Broken rods and vertebrae slippage surgery scheduled

[ShannoninPDX]

December 7th, OHSU with Dr Hart.

I'm nervous.

First he will go in the side, remove a rib, deflate a lung, and do a bone graft on the vertebrae.

Hopefully the same day he will go in the back and add hardware to the hardware store I already have back there.

Sigh.

Not looking forward to it at all, but glad I'm going to get it over with soon. I'm confident I have a great doctor and although I've never been a patient at OHSU, I'm sure it's a good hospital.

Doctor says I probably won't have to wear any sort of brace after surgery. I give that a big thumbs up.

I'm trying to remember what my surgery was like 26 years ago when they originally put the rods in. I can't remember it at all. I only know that I was in the hospital for two weeks and then had to wear a Milwaukee brace:eek: for a year.

[leahdragonfly]

Hi Shannon,

Dec 7th will come quickly, so at least you don't have a long time to fret about it. Is Dr Hart working only on the thoracic area where the rods are broken?

Curious, after you first saw him, he suggested observing for some months, but I know you had an MRI recently. Those results must have showed something more urgent? Anyway, I am glad you have it all planned and soon you'll be on the road to recovery.

Please keep us updated, and take care.

[nervous]

Please keep us posted during your recovery!

Thinking of you!

Rachel~

[JenniferG]

Good luck Shannon. Hope you get a great success. We'll be thinking of you.

[ShannoninPDX]

Thank you. 6 more days until surgery. :(

I'm keeping a blog here: brokenrods.blogspot.com

[ShannoninPDX]

Hi Shannon,

Dec 7th will come quickly, so at least you don't have a long time to fret about it. Is Dr Hart working only on the thoracic area where the rods are broken?

Curious, after you first saw him, he suggested observing for some months, but I know you had an MRI recently. Those results must have showed something more urgent? Anyway, I am glad you have it all planned and soon you'll be on the road to recovery.

Please keep us updated, and take care.

Hi, sorry I failed to answer your questions before. I've been a bit spacey these last few days!

Yes, Dr Hart is only working on the thoracic area. Actually, I guess it will involve the lumbar area as well. That's fine as long as it doesn't involve anything above my spinal cord injury which is at T4/5.

The MRI didn't show anything urgent. I think he just had a cancellation and that is why I'm getting in early. That's good for me as I just want to get this over with.

[mgs]

Thinking of you, and hoping that today went well, and that you're comfortable. Looking forward to your first post from "the other side."

[JenniferG]

I hope everything went extremely well for you Shannon.

[txmarinemom]

Yes ... has anyone been assigned as a contact? I've been wondering how she is. Didn't she mention in another thread her daughter might be posting for her ... or was that on her blog? I need to go look.

Looking forward to hearing good news from you Shannon!

Pam