Possible Surgery**scared**plz Help

[matt]

Surgery

Hi Mark. My name is Ross. I am a 15 year old boy who had the Scoliosis surgery. This is my story. In December of last year I started to have alot of back pain. So I went to my primary care physician and he told me that it was muscle that were giving me the pain. Since I was still having alot of pain, so in March, I went to see an orthopedic surgeon. He diagnosed me with Scoliosis. In March of this year I had a 21* Left thoracic curve. Left Thoracic curves are very rare (some are known to be created by an intraspinal tumor), so the doctor sent me for a MRI. The MRI showed that I had something called Scheuermann's Kyphosis Disease. Normal kyphosis is about 40-45*. Mine was 57*. So, he told me that I needed to see a Scoliosis specialist at a pediatric hospital. So I went to see Dr. Richard McCall at Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport. This was in June. When he saw the x-rays he told me that my Scoliosis was now 40* and my Scheuermann's Kyphosis Disease was now going into the 80's. The only thing that they could do was surgery. So in September of this year, I had the Spinal Fusion with the insertion of something called a U Rod. Right now, I am about 12 1/2 weeks post op. It will be tough. I think that if you choose to have the surgery that you will need to be prepared. Talk to as many people as you can, read as much as you can about the surgery. Your scar will be long. It will be long and sorta wide. Maybe about 1-2''. I don't know if there is a surgery that can fade the scar. I did my surgery at a Shriners Hospital which is a hospital for children with orthopedic problems and they do surgery of whatever for free. They never turn down a child in need. Well, I hope that this helps you! Take care and Merry Christmas!! Ross

[namy_girl]

Hi Mark,

I had spinal fusion surgery on the middle to upper area of my spine 9 years ago at the age of 19, I'm sorry I don't recall the specific vertebrae involved, but it involved fusion of six vertebrae in the central/upper area. My scoliosis was not discovered until I was 18 although I had had constant back pain from the age of 9. It was always brushed off as "not enough exercise"! and never investigated fully. When it was discovered it was 47 degrees and had increased to 54 degrees by the time that I went in for surgery six months later.

My surgery was successful in that it has greatly increased the things that I can do. Before I had the surgery I was unable to run without very strong pain, nor could I stand for long lengths of time which limited what I could do. I had constant pain and was very self conscious about the shape of my torso.

3 months after having the surgery I was able to stand without pain for longer than I had been able to do prior, and I am still able to do that. Since having the surgery I have run 2 half marathons and intend to complete a full marathon in the next year. I have also completed some very long hikes carrying a full pack, so I truly feel that the surgery has increased my enjoyment of life.

I do not think that my flexibility has been reduced drastically, and I never feel that I have anything "stuck" in my back. The only time that I ever feel that I am less flexible is if I have not been exercising regularly and I cannot blame that on anyone but myself! I have learnt to accept limitations that I do have and I work with them now. Overall the surgery greatly increased my self confidence. I increased in height by two inches, and that makes a big difference when you are only 5'2" to start with. The best thing though is that the shape of my torso changed, and I felt that I finally looked "normal".

As for my scar, because of the type of operation that I had, it stretches from about 3 inches left of my navel around the back to about 3 inches left of my spine at armpit height, and is around 1 foot in length. It has now faded into a very fine line that is barely noticeable and if others notice it, then it is something that I am proud of. It is a rare person that does not have any scars. At least we get some say in where they are and why they are there!

Whether you decide to have surgery or not is entirely up to you, and the results will be very individual. It is important however that you try to work with the limitations that you do have and not against them. try not to look at your situation as a source of irritation, but rather as an opportunity to grow and experience. I believe that I now appreciate "small" things such as being able to stand and move without pain far more than those that have never been through this sort of thing. Try to keep positive as that alway helps the healing process.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Amy

[susannajon]

Amy,

Thanks so much for your message. I know it was intended for Mark, but it has helped me so much. I have a 13 year old who is facing surgery this summer, and at 5'2" and a double curve, with the top one at 53 degrees, she sounds a lot like you. She used to be so active and now it hurts to stand a long time, and she gets out of breath when she runs. It does my heart good to hear your story! We are so focused on worrying about the next few months. On the support boards you usually hear from people who are in the middle of bracing or surgery, or an older person who's fusion has failed or rods have broken. It's great to hear about life after successful surgery! Thanks for sharing your positive story!

Susanna