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  • Ta-daaaaah! After x-rays ...

    Down from 53° to a bit < 20°.

    And best of all, incision healed completely (they commented on the VERY thorough steri-strip job, Sherie - LOL), and I can take a bubble bath.

    I'm gonna marinate until I look like a raisin!!!

    A/P Post-op
    Sagittal Post-op

    Regards,
    Pam

    Oh, and I'm free, I'm free!!! (i.e., I can drive - yay!)
    Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
    AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


    41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
    Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
    Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


    VIEW MY X-RAYS
    EMAIL ME

  • #2
    awesome!

    WoW! Congrats on your correction!! Hope things are going well!
    [[hailey]]

    16 years old
    Had spinal fusion surgery on Jan. 30th, 2008 with Dr. Howard King at St. Luke's Children's Hospital in Boise
    Pre surgery: 52º Lumbar curve and 25º Thoracic curve

    Comment


    • #3
      Fantastic!

      Pam--that's fantastic! And your x-rays are great. Congratulations on the super report, great correction, and being set free!
      71 and plugging along... but having some problems
      2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
      5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
      Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

      Corrected to 15°
      CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
      10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

      Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Pam, Great correction, your saggital x-ray - was that taken lying down on your side?? Or did you just have your arm up flexing your muscles?? LOL!
        Be careful driving!!!!! Took Elysia out today for her first trip in the car with lots of pillows - all good so long as I stick to the smooth roads and don't go down any goat tracks!!! (We have poor roads in some part of Aust that our stupid government calls "main roads!"

        Keep up all your good work!

        xx
        Del
        Elysia 16 in Feb 2010
        Sydney - Australia
        Feb 2008 Fused T5-L1 and 5 ribs removed.
        Dec 2009 - Crankshafting
        Dec 10 - Revision surgery...3 vertebrae taken down, hooks removed, at T11-L1 - screws inserted, fusion extended down to
        L3 using Pedicle screws, some rib removed to try to derotate. Praying for things to settle.

        Comment


        • #5
          Lookin' good, Pam. Glad everything checked out ok. I was a little concerned that maybe I did something the doc would fuss about. Did he remove all the stitches today?

          Sorry I didn't get back to you. We're rescheduled for Mar. 6, hope the weather's better by then.

          Comment


          • #6
            Great news, Pam!! You should be VERY pleased with that correction!!

            Careful driving
            mariaf305@yahoo.com
            Mom to David, age 17, braced June 2000 to March 2004
            Vertebral Body Stapling 3/10/04 for 40 degree curve (currently mid 20's)

            https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisTethering/

            http://pediatricspinefoundation.org/

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Aussiemum
              Hi Pam, Great correction, your saggital x-ray - was that taken lying down on your side?? Or did you just have your arm up flexing your muscles?? LOL!
              Be careful driving!!!!! Took Elysia out today for her first trip in the car with lots of pillows - all good so long as I stick to the smooth roads and don't go down any goat tracks!!!

              Heya, Del ;-)

              The xrays were all standing ... Hanson just prefers (do not ask me why - never seen it before) to have the arms up, fists balled at shoulders.

              I can't be in any more danger on the road than the cab ride home from the doctor today ... geez! I specifically pointed out as I got IN the cab (from the Baylor Othopedics building, I might add) I'd just had back surgery. From everything that happened after, I was apparently not speaking the language of choice.

              My ears started to spontaneously hemorrhage from some radio station I didn't even know existed blaring at above legal limit decibel, playing everyone's favorite's like "I Will Always Love You" and that "If You Like Pina Coladas" song - aggggggghhhhh!.

              This joyous excursion to HELL was replete with sudden stops, quick lane changes, last minutes decisions to blow through orange lights, and a homing beacon for every damn pothole through the outskirts of downtown Houston ...

              I finally snapped.

              "YOU. Yes, you ... holding the volume knob of torture!! I cannot think with that %&$^ rattling the windows, and when I can think, I'm thinking if you don't kill me before we get to our destination, you'd better plan for a hasty retreat as soon as I throw you the fare and your 2 cent tip!! "

              "I don't know how you say 'back surgery' where you're from, but BACK SURGERY. (Pointing like a maniac at my back, flailing my office visit receipt about ... I may have even made a "cha-ching!" sound) ... BACK SURRRRRRRRRGERY!!!

              (Okay, he could have made a "not so hasty" retreat and been perfectly safe because I'm not moving all *that* quickly - LOL. He didn't appear all that frightened. Maybe because he watched me crawl in the cab - a little mini van - on my knees. He could have had the decency to look semi-alarmed.)

              Everything is blooming here - apparently (especially) even the birds - because my car is covered in lovely gold dust and "presents". The *first* place I'm driving tomorrow is to the carwash ;-).

              Moral of the story? Everyone in Houston prepare for rain Wednesday.

