tilted to on side...

[lelc2002@yahoo]

I was at P.T. the other day & a therapist there who I did not know well, came up and said I was more tilted/crooked than usual. It had been raining & my left side/tummy incision was bothering me so I guess I was leaning to the good side? I left a bit upset(paranoid, I guess) and know he was trying to help me as he showed me my posture in the mirror before I left. Now I feel conscious of it & trying to keep myleft shoulder down a bit more. I still have a 60/60 curve so no doubt I still have a 'tilt' to one side. I just hope all is the same & the curve/fusion is holding!
is anyone elseleaning to one side due to the incision area? thks,ly

[Susie*Bee]

I'm tilted sometimes too...

We already pm'd this, I know. I think I tend to tilt a little more when I'm tired and not thinking about it. My PT said to look in the mirror and raise my right shoulder and hip a little to feel what "right" feels like... I think for the most part I do ok--I mostly looked straight before my surgery, at least I thought so! But looking back I think my head was about an inch off from the center of my hips. My curves left my trunk looking pretty straight. I think it's a muscle thing and a matter of relearning what straight feels like. I know it's been discussed in the body image post by people, and they are talking about needing to rethink what they look like now--as in being taller, straighter, etc. But I have the opposite problem. I think of myself as being taller and straighter, because I didn't realize I had shrunk and gotten crooked! What a dimwit! I was totally shocked when I saw my first scoli x-ray in 2005... I had no idea I looked like that!!! No wonder my back bothered me! I took a photo of the x-ray and sent it pronto to my kids, so they could understand. Talk just doesn't cut it for some things... I STILL didn't understand the full impact until a couple of months before my surgery, when I decided to bend over and take a good look at my naked back in the mirror... I guess the word "deformed" had never before been connected in my little brain with the concept of "me." I still don't like that word, but it doesn't change things any. I did gain about an inch and a little with my surgery--and got a wonderful correction of just 15 degrees, but am still shorter than I used to be. Degenerative disc disease and all that...

I think I have digressed from the point... which is that I apparently compensated over the years and now have to learn to undo what I trained my muscles to do. And I guess that means standing in front of a mirror some to feel what is "right." Right now it feels "wrong"-- like I'm raising my shoulder up in an unnatural way... We'll (hopefully) get there!

[Shari]

Hi Lynne,

No offense intended, but you said he doesn't know you that well. Does he really know what you have been through???

When I get tense or am in pain I know I hold my shoulders different, it's almost a reflex for me. I eventually realize I'm doing it and drop them. I don't feel quilty about it at all.

I think that what we have had to live with prior to surgery, then the changes we have to deal with afterwards, we reserve the right to have an occasional posture problem. I'm more curious about what your family and friends think about your progress than someone that doesn't even know you!!!

Just a question?
Shari

[CStadler]

Perhaps he is just trying to make you more aware of standing straighter. I have very painful shoulder issues now from tending to lean into the tilt. My guy told me it is natural to lean forward all day and not square your shoulders into good posture. I am sure he didn't mean to make you feel self conscious maybe just more aware so you don't end up with other problems. Always see the positive!