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  • I'm back!

    Hey everyone,

    I just wanted to let you know that my surgery went well. I'm sorry that I took this long to update everyone but the past almost 2 weeks have been really rough (I've been in pain and have been sleeping/tired alot)... you guys weren't kidding when you said this surgery was tough! I'm not sure what my curve degrees are now because my surgeon said she doesn't usually measure the post op curve until a month afterward. I did see my before and after x-rays though and the after one looks pretty darn straight and I must say that I am happy with it. I also had a thoracoplasty done involving 6 ribs... it was planned to be less going into the surgery but when the surgeon began my ribs were so deformed that she had to do 6 which is the maximum number of ribs she works on. The surgeon used the bone from the ribs involved to fuse the spine. So on my post op x-ray you can see parts of the rib missing from the 6 ribs. My surgery was about 6 hours long and I was fused from T4 - L3 as planned. The surgery was shorter than expected because I didn't lose alot of blood (but was still given back the two pints I donated) and also responded to the wake up test as soon as I was asked to move my feet. I came home from the hospital on Monday night after spending a week there, and was more than ready to be leaving... but the ride home was rough because the hospital is more than an hour away from my home.

    I'm so happy to have the actual surgery done and out of the way. What a relief it is even though I now have to deal with the pain and recovery.

    I am having one problem though and I'm not sure if it's normal. My skin seems to be really sore/sensitive... not just the skin on my back... the skin on my chest, tummy, arms & thighs, my clothes rubbing against my skin hurts and even the water running on my skin when I shower... much less anyone touching me. My surgeon has never heard of this happening before but thinks it may be a reaction to the pain killers. Has anyone else ever heard of this? If so is there anything that I can do?
    Also ever since I woke up from surgery my right thigh has been numb on the top and outer side but my surgeon assures me that that will go away wth time...
    I'm also having a constipation problem but I'm taking stool softeners so I hope that will help me improve in that area.

    Wow that was a long post and it's tired me out... it's amazing how tired I get from the small things these days... so I'm going to rest now. Will talk to you guys later
    Last edited by VincySweety; 07-01-2007, 10:07 AM.
    Nadia
    I'm 19
    Diagnosed with Scoliosis at age 16
    Curves as of June 2006: 48T & 40L
    Curves as of June 2007: 52T & 43L
    Surgery date: June 18, 2007
    "A smile is a curve that can straighten out anything"

  • #2
    Yay Nadia! We're glad you are back home safely. I only had a 20 minute ride home from the hospital and that was rough, so I can't imagine what you had to go through. Looking forward to hearing and sharing more recovery stories. Hang in there!

    Best,
    Anya
    "You must be the change you want to see in the world."

    Previously 55 degree thoracolumbar curve
    Surgery June 5, 2007 - Dr. Clifford Tribus, University of Wisconsin Hospital
    19 degrees post-op!

    http://abhbarry.blogspot.com

    Comment


    • #3
      Nadia! I am so glad to hear that everything went alright!!! I bet you are so glad to have it all over with. I'm sure the last thing you want to do right now is sit on the computer and reply to posts but maybe you're bored or something... how was getting up for the first time?
      Also, the constipation is from your pain meds and prolly not getting up and moving around a lot. I don't know about the skin sensitivity though but i'm sure it will go away with time like the numbness in your leg. The girl on my floor said that she felt crooked after surgery because she wasn't used to being straight so hopefully the new center of balance is feeling like a new you! Hang in there and I look forward to hearing more how everything is going! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!
      Abbie
      aBbiE
      22 yr old F,KU college student
      Kyphoscoliosis...
      Scoliosis (25T, 23L) diagnosed @ 14 yrs old; curves June 08 were 45T, 32L with 18 degree rotation
      Kyphosis of 65 degrees...
      I am missing a lumbar vertebrae

      Surgery 6/30/2008 with Dr. Lawrence Lenke
      Fused T2-L2


      before/after pics
      all smiles!

      Comment


      • #4
        Nadia- I'm so happy you are doing well & back! Yes, the ride from the hospital to home or rehab is quite a ride... I won't forget it since mine was about 2 hrs & it started in NYC tunnel traffic....auggh! Ly

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        • #5
          Nadia

          I happy to hear you are doing well. As for skin sensitivity I asked the same questions months ago because I was experiencing the same thing and was told that it is normal, and can last for a while. I am almost 5 months post op and sometimes I still experience it. I used Senokot (sp) and stool softener for constipation.

          Sue

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          • #6
            Welcome back, Nadia !

            My right thigh was numb, and it extended to toes, like getting a shot of anesthetic and it hasnt worn off, BUT, it is getting a little better as the weeks go by. My surgeon said it takes up to 6 months for the feeling to come back in those kids of things, but I realize that it was trauma during the surgery, not spinal nerve pinching. I had several abrasions on my chest, and thighs, and even my face. They looked like carpet burns, but the ones on my thighs were on the outer edge and very sore. Mu husband said it was probably from the constant moving back and forth of my body on that hard sterile plastic, facedown for 11 1/2 hours. My rehab doc put me on Miralax and I like it (for the constipation). Keep looking in the mirror at that straight back and own it !!Congratulations for making it through the hardest part and getting home !!! Lisa
            Lisa age 47
            T curve 69 degrees
            L curve 40 degrees more or less - compensatory
            fused to from T-3 to sacrum
            anterior and posterior surgeries completed June 1, 2007
            pushing hard in recovery !!

            Comment


            • #7
              Congratulations Nadia on a good outcome. It's so encouraging to others!!!

              You're young and I think we older broads knew you would do well.

              Keep up the good work and keep us informed.

              Shari
              Last edited by Shari; 07-04-2007, 01:28 AM.

              Comment


              • #8
                Nadia, Welcome back! Glad to hear you surgery went well.

                Brandi
                Brandi
                Congenital Scoliosis, 58* lumbar curve
                Combined Anterior/Posterior Spinal Fusion w/Laminectomy May 22, 2006
                L1-S1
                Dr. William Lauerman
                Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
                Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy @ L3, Posterior Spinal Fusion L2-L4, rod removal with re-instrumentation T10-S1 and Laminectomy February 5, 2009 to correct flatback
                http://brandi816.wordpress.com/

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