Hello everyone,
My name is Jen and I just recently found this board and decided to become a part of it. I am 24, and had my surgery nearly 12 years ago. Hard to believe it was that long ago, as it sometimes feels like just yesterday. I'll try and be brief in my story...
My scoliosis was discovered when I was about 10. They had actually noticed it at birth, but said it was nothing to worry about at the time. After it was discovered during a routine check in gym class, I was sent to doctors and eventually put into a brace. I had an "S" curve, and while the lower curvature was only measured at about 20 degrees, the upper was at 33 and nearing crossing that dreaded line of needing surgery. I was stuck in a plastic brace for 23 hours a day, everyday, for about a year. It was at that time, things began to get sour. My dad had been seeing a chiropractor for a long time for his own back pains. One day, my dad mentioned my situation to him, to which he enthusiastically replied "I can fix that!" My dad, overjoyed at the possibility, brought me in. Dr. X (wouldn't want to ruin his good name... yeah right) was very convincing to my parents and I, telling us exactly what he'd be doing and how he'd do it and what would happen. I began seeing him twice a week... and he wasn't cheap. Everything he did was pretty painful, but, hey, he's the doctor. After a few months, he told me that as long as I was seeing him, I no longer need to wear my brace. As a fun-loving, outdoorsy 11 year old, who was I to argue with that?? As time went on, he continued telling my parents and I how much I was improving. My parents then decided to have Xrays done. He insisted they were unnecessary, but after another month, my parents were very suspicious and took me in to get them. There was the proof of a huge, sick lie... my lower curve had progressed to 30 degrees, while my upper was now 60 degrees. That same day, a group of surgeons walked in to my exam room and said surgery was inevitable. We were all so angry and upset, my parents felt guilty for believing this rediculous "doctor" who said he could help... but I'm sure any of you know what the power of suggestion can do for a very hopeful person.
The surgery was scheduled for just 2 months after that discovery. My spine was beginning to crowd my heart and lungs, and it seemed to get worse every day. Not long after that, I had a lot of trouble climbing a set of stairs and could no longer be in gym class. I was in surgery for 6 hours, during which they implanted 2 Herrington rods and a bunch of other hardware I was in the hospital for just over a week (during which my mom never left my side, including sleeping on the floor by my bed every single night...) and put in an upper body cast before I was released. I had more than a month off from school, and spent the next 3 months in the cast.
As for the fraud who called himself a chiropractor... my parents looked into taking legal action, but it was decided that there was no way to prove that I wouldn't have needed the surgery anyway. All we'd have a chance of receiving would be money to cover what my parents spent taking me there 2x a week, but that would be eclipsed by legal fees. They asked me what I wanted, and I decided we'd all been through enough. Instead, I wrote the good doctor a long letter about a year later. I never received a response, but it was therapeutic for me and I was satisfied just to imagine him reading it and feeling ridiculously guilty for what he'd done to me (obviously, that was just my own hope... I'm sure he tossed it right away.)
Anyway... so much for a short summary If you actually read it all, I thank you for listening. It always feels good to let it out. I had a very hard time dealing with what had happened for about 2 years afterward, and I was also teased at school for a long time for having the brace/cast and for being "bionic." As I said earlier, it's been 12 years now... and I am doing just fine. Rods are still in place and people find me fascinating when they find out I have rods in my back. I'm sure you've all heard this one..... "Can you go through metal detectors at the airport???"
Please reply and share your story with me as well, I'm always interested to hear them. I applaud each and every one of you for enduring and surviving your own unique scoliosis situations... I hope someday they will find an easier way to stop/cure/fix this. Thanks again for reading!
My name is Jen and I just recently found this board and decided to become a part of it. I am 24, and had my surgery nearly 12 years ago. Hard to believe it was that long ago, as it sometimes feels like just yesterday. I'll try and be brief in my story...
My scoliosis was discovered when I was about 10. They had actually noticed it at birth, but said it was nothing to worry about at the time. After it was discovered during a routine check in gym class, I was sent to doctors and eventually put into a brace. I had an "S" curve, and while the lower curvature was only measured at about 20 degrees, the upper was at 33 and nearing crossing that dreaded line of needing surgery. I was stuck in a plastic brace for 23 hours a day, everyday, for about a year. It was at that time, things began to get sour. My dad had been seeing a chiropractor for a long time for his own back pains. One day, my dad mentioned my situation to him, to which he enthusiastically replied "I can fix that!" My dad, overjoyed at the possibility, brought me in. Dr. X (wouldn't want to ruin his good name... yeah right) was very convincing to my parents and I, telling us exactly what he'd be doing and how he'd do it and what would happen. I began seeing him twice a week... and he wasn't cheap. Everything he did was pretty painful, but, hey, he's the doctor. After a few months, he told me that as long as I was seeing him, I no longer need to wear my brace. As a fun-loving, outdoorsy 11 year old, who was I to argue with that?? As time went on, he continued telling my parents and I how much I was improving. My parents then decided to have Xrays done. He insisted they were unnecessary, but after another month, my parents were very suspicious and took me in to get them. There was the proof of a huge, sick lie... my lower curve had progressed to 30 degrees, while my upper was now 60 degrees. That same day, a group of surgeons walked in to my exam room and said surgery was inevitable. We were all so angry and upset, my parents felt guilty for believing this rediculous "doctor" who said he could help... but I'm sure any of you know what the power of suggestion can do for a very hopeful person.
The surgery was scheduled for just 2 months after that discovery. My spine was beginning to crowd my heart and lungs, and it seemed to get worse every day. Not long after that, I had a lot of trouble climbing a set of stairs and could no longer be in gym class. I was in surgery for 6 hours, during which they implanted 2 Herrington rods and a bunch of other hardware I was in the hospital for just over a week (during which my mom never left my side, including sleeping on the floor by my bed every single night...) and put in an upper body cast before I was released. I had more than a month off from school, and spent the next 3 months in the cast.
As for the fraud who called himself a chiropractor... my parents looked into taking legal action, but it was decided that there was no way to prove that I wouldn't have needed the surgery anyway. All we'd have a chance of receiving would be money to cover what my parents spent taking me there 2x a week, but that would be eclipsed by legal fees. They asked me what I wanted, and I decided we'd all been through enough. Instead, I wrote the good doctor a long letter about a year later. I never received a response, but it was therapeutic for me and I was satisfied just to imagine him reading it and feeling ridiculously guilty for what he'd done to me (obviously, that was just my own hope... I'm sure he tossed it right away.)
Anyway... so much for a short summary If you actually read it all, I thank you for listening. It always feels good to let it out. I had a very hard time dealing with what had happened for about 2 years afterward, and I was also teased at school for a long time for having the brace/cast and for being "bionic." As I said earlier, it's been 12 years now... and I am doing just fine. Rods are still in place and people find me fascinating when they find out I have rods in my back. I'm sure you've all heard this one..... "Can you go through metal detectors at the airport???"
Please reply and share your story with me as well, I'm always interested to hear them. I applaud each and every one of you for enduring and surviving your own unique scoliosis situations... I hope someday they will find an easier way to stop/cure/fix this. Thanks again for reading!
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