soap.) But we can see when something is for the best and that we should look at the long-term goal.
I'm 54 years old and have a ~50 degree scoliosis very low in the lumbar region, which was never diagnosed in my teenage years. We've shopped for the right orthopedic surgeon that we feel very comfortable with, and he's proposing to fuse my spine to the sacrum and up to T10. L5 is too deformed to hold the back upright. He feels he can do the surgery from the posterior only. He's hoping to achieve a correction (worst case) in the area of 30-35 degrees or, at best, in the 20-29 degree area. Needless to say, I have lots of problems sitting for prolonged periods of time and a wooden chair is my worst nightmare. I haven't worked for six months because I could only have a standing desk, and it's become too painful to stand for eight hours at a time.
Any encouragement for surgery is welcome, but if there's people out there that have a lumbar scoliosis and/or have been fused to the sacrum, I'd like to hear how your surgery went, how long it took for you to feel better and any experiences with surgery that you'd like to share.
I know I've said I'm afraid, but I'm also psych'ed for surgery too. Thanks in advance for your help!
Florida Judy
After suffering for the past ~10 years or so, I've finally decided to have surgery. I go back to my doctor in mid-February, and we plan to set a surgery date for late March. I'm afraid and my husband is also very afraid, but we've both agreed that it's time to bite the bullet. I've had surgery before (misdiagnosed appendicitis) that caused 3 months of pain and illness, which almost took my life, so both of us get very nervous when we're even in the radius of a hospital. (I still detest the smell of hospital soap.) But we can see when something is for the best and that we should look at the long-term goal.
I'm 54 years old and have a ~50 degree scoliosis very low in the lumbar region, which was never diagnosed in my teenage years. We've shopped for the right orthopedic surgeon that we feel very comfortable with, and he's proposing to fuse my spine to the sacrum and up to T10. L5 is too deformed to hold the back upright. He feels he can do the surgery from the posterior only. He's hoping to achieve a correction (worst case) in the area of 30-35 degrees or, at best, in the 20-29 degree area. Needless to say, I have lots of problems sitting for prolonged periods of time and a wooden chair is my worst nightmare. I haven't worked for six months because I could only have a standing desk, and it's become too painful to stand for eight hours at a time.
Any encouragement for surgery is welcome, but if there's people out there that have a lumbar scoliosis and/or have been fused to the sacrum, I'd like to hear how your surgery went, how long it took for you to feel better and any experiences with surgery that you'd like to share.
I know I've said I'm afraid, but I'm also psych'ed for surgery too. Thanks in advance for your help!
Florida Judy
Comment