Hi Everyone,
I haven't been much of a poster in the past but I have been a constant reader. I can't tell you how helpful I found this forum both before my surgery and ever since. I would like to say thanks to all of you as I am very grateful.
I do have an issue to contribute now though and I was wondering if any others have had this problem. In May of 2007 I had anterior fusion L1-L5 and posterior fusion T5-L5. Immediately after the surgery I had an enormous bloated belly that hasn't gone down much since, proportionally. Incisional hernia was ruled out by ultrasound and it's not a tumor, it just seems that the incisions have left me with upper and lower abs that are completely shot. I even did PT and then exercises at home with not much result. Before the surgery I had a thick waist from the scoli but not the pregnant belly I have now. My curves were corrected successfully, I regained 3 inches of height, my rib hump is almost all gone, and I was lucky enough to have an uneventful recovery, but the last thing I expected was to STILL have to wear my elastic waists and my loose tops and to look worse than before the surgery, since the hump was disguised better than the belly is. My surgeon has said I can go back to Pilates mat work and my regular teacher is starting a new class in September. I will see if that helps. But has anyone else had issues with belly muscles? Also, all along the anterior scar you can see this sausage shaped bulge of muscle which is why I was checked for incisional hernia.
I am 55 so not concerned about bikinis but am fairly active and have always looked fit. Now that the big stuff is over I am back to disliking my appearance and not liking it one bit! Any one else have this problem?
Steff
----------------------
straighter but still with body image issues
I haven't been much of a poster in the past but I have been a constant reader. I can't tell you how helpful I found this forum both before my surgery and ever since. I would like to say thanks to all of you as I am very grateful.
I do have an issue to contribute now though and I was wondering if any others have had this problem. In May of 2007 I had anterior fusion L1-L5 and posterior fusion T5-L5. Immediately after the surgery I had an enormous bloated belly that hasn't gone down much since, proportionally. Incisional hernia was ruled out by ultrasound and it's not a tumor, it just seems that the incisions have left me with upper and lower abs that are completely shot. I even did PT and then exercises at home with not much result. Before the surgery I had a thick waist from the scoli but not the pregnant belly I have now. My curves were corrected successfully, I regained 3 inches of height, my rib hump is almost all gone, and I was lucky enough to have an uneventful recovery, but the last thing I expected was to STILL have to wear my elastic waists and my loose tops and to look worse than before the surgery, since the hump was disguised better than the belly is. My surgeon has said I can go back to Pilates mat work and my regular teacher is starting a new class in September. I will see if that helps. But has anyone else had issues with belly muscles? Also, all along the anterior scar you can see this sausage shaped bulge of muscle which is why I was checked for incisional hernia.
I am 55 so not concerned about bikinis but am fairly active and have always looked fit. Now that the big stuff is over I am back to disliking my appearance and not liking it one bit! Any one else have this problem?
Steff
----------------------
straighter but still with body image issues
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