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  • Nobody will tell me anything...

    As soon as I was up and about on my own post-op, I noticed that my right hip was looking odd. Lines that resembled veins were now visible, and if I jumped up and down a lot it hurt. The pain from jumping is gone now, but the lines remain. My mom called them stretch marks, but I'm still not sure considering the area around and including my right hip was numb for at least a month post-op, and the area just below my right hip is STILL numb. Both my surgeon and my regular doctor said not to worry about it, but I can't help but be concerned. Has anyone else had this problem?

    I also noticed that my right shoulder blade STILL sticks out despite excellent correction from the surgery. Anyone know why? My next post-op appointment is next month but if somebody knows now I can save my surgeon some time. =D

    I'm probably just worrying over nothing, but replies are adored. ^^;

    -Rachel~13~Surgery happened
    -It was July 10th
    -Curves were 57 degrees in upper back and 67 in lower pre-op
    -Dunno all of the terms yet so idk where I fused to or w/e...
    -Would love to chat with anybody at all, especially people with comments/concerns/advice!

  • #2
    Some numbness is normal, 10 years after my surgery I still have about 2 inches across my back that is semi-numb. It used to be about half my back, and really painful or completely numb.

    It is mainly just that the nerves were affected; some might be damaged, some are not damaged at all (just shocked need some time to fix themselves). For me the more painful areas were the ones I got full feeling back in. But it is good to tell your doctor what areas are still numb, and which hurt.

    And there are medications for nerve pain if it is too bad.

    As for your shoulder blade, is may fix itself and it may not. It sound like you had a double curve like I did, and so your scoliosis wasn't as noticeable as it would be if it had just been one curve. Your curves compensated for each other so your posture was probably around normal. And now, as your spine can't compensate, you will find that you see yourself as more uneven.
    One reason is that we have had people point out to us just how far our bodies are from perfect posture. Over and over again. Another is that now you have hardware (of some kind) that will make it harder to straighten your shoulders to look normal, or slouch.

    Doing physical therapy, yoga, light stretching will help you get more mobility so that your shoulder blade doesn't stick out as much.


    You can email me if you want (tessa_horne@hotmail.com). Or just keep posting questions. I check the boards about one or twice a week.


    About me....
    I am now 24 years old.
    Fused in march 1998 (Toronto), from C7 to L4. (2 rods, some screws and a bridge. )
    At Surgery Curves ( 92 thoracic, 87 Lumbar)
    6 months before surgery curves (36 Thoracic , 29 Lumbar)
    Immediately post surgery Curves.. (4 t, 0 L)
    10 years later ( 12 thoracic , 8 lumbar)

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    • #3
      numbness

      I had my surgery in '74 and they took the bone graph from my left hip...I still have "strange sensations" and a little (very little) numbness in the area. You will eventually get used to it. It didn't stop me from trying pretty much anything once my recovery was complete.

      Keep your chin up.

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      • #4
        My daughter's left shoulder blade still sticks out even 4 years post-op.

        Mary Lou
        Mom to Jamie age 21-diagnosed at age 12-spinal fusion 12/7/2004-fused from T3-L2; and Tracy age 19, mild Scoliosis-diagnosed at age 18.

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        • #5
          Protruding shoulder blade.

          The larger/higher up in the chest the curve is, the more the shoulder blade will stick out post op. The ribs will not snap back into place even though the spine has been straightened. I had an enormous hump after an old form of surgery in 1956. When I had a revision 40+ years later I had a thoracoplasty which partially reduced the hump. My shoulder blade still protrudes even though my curve is down to 40 deg from 80. There is just so much remolding that can be done with the thoracoplasty without taking room away from the lungs.

          This is why earlier correction is better.
          Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
          Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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          • #6
            My daughter thinks her right shoulder blade has been gradually sticking out more since her surgery last March. If so it's slight.

            I don't see how that can happen unless several screws are letting loose which is extremely unlikely if not impossible.
            Last edited by Pooka1; 01-13-2009, 11:34 AM.
            Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

            No island of sanity.

            Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
            Answer: Medicine


            "We are all African."

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            • #7
              My son's shoulders are still uneven unless he makes a very conscious effort to even them out. I'm hoping he will eventually have better posture without me having to remind him about it. But he feels really good and has no pain so we had a great outcome.

              I wouldn't hesitate to ask your doctor all your questions.
              Laurie

              Mother of Alexander & Zachary:
              Alex is 16 years old and in the 11th grade. He has congenital scoliosis due to a hemivertebrae at T10. Wore a TLSO brace for 3 1/2 years. Pre-op curves were T45 & L65; curves post-op are approx. T31 & L34. Had a posterior spinal fusion from T8 to L3 on 7/12/07 at age 12. Doing great now in so many ways, but still working on improving posture.
              Zach is 13 years old and very energetic.

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              • #8
                Thanks for the replies everyone! =D

                I don't actually have any pain, it's just numbness. So nothing too scary, except sometimes I don't realize if I bumped into a table. xD

                The shoulder blade thing kinda sucks. I hope it fixes itself with yoga, since that sounds like a good idea, but if not then oh well. At least my shoulders are straight now!

                Thanks again, I will still look if somebody replies but this thread is pretty much unimportant now, since the problem has been resolved! ^^

                -Rachel~13~Surgery happened
                -It was July 10th
                -Curves were 57 degrees in upper back and 67 in lower pre-op
                -Dunno all of the terms yet so idk where I fused to or w/e...
                -Would love to chat with anybody at all, especially people with comments/concerns/advice!

                Comment

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