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Appt. with Dr. Kebaish

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  • Appt. with Dr. Kebaish

    I went to Baltimore for my first visit with Dr. Kebaish at Johns Hopkins today. My greatest fear of a dual procedure apparently was justified because that’s exactly what he has proposed. In a way it’s better to know than to not know because the ‘what ifing’ was driving me a little crazy! The bright spot is that the incision site for the anterior procedure he proposed would be in the front, similar to the incision made during a cesarean procedure, not the long right side incision. Be thankful for small favors, right? The downside is that he felt any fusing would start at T3 and extend as far as at least L5 and possibly to the tailbone complete with pelvic screws. Exactly how far he would need to extend the fusion would depend upon the quality of my lumbar and sacral areas. I now have scripts for an MRI and bending x-rays….

    I was mentally prepared (I think) for a thoracic fusion but something like this?? On the other hand the pain I have is often (daily) so bad I have this running monologue in my head that goes something like this, “Oh God, oh God, oh God…” and from the outside I am carrying on like business as usual so that no one knows on the inside that I am crying. My other mantra is “Tall spine, tall spine, tall spine…” because by the end of the day I am not really standing upright anymore and I constantly have to remind myself to stand up straight. It hurts. So how much more of this kind of life can I keep up? ( I know surgery is no guarantee for pain removal or even reduction but a girl’s got to hope doesn’t she?)

    Just how much does a fusion of this magnitude change your activity level??? Holy cow, I cannot even imagine…would I still be able to dance? To ride my bike? To dive? To …..?
    Julie - 51 yrs old

    Dx'd 1973 - 43* thoracic curve / rotation
    Wore Milwaukee brace 1973 - 1979
    Pre-surgery: 63* thoracic / 52* lumbar curves


    Surgeries: P - March 16, 2009 - Fused T3-S2 with pelvic fixation
    A -April 14, 2009 - Fused L5-S1
    Achieved +70% Correction
    Dr. Khaled Kebaish, (and team) Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore


    Standing x-ray
    New Spine 03/19/2009
    New Spine Lateral 03/19/2009

  • #2
    wow- I guess I should have read this before I replied on the other. Boy, we do sound alike- even to the pain.

    One thing I have noticed that is sooooo exciting. When I sit at a table, my chin is no longer in my plate!!!! I am short anyway but now it has made me about 6 inches taller from the rear up when I sit. I sat at my piano today for the 1st time since surgery and I don't need to find books to put under me. Oh the wonderful "little" things.


    My daughters only "life" restriction was to not dive in water. Her Dr. said there was no proof but he felt if something went wrong, due to her back being so solid, her neck might break. That was 13 years ago. She has done absolutely everything else you can think of.

    I think I am already seeing I will surpass some of the "I will be happy if I can just do this, again" I am sorry to hear you have to do both but your right- we gotta do what we gotta do to gain back our lives!!!

    Nancy
    Nancy Joy

    Surgery- Posterior- Oct. 8th, 2008
    Anterior- Nov. 10th, 2008
    Age 54
    T10 to Sacrum
    Curve 65 degrees
    Very straight now!!!

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