Torso Shift

[Doodles]

Hi all--
Wondering if others have had a problem after surgery with your torso tilting off to one side. I first noticed it about 3 weeks ago but pt people said the body just has to settle down more or less. Now it's much more noticeable way to the left. It is even noticeable with a top on. My major curve was way to right so I always was trying to hold that side in. Trying to force it back to right of course is impossible--I swear it feels already fused. My right side is where I've had all the aches and pains now and prevents me from sitting for any length of time.
I thought I'd e-mail Dr. Lenke's nurse about this. But wondered if this is just the way it will be or if this will change for the better. This is worrisome since I felt the correction was really good. Thanks for any info. Janet

[LindaRacine]

Hi Janet...

I've seen a few people who leaned significantly one way after surgery (usually, like you, some months later). Do you have an appointment scheduled with Dr. Lenke? It's not an emergency, but I'm guessing he's going to want to see films before too long.

Good luck.

Regards,
Linda

[Fit Kit]

Hi Janet, I had scoliosis surgery at Barns Jewish Hospital with Dr. Bridwell on May 12th. How was you stay in the hospital in St. Louis. My surgery went well bbut I recieved terrible nursing care while I was in the the hospital. Nurses would not come when I called to be assisted to go the restroom and at other times when I would need help. I also had a hard time with getting pain meds and the Dr. took me off the morphine pump after the 2nd day. By the 4th day I was begging my husband to get me out of there. I actually got to go home on the 6th day but it was a living H--L while I was there.The only thing that saved my sanity was my room mate who would call for me and when they would come in for her they would finally get to me. I had to actully return the favor a couple of times so she could get help and she was compltely bedredden!! :mad:
The Doctor didn't send me home with alot on pain meds and I was wondering if this is the same for everyone?

Sorry to get off track form your post but I had to get this off my chest!!:o

5:00 am and can't sleep!!

[asccbodypro]

FitKit,

What is wrong with these Doc's and nurse's. I didn't have an epidural but I did have the pump which was removed on the second day. The reasoning for this was they wanted to reduce the risk of infectin. Which, ok, made sense, yet I had to fight to get pain meds tp get my pain under control. It took arguing with the doc's while in tears that things were awful. There were a few times of me hyperventilating and crying hanging on to the side of the bed that they actually believed I had a pain issue. For crying out loud they just put over 20 screws and hooks and 2 rods plus cages in my back and I am not supposed to have horrible pain. It just didn't make sense to me. I was in a military facility so my husband is able to throw his weight around a little and tore into my Doctor's residents. When there was a big issue, he made a point of only speaking with my Doctor. As far as nursing care, I must say my nurses where awesome. Aside from one that was a little overbearing....coming into my room every 10-15 minutes to check on me or just the room itself, they were all great and very help full. There were times when I would get out of bed myself and I would call for them to help me back into bed and they were not happy because I didn't call them to help me out in the first place. It also helped that my mother-in-law had just met the Admiral who was in charge of the hospital during the week that I was there:O) Always a plus!! I hope everyone with up coming surgeries gets the great postop care the deserve......

[LindaRacine]

Hi Janet, I had scoliosis surgery at Barns Jewish Hospital with Dr. Bridwell on May 12th. How was you stay in the hospital in St. Louis. My surgery went well bbut I recieved terrible nursing care while I was in the the hospital. Nurses would not come when I called to be assisted to go the restroom and at other times when I would need help. I also had a hard time with getting pain meds and the Dr. took me off the morphine pump after the 2nd day. By the 4th day I was begging my husband to get me out of there. I actually got to go home on the 6th day but it was a living H--L while I was there.The only thing that saved my sanity was my room mate who would call for me and when they would come in for her they would finally get to me. I had to actully return the favor a couple of times so she could get help and she was compltely bedredden!! :mad:
The Doctor didn't send me home with alot on pain meds and I was wondering if this is the same for everyone?

Sorry to get off track form your post but I had to get this off my chest!!:o

5:00 am and can't sleep!!
Hi Kat...

I'm so sorry that you're having such a difficult early recovery. It's a tough time, even when everything goes right.

As far as nurses go, there's almost always too few. Hospitals have had to do this to remain profitable. And, if the nurses that get assigned to you aren't that great, you can really end up end up in bad shape.

You may want to check the handouts you got prior to surgery. At UCSF, they tell patients that they'll need to have their own primary care physician take over pain control at a certain point.

I hope that things get better for you soon.

Regards,
Linda

[Doodles]

I do have my first appt. with Dr. Lenke on June 24th. We plan to contact his nurse Tues. and ask about this and see if they would want me sooner or how to proceed.
To the question of the nurses I'm afraid too it may be the same everywhere. I had some fair nurses, a few wonderful ones, and a few not good at all. It always had to do with getting meds on time and responding to nurse calls. When I didn't get the meds on time, I couldn't get on top of the pain for hours. Even with doctor intervention this didn't always fix things. I had some of the same problems at St. Louis Rehab Center. It's really too bad since some are so good. I did find the "therapy" staff to be very good at Rehab.
Thanks for your replies. If anyone else had this trunk shift please let me know what happened. Janet

[Doodles]

I needed to add one big of info on the trunk shift. Yesterday had to call off aqua therapy due to really sore shoulder and arm. Actually been a pretty crumby week all round. I did go see the pt guy who oversees my therapy and showed him the tilt problem. He said we should try a lift in the shoe--what a surprise. Oh well, I thought if that took care of the tilt, fine. It didn't. I asked if this tilt would go back to normal when muscles etc. all settled down. He said he thought it would probably just be this way. NOT what I wanted to hear. After all this and now I'm off center in a way I never was before. This has totally bummed me out. I know I needed the surgery to stop the curves from progressing but what looked so good to start with has gone the wrong way. Still waiting to hear from nurse. I have a feeling she's on vacation or something. Ok I'm done venting for a while. Janet

[JenniferG]

Janet, I'm so sorry to hear of your disappointment. I don't know if this is temporary or permanent, but suspect you may find an improvement over time. Right now, you must be feeling pretty down. I hope you get some answers soon, the waiting when you're worried is horrible. Sending cyber-hugs from Oz. Let us know how you go.

[Doodles]

Thanks, Jennifer and all respondents. I know in the whole scheme of things this may be small since eventually I couldn't have had anything but pain and a total disability without surgery. It was just such a disappointment! So, I'm trying to just give it some time and wait for doctor's info. Janet

[52skeedoo]

Janet --

I'm so sorry to hear about your concerns. I believe that I have read about this phenomenon before in some other posts. If I am right, this will probably go away with time. Hope that is what happens for you.

You certainly have the right attitude. That will go a long way toward getting you through this.

Cyber hugs from me, too. :) Looking forward to hearing what the doctor says.

Sheri