Leaning sideways

[Robbie]

Hi,

Has anyone found that, after their surgery, they still lean over to the side? I've noticed this on myself and it's a little discouraging to find that I do after going through the operation and everything. :( Does it get better at all? I'm five months post-surgery.

Robbie.

[crepehanger]

Robbie- I hope your leaning has gotten better since you posted, i FEEL like i am still leaning, but i ask my family if i am still straight, and they always say yes, but it sure feels like i overdid it and broke something at times. I tried to see your x-ray and it said it was not available on the server? would you consider reposting it- again, sure hope you have gotten better..... Lisa

[amae28]

i have not had surgery personally but a friend who has told me that she felt really crooked for quite a while after surgery too... i think maybe just getting used to the new center of balance can make it feel that way, and if you are actually leaning, hopefully its a muscle thing cause your muscles are used to the new shape and PT can help with that (if you've started it). Good luck!

[Shari]

This thread made me smile. I can't even count the number of times I asked different family members and friends if I looked straight. I think I was so used to what I looked like before that I thought I was crooked afterwards.

I think what you're going though is normal. It's been 2 years for me and I still wonder sometimes if I look straight. But early on in my recovery, I held myself in a stiffened position because of the fact that my muscles were still healing. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but one day I woke up from a good nights sleep and my shoulders had dropped back into a normal position. I know it sounds strange but it happened.

It takes a while sometimes to used to our new bodies!!!

Shari

[rainbow2010]

My daughter's physical therapest told her to look in a full length mirror and practice standing straight. Your muscles are used to leaning one way from your curve and you have to train your brain and muscles to stand straight now that you have had surgery.

[iggystar]

I've always naturally stand up as straight as possible. If I relax and stand normally then it feels like the lung on my right is getting squished. It feels liked I'm always trying to correct my curve.

I don't think I lean too much, but I can't really tell. I know it feels like I tilt my head to.

I don't know I think I've been compensating for so long I don't know what I'm doing!!!!

[Karen Ocker]

Amputees have phantom pain; we get "phantom crookedness". ;)

I felt twisted for a long time.

[Shari]

Karen,

I think you summed it up in a way that even I understand!!! That was the most perfect way to explain it!!! :)

Shari