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My Story - long but interesting!
I'm new here and I just want to tell my story to other people in the same situation to get some feedback.
I'm a 21 year old female living in Nova Scotia and I was diagnosed with lumbar scoliosis in September 2006. My curve is currently measuring 45 degrees and the pain is excruciating at times. The pain struck very suddenly for the first time two summers ago. I was just walking across my bedroom and I felt a sharp pain my back so bad I fell to my knees. It almost felt like something had popped out of place. I was on my hands and knees but wasn't able to move at all because of the pain. I was home alone and eventually was able to crawl over to reach my cell phone. I called a friend who came and took me to the hospital but it took a while for me to be able to even stand up. When I got out of the car at the hospital, the pain struck again. I fell in the parking lot and had to be carried inside. The wait was 8 hours to see a doctor (go Halifax!). At one point we went to the store to get a magazine and during this car ride the pain got worse so quickly I could hardly move a muscle without feeling like I was going to die. When we got back to the hospital a paramedic had to get me out of the car and put me in a wheelchair. After about 5 or 6 hours of waiting for a doctor the pain was so bad that I was bawling and shaking and felt like I was never going to be able to walk again.
When I finally got in to see the doctor he said I was having muscle spasms in my back. I told him it didn't feel like muscle spasms and I asked for an xray. He said it wasn't necessary. He gave me tylenol 3 and Naproxen and a needle in the butt and sent me on my way. I went to my family doctor the next day and told him that I vaguely remember being diagnosed with a mild form of scoliosis as a kid. I'm not even sure if this is right but he looked at my back and pointed out the fact that it was very crooked but said an xray would not be necessary. I could hardly walk for a week. It was very painful. Eventually the pain went away and I was pretty much pain free for about a year.
This summer the pain came back but not in the sharp pain I had first experienced. It was more of a dull aching pain whenever I was standing up or walking. I went back to the doctor and demanded an xray and was finally sent for one. Three weeks later he called and told me I had a 45 degree curve in my lower back which apparently is quite serious. He said I would have to go to physio 3 times a week and referred me to an orthopaedic specialist.
I have since found out the wait time to see this orthopaedic specialist is about a year so I've been doing some research of my own to try to find someone who will see me sooner. Also, my insurance only covers me $500 a year for physio, chiropractic, and massage therapy combined. I have been trying all of these methods and they have been helping with the pain a little bit but now, after 3 weeks, I am completely out of coverage. So now I get to go a year without any treatment. I have since also found out that it is very unlikely that I was having muscle spasms the night I was in the hospital. But nobody can seem to figure out what is causing the sharp shooting pains which still hit me from time to time.
Honestly the pain is so bad that sometimes I can't even stand up long enough to take a shower. I've had to get one of those handicap seats. I can't go for walks like I used to or anything. I have been trying yoga and pilates which are very relaxing but I have had so many appointments that I hardly have time to do yoga. I may be able to get in to the hospital for free physio but I'm on a waiting list for that.
I've also been told that I likely won't have to have surgery unless the pain doesn't go away and the curve continues to increase. At this point I don't know if it's increasing because they wouldn't xray me last year. I wish they had have so I would know now if it is getting worse. So now I wait another year to find out.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Kristy H
45 degree lumbar scoliosis
I'm a 21 year old female living in Nova Scotia and I was diagnosed with lumbar scoliosis in September 2006. My curve is currently measuring 45 degrees and the pain is excruciating at times. The pain struck very suddenly for the first time two summers ago. I was just walking across my bedroom and I felt a sharp pain my back so bad I fell to my knees. It almost felt like something had popped out of place. I was on my hands and knees but wasn't able to move at all because of the pain. I was home alone and eventually was able to crawl over to reach my cell phone. I called a friend who came and took me to the hospital but it took a while for me to be able to even stand up. When I got out of the car at the hospital, the pain struck again. I fell in the parking lot and had to be carried inside. The wait was 8 hours to see a doctor (go Halifax!). At one point we went to the store to get a magazine and during this car ride the pain got worse so quickly I could hardly move a muscle without feeling like I was going to die. When we got back to the hospital a paramedic had to get me out of the car and put me in a wheelchair. After about 5 or 6 hours of waiting for a doctor the pain was so bad that I was bawling and shaking and felt like I was never going to be able to walk again.
When I finally got in to see the doctor he said I was having muscle spasms in my back. I told him it didn't feel like muscle spasms and I asked for an xray. He said it wasn't necessary. He gave me tylenol 3 and Naproxen and a needle in the butt and sent me on my way. I went to my family doctor the next day and told him that I vaguely remember being diagnosed with a mild form of scoliosis as a kid. I'm not even sure if this is right but he looked at my back and pointed out the fact that it was very crooked but said an xray would not be necessary. I could hardly walk for a week. It was very painful. Eventually the pain went away and I was pretty much pain free for about a year.
This summer the pain came back but not in the sharp pain I had first experienced. It was more of a dull aching pain whenever I was standing up or walking. I went back to the doctor and demanded an xray and was finally sent for one. Three weeks later he called and told me I had a 45 degree curve in my lower back which apparently is quite serious. He said I would have to go to physio 3 times a week and referred me to an orthopaedic specialist.
I have since found out the wait time to see this orthopaedic specialist is about a year so I've been doing some research of my own to try to find someone who will see me sooner. Also, my insurance only covers me $500 a year for physio, chiropractic, and massage therapy combined. I have been trying all of these methods and they have been helping with the pain a little bit but now, after 3 weeks, I am completely out of coverage. So now I get to go a year without any treatment. I have since also found out that it is very unlikely that I was having muscle spasms the night I was in the hospital. But nobody can seem to figure out what is causing the sharp shooting pains which still hit me from time to time.
Honestly the pain is so bad that sometimes I can't even stand up long enough to take a shower. I've had to get one of those handicap seats. I can't go for walks like I used to or anything. I have been trying yoga and pilates which are very relaxing but I have had so many appointments that I hardly have time to do yoga. I may be able to get in to the hospital for free physio but I'm on a waiting list for that.
I've also been told that I likely won't have to have surgery unless the pain doesn't go away and the curve continues to increase. At this point I don't know if it's increasing because they wouldn't xray me last year. I wish they had have so I would know now if it is getting worse. So now I wait another year to find out.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Kristy H
45 degree lumbar scoliosis
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