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Am I destined to be like this forever?

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  • #1

    Am I destined to be like this forever?

    In the summer of 2004 I had a spinal fusion (T-4 to L-5) and my curve at the time was at 72 degrees before the surgery. The doctor I went to wasn't very use to working with adolescents and told me to wait a full year before doing any high impact activity of any kind. My fusion did fuse fully but it fused later than a year causing my spine to curve even further before the fusion was fully complete. My sister just had to have a spinal fusion this past year and I decided to see if he could check out my back and the curve is now back at a 50ish degree curve! Apparently the first doctor had only put pins in at the top and bottom of the rods leaving the whole middle area completely uninhibited to continue curving as I grew. Has anyone experienced this? Is there anything I can do to fix it? I am a relatively thin girl and the curve juts out of my back and I am very self-conscious about it whenever it is exposed (bathing suit, halter top etc.)
    Please tell me if this fixable at this point, currently there is no fracture in the hardware it is fully fused it just fused late.

    (current photos of my back from different angles)
    from the right (curve) side.jpg
    from the left side.jpg
    Last edited by Scoli_Girl04; 01-18-2011, 11:04 PM.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Yes, it almost certainly can be fixed, but you'll need to find someone who has a lot of experience in terms of treating patients with prior fusions. Where do you live?
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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    • #3
      I live in Boone, North Carolina.

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      • #4
        We used to live in Chapel-Hill. Duke has a very strong Ortho program and is #6 in the nation. Go there and see what they can do for you - I'm sure they can improve it.

        I have to admit that my back looks a lot like yours, except I have a lower compensating curve as well - and I LOVE how weird and funky my back is. I'm sad that it will look different in 5 weeks.
        Female, age 38
        4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
        currently 64*upper/40*lower
        Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
        now 32*upper/18* lower

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        • #5
          i assume then that you do not have pain, Lily?

          i am shocked that you say you "love" the way your spine looks!
          i am very much in favor of self esteem, and loving one's own body...but a body that causes pain can be hard to love...at least, the part that is causing the pain is hard for me to love!
          i also do not understand why you would have surgery, if that is the case...?

          i have never heard anyone on forum say that they "loved" how their spine looks...
          i have heard many say they "hate" how their spine looks, and are looking forward to their new look after surgery!

          i have curves of T42, L61, with spinal stenosis, arthritis, listhesis, hypokyphosis, and worst...degenerative disc disease...
          since i herniated discs, my pain has doubled!
          it requires hydrocodone and oxycontin on "bad" days....and there are many "bad" days, especially in cold and damp winter!

          i could NEVER love anything that caused me so much pain!
          but.... to each their own...

          jess
          Last edited by jrnyc; 01-19-2011, 07:02 AM.

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          • #6
            I do have chronic pain - I'm on full dosage Celebrex and Tramadol daily, usually with a little xanax thrown in for spasms.

            I just haven't warmed up to the idea of spinal surgery yet and I've always been of the mind to love the one you're with. To be honest, I am very worried about looking deformed post-op, with a creepily long torso and three foot long back scar. I am having tremendous difficulty wrapping my head around that.
            Female, age 38
            4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
            currently 64*upper/40*lower
            Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
            now 32*upper/18* lower

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            • #7
              i suspect, after surgery, that your spine will look straight, strong, and beautiful.....
              like a spine one is supposed to born with, if one has no "spinal abnormalities".......
              a phrase i never use....but i guess it can apply to scoliosis....

              i have not had surgery...yet...but am considering it...
              i have not had it because i need fusion to pelvis...

              i do not care what my spine looks like, only what it feels like....
              but i am a lot older than you are...
              however, i never cared what it looked like, only that it served me...and served me well...
              before i herniated discs, i went to the gym 3-5 times a week...cardio and weights...
              the scoli did not stop me...i did not let it....
              my trainer told me the curves were "structural, nothing you can address with exercise....but we can make your spine stronger..."
              it worked for a while...until i herniated discs...and it was downhill fast...with severe pain added!

              i think it would be nice for you to have a strong spine that allowed you to do anything and everything in the world you ever want to do, never limited by pain...

              at least, i think that is the goal of surgery....

              jess

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