weird question but concerned about shrinking

[gayle]

has anyone noticed before surgery that you can tell if you are shrinking?like your curve has changed to where you feel different?

[Cakedec]

Have you lost any height? That will tell you for sure. But I know that I definitely felt for the past five years that my curves were progressing and I felt more compressed, especially my lower lumbar curve (76) which would almost get locked between my ribs and my pelvic bone. It became very uncomfortable to even sit and I would wedge a pillow down there for support.

Also I felt like I couldn't take very full breaths anymore and got winded much easier (although they will tell you it doesn't do this before 90 degrees, but I don't believe it).

The upper curve was pushing against my shoulder blade and pinching off my arm making it feel tingly and achy at times. Another thing I noticed was that if I lay on either side in bed, the arm I was lying on would fall asleep. Since my surgery, it doesn't do that anymore so it must be less compression on it from the curves.

What symptoms are you having?

Deb
age 47
posterior surgery 7/24/06
30 degrees correction
DON'T WAIT TO GET STRAIGHT!!!

[Suzy]

Hi Gayle,

I thought I was putting on weight although my scale said I was the same. With my shrinking of 1" I had more skin above my waistband from my height reduction. My 4* per year curve advance made me think I was just getting thicker in the middle year after year. After surgery it was gone.

[Singer]

Hi Gayle -- I've shrunk two inches and have also started to fold over at the hip and waist. My stomach feels really odd when I sit -- like the skin is just folding in on itself. I would be ecstatic to have that go away after surgery.

[gayle]

yeah i have noticed for about a week now,my left arm would start hurting every once inawhile like it was sore in one area and weird so maybe my curve is pinching the nerve or something.i havent measured my height recently but i guess i must be shrinking because my stomach does seem to stick out more like my middle is being squished just like everyone said.i havent gained any weight at all.its scary to know that by february of my surgery i could be alot worse with my curves.i wonder if they will do anymore x-rays right before?

[Frosty]

I think that it is possible to lose height with scoliosis but this is usually a gradual process. As people enter middle age there maybe a small loss of height even without scoliosis. We all have elderly relatives who have gone from say 5'6'' to 5'3'' over time just through the ageing process. In adults any worsening of the curve is usually slow so you won't shrink over the space of 6 mths say. Also you may be an inch taller when you get out of bed than in the evening but this too is normal.

[bbest]

I lost some height but for me it was gradual and I didn't notice it while it was happening.

[HGD24]

I did notice in the year prior to my surgery that I had a roll of skin/fat at my waist that I never had before and was the same weight, so that tipped me off. Then I was measured and sure enough, I had lost 1/4" of height in just 2 years.

[Frosty]

HG24. A quarter of an inch over two years is still a pretty gradual loss though and you do appear to have had pretty bad curves. I think the original poster was concerned about significant height loss which will only occur over a substantial period of time.

[dawney]

I am not sure how much I lost over the years but We measured before and after surgery and it lookks like I got about an inch back.

[gayle]

i cant really tell if ive lost height i just notice that my middle looks different than it did 6 months ago.like my ribs are almost to my hips.

[HGD24]

At 29 years of age, I consider any loss of height to be a pretty big deal (and so did my surgeon and medical personnel in my family), so to me losing even just a 1/4" and having it affect my body type was a significant indicator that there was a major problem going on.

[Frosty]

At 29 years of age, I consider any loss of height to be a pretty big deal (and so did my surgeon and medical personnel in my family), so to me losing even just a 1/4" and having it affect my body type was a significant indicator that there was a major problem going on.

HGD24, I wasn't belittling your concerns in my earlier post. You had bad curves of over 70 degrees and needed surgery. Curves of that degree can result in a height loss I guess. A quarter of an inch is not likely to be noticed by people though. Your height can vary by an inch from dawn till dusk anyway. The original poster seemed to be concerned that in the wait till surgery in 6 months or so she would lose height. This will not happen.

[mebo]

I have gone from over 5"2 to under 5"1. My curves have been big enough my whole life I've had less of a waistline and "figure" than I would have, given y good diet and exercise. It is so upsetting. Anyway, I'm having surgery for first time on 12/20, (terrified!!!) and I am hopeful that the secondary, cosmetic effects will be nice, and of course that I get some height back, and most of all that I will be able to have a very, very phsysical and athletic life, which is very important to my whole identity..

mary
maryandkids@earthlink.net