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  • finally was able to get back on to this site!

    I don't know if anyone will remember me, I've been off the site for awhile. Kind of went into a denial thing. Also I have had problems getting back on, forgot my password. I have been on though for a couple of weeks just reading everyone's posts. It has been encouraging to see how well alot of you are doing after your surgeries.

    Well it looks like I will be scheduling my surgery for the begining of June with Dr. Agulnick in Garden City on Long Island. I have some questions that of course I think of after I leave the doctor's office. I was told that since last April I progressed about 2 degrees in my curve, and than another degree since last month. I wound up in the emergencyroom under my doctor's orders due to extreme pain, they did an MRI that night and gave me a prescription for a steriod pack, which actually releaved some of the pain. Then today I had my follow up with my dr. who told me that I have along with the scoliosis, a thing called kyphosis and I will need to be fused from my upper thorasic area all the way down to my sagital area. I am a little confused (alot) about this kyphosis situation -- is this fairly common? I know I am jammering on and on, but I know this is where I can get some encouragment, I think I am doing fairly well at keeping calm and coming to terms with the fact that I do need this surgery if I want back a reasonable amount of quality of life that I had before.

    Anyway thanks for listening!

    Dolores
    Dolores A
    June 4, 2009 Anterior L3 - S1
    June 8, 2009 Posterior T4 - Pelvis
    Mark Agulnick, MD FAAOS
    NY Spine & Scoliosis Center

  • #2
    Hi Dolores,

    Nice to see you back. I'm glad to hear that you decided on the surgeon and have a date since our last chat. That was the hardest part for me (the decisions) and then the next hardest part was the waiting.

    Kyphosis used to be called 'dowager's hump.' It's the upper back hump that you see sometimes in older women as they age. I had a bit of kyphosis too which the doctor corrected during surgery. Mine wasn't severe, and I didn't think it was a big deal. I was glad, because I figured as long as he was fixing up my spine, he could do all the tweaking to make it as good as it could be. If this is the first you've heard of it from all of your doctor opinions, I wonder if it's just slight also.

    Stay around and ask all the questions you want. Or call me any time.
    __________________________________________
    Debbe - 50 yrs old

    Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
    Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

    Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
    Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
    Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

    Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
    Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

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    • #3
      Hi debbei, you are probably right about this kyphosis thing, and you actually relaxed my mind a bit. The doctor did tell me that my head is out of allignment with hips and that through the years I was compensating with my lower back somehow. But anyway you have calmed me down and thanks for that!

      Dolores
      Dolores A
      June 4, 2009 Anterior L3 - S1
      June 8, 2009 Posterior T4 - Pelvis
      Mark Agulnick, MD FAAOS
      NY Spine & Scoliosis Center

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Dolores! Yes, it's good to have you back on the forum, although I'm sorry you've been having more problems.

        Kyphosis problems are often found in older women... whether or not there is a scoliosis problem-- hence the term Debbe mentioned, and also called a widow's hump. It's that rounded upper back look. I also was beginning to have a little bit of one and my surgery took care of it. You can look at my x-rays in my signature and sort of tell...

        There's a thread called April, May, June 2009 surgeries that lists the ones coming up then. If you post on that thread (or just let me know by PM or here) I'll add your info to the first post there.

        If you have any questions I'll try to answer them too. I know it's both exciting and scary getting ready for the this surgery, and hopefully the time will fly by for you. Best wishes-- Susie
        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


        • #5
          hi all,

          Thanks for the info on the kyphosis Susie and Debbe, I do have lots more questons though! It's so hard when you are in the doctor's office to think of questions as he is telling you all what has to be done. I thought because my main curve is in the lumbar area that I would not have to have such a long fusion, though from the mri and the last x-ray, the surgeon tells me that I will have to be fused from somewhere high up in the thoracic area down to my pelvic area. My fear is what kind of mobility will I have. Has anyone on this forum had a long fusion and how do you maneuver yourself? Do you adjust pretty easily or does it take a long time to learn how to?
          Dolores A
          June 4, 2009 Anterior L3 - S1
          June 8, 2009 Posterior T4 - Pelvis
          Mark Agulnick, MD FAAOS
          NY Spine & Scoliosis Center

          Comment

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