Hi everyone!
I had my follow-up appt. with my orthopaedic surgeon this morning after my bending x-rays last week.
My surgery is scheduled for Sept. 23rd - only one month away now!
He will be fusing/inserting rods & screws using an anterior approach from T10-L3, so I think I am lucky to be getting a short fusion. This is for correction of my ~50* thoracolumbar curve. The upper curve in my thoracic area (~40*) is going to be left alone...on the bending films it straightened out a lot - down to 15* - so he thinks this curve will rebalance after the major curve below is fixed up. However, he mentioned that this is likely to take a few months, so I would probably feel more crooked for a little while.
I found out two other interesting things today when my surgeon was going over my latest xrays. Apparently, I am short one thoracic vertebra! There are supposed to be twelve, however I only have eleven. That + scoliosis equals why I have a shortened torso, lol. Also, apparently, I have spina bifida occulta at my L5/S1 vertebra...the spinous process is open and there is an 1/3" gap there! Thank goodness I didn't have any neural involvement with that!
So anyways, this is starting to feel real to me now. Before surgery was something I knew I would be doing in the future, but after today's appointment it is like this is really happening. I am scared, but excited at the same time. Weird conflicting feelings!
--Steph
I had my follow-up appt. with my orthopaedic surgeon this morning after my bending x-rays last week.
My surgery is scheduled for Sept. 23rd - only one month away now!
He will be fusing/inserting rods & screws using an anterior approach from T10-L3, so I think I am lucky to be getting a short fusion. This is for correction of my ~50* thoracolumbar curve. The upper curve in my thoracic area (~40*) is going to be left alone...on the bending films it straightened out a lot - down to 15* - so he thinks this curve will rebalance after the major curve below is fixed up. However, he mentioned that this is likely to take a few months, so I would probably feel more crooked for a little while.
I found out two other interesting things today when my surgeon was going over my latest xrays. Apparently, I am short one thoracic vertebra! There are supposed to be twelve, however I only have eleven. That + scoliosis equals why I have a shortened torso, lol. Also, apparently, I have spina bifida occulta at my L5/S1 vertebra...the spinous process is open and there is an 1/3" gap there! Thank goodness I didn't have any neural involvement with that!
So anyways, this is starting to feel real to me now. Before surgery was something I knew I would be doing in the future, but after today's appointment it is like this is really happening. I am scared, but excited at the same time. Weird conflicting feelings!
--Steph
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