OK, so I'm sure I'll get a lot of flack about choosing to have surgery, but I decided to post anyways about it. I went and saw Dr. Lawrence Lenke last week for the first time and he was AMAZING. I found out a lot that I am surprised no one else picked up on.
I've known I have scoliosis, but apparantly too I have kyphosis, 65 degrees. He told me that usually people with scoliosis have a relatively low kyphotic curve because of the scoliosis, but apparantly I don't. My scoliosis is 45 degrees, so not terrible but it is really painful. Lenke told me that possibly the pain could be coming from that fact that the amount that I am rotated is consistant with a 65 degree scoliosis curve (18 degrees) and so looking at me he thought that I have a larger curve than I really do. My curves have been consistantly been getting worse anywhere from 2-5 degrees a year. They were only 25T, 23L when I was diagnosed, and I was done growing at that point.
The other thing that was interesting that was found was that I am missing a vertebrae! He didn't seem to think it was a big deal but was rather surprised that no one else had picked this up after being followed for six years worth of x-rays.
Anyways, I am having surgery on June 20th, 2008 at Barnes Jewish hospital in St. Louis and will be fused somewhere around T5-L1. sometimes I feel stupid telling some of you about this who have 90 degree curves and are just living with it, but I can't live with it. I finally feel pretty comfortable with my decision and am ready to face this head on and hopefully have a good result.
I've known I have scoliosis, but apparantly too I have kyphosis, 65 degrees. He told me that usually people with scoliosis have a relatively low kyphotic curve because of the scoliosis, but apparantly I don't. My scoliosis is 45 degrees, so not terrible but it is really painful. Lenke told me that possibly the pain could be coming from that fact that the amount that I am rotated is consistant with a 65 degree scoliosis curve (18 degrees) and so looking at me he thought that I have a larger curve than I really do. My curves have been consistantly been getting worse anywhere from 2-5 degrees a year. They were only 25T, 23L when I was diagnosed, and I was done growing at that point.
The other thing that was interesting that was found was that I am missing a vertebrae! He didn't seem to think it was a big deal but was rather surprised that no one else had picked this up after being followed for six years worth of x-rays.
Anyways, I am having surgery on June 20th, 2008 at Barnes Jewish hospital in St. Louis and will be fused somewhere around T5-L1. sometimes I feel stupid telling some of you about this who have 90 degree curves and are just living with it, but I can't live with it. I finally feel pretty comfortable with my decision and am ready to face this head on and hopefully have a good result.
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