              Pam
              Last edited by txmarinemom; 02-26-2008, 12:53 AM.
              Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
              AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


              41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
              Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
              Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


              VIEW MY X-RAYS
              EMAIL ME

              Comment


              • #8
                Your not a writer in the real world are you Pam????? You crack me up!!!!! You've gotta put all these posts together and publish a book when your recovery is over!!! You are so funny - Your friends are lucky - you must be a scream to go out on the town with!!

                xx
                Del
                Elysia 16 in Feb 2010
                Sydney - Australia
                Feb 2008 Fused T5-L1 and 5 ribs removed.
                Dec 2009 - Crankshafting
                Dec 10 - Revision surgery...3 vertebrae taken down, hooks removed, at T11-L1 - screws inserted, fusion extended down to
                L3 using Pedicle screws, some rib removed to try to derotate. Praying for things to settle.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Sherie
                  Lookin' good, Pam. Glad everything checked out ok. I was a little concerned that maybe I did something the doc would fuss about. Did he remove all the stitches today?

                  Sorry I didn't get back to you. We're rescheduled for Mar. 6, hope the weather's better by then.
                  Hanson doesn't fuss at me ... he just rolls his eyes.

                  All was fine - the incision looks great. That mass of tape and steri-strips had magical healing powers ;-). I'll get a pic up of the before and after "real back" when I can (fair warning ... my mother - who has a hate/hate relationship with electronic devices - took the before "real back" pic the morning of surgery). I honestly can't guarantee it's OF my back.

                  John (who was actually quite personable today ... it made me nervous - LOL) took out my stitches - actually one long one. I remembered why I HATE stitches (they are always a few days too late coming out). Other than staples, however, regular stitches are my only option: My body reacts strangely to dissolvable stitches. If used on the surface, they remain intact; when used internally, my body spits them out.

                  Yes, it's sad I've had enough ortho trauma repairs from softball I even KNOW this.

                  I hope the 6th goes smoothly for y'all (I can't imagine it could possibly be more rocky).

                  Regards, and thanks for everything!

                  Pam
                  Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                  AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                  41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                  Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                  Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                  VIEW MY X-RAYS
                  EMAIL ME

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Aussiemum
                    Your not a writer in the real world are you Pam????? You crack me up!!!!! You've gotta put all these posts together and publish a book when your recovery is over!!! You are so funny - Your friends are lucky - you must be a scream to go out on the town with!!

                    xx
                    Del
                    LOL.

                    No, but I have actually started writing a few books out of boredom during recovery. I'm sure they'll be revered by drugged up, bored, recovering people everywhere.

                    Unfortunately, in all likelihood, my main audience will neither recall reading them, nor the titles to refer to friends.

                    (note to self ... consider a new fan base ...)
                    Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                    AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                    41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                    Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                    Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                    VIEW MY X-RAYS
                    EMAIL ME

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yeah Pam, you ARE too funny! Maybe the reason the driver didn't respond well was because he's hard of hearing. Glad to hear that you're incision is closed up well. Be glad they didn't use staples. I had an accident a while back and had a cut on the back of my head. The knucklehead in the ER used staples instead of sutures. First was having to lie down so that my head would put pressure on the gash to stop the bleeding. That hurt! Then later, the fun of having the staples taken out. That hurts a bit too. I can only imagine how bad it would be to have that many of them taken out, and I only had 5 or 6. LOL

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Slice, hon ... you know with my surgical background, I've been stapled a time or 10.

                        My first knee surgery involved 23 staples. To me, they hurt less coming out than sutures ... that tend to grow in. Most definitely, they leave a more nasty scar.

                        I'm not sure at this point scars are in any way a concern for me - LOL. It is what it is ... and it all proves you were HERE.

                        ~p
                        Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                        AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                        41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                        Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                        Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                        VIEW MY X-RAYS
                        EMAIL ME

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Very interesting! As you probably figured out, I've had just the opposite experience, especially when the weight of your head is on the metal. Yeah, I've had a bit of trouble with a stitch or two that they had trouble cutting, but otherwise pretty painless. Here's an experience that will really date me. I remember the times in my childhood when I've had IV's in with the butterfly needles that they used to have - plastic butterfly, metal needle. Ughhhh. What a difference the plastic catheters they use makes! Yeah, yeah, I know it's off topic. LOL

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Pam,

                            Living in New York City, I've had a cab ride or two similar to that lovely one you wrote about so I was really cracking up reading it. But I could NEVER tell about my experiences in such entertaining fashion.

                            I DEFINITELY want a copy of that first book you write. You had me in stitches (no pun intended).
                            mariaf305@yahoo.com
                            Mom to David, age 17, braced June 2000 to March 2004
                            Vertebral Body Stapling 3/10/04 for 40 degree curve (currently mid 20's)

                            https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisTethering/

                            http://pediatricspinefoundation.org/

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Thanks Pam. I nearly choked on my coffee because I was laughing so hard reading about your cab ride!!

                              The xrays look awesome and I'm glad to hear everything went well at your appointment!
                              Lori

                              Mom to Christopher, age 17, Mark, 13, Heather, 10 and Michael, 8
                              Chris had surgery with Dr. John Flynn at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on December 12, 2007. He is fused T4 to L4.
                              Dr. Flynn is an AMAZING surgeon!

                              Comment

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