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  • After surgery?

    I'm wondering how life will be different after the surgery. I understand that most physical activity will be limited, but how? What will stop me from running a few miles or wrestliing with a friend, besides warnings from the doctors? Will it be pain? or just the lack of flexibility? Also, I hear that many patients post-surgery gain a lot of weight from the limited physical activity. Also, how long will I be taking pain killers? I would really appreciate any answers or just advice. I'm 16. I wore a back brace for two years. My doctor thought that I was finished growing, and I wouldn't curve any more, but after a few months of intense back pain, we had X-Rays taken and found out that I was still curving and scheduled surgery for a month from tomorrow. I'm incredibly nervous because I have no idea what life will be like after the surgery, so any advice would be comforting, even if it's bad. I just feel like knowing will make it better. Thanks.

  • #2
    Sweetsurprise,

    I know this probably won't alleviate your concerns, but the answer to all your questions is "it varies." Everybody's experience is different. I can tell you my experience, but it's not necessarily indicative of what you'll experience.

    I had surgery last December. The only thing I can't do to this day, 11 months after surgery, is run. The vertical impact on my spine hurts after a few minutes. I haven't tried wrestling, but I'd venture to guess that that could be painful, too. The better news is that I'm still highly flexible, even though 7 of my vertebrae are fused. And I'm in no pain. I still have some muscle tenseness and some numbness around the incision, but it's not bad. I actually lost a lot of weight after surgery (17 pounds in 2 weeks!) and only gained back 8 of those pounds. I was off painkillers completely about 3 weeks after surgery.

    Now, I'm 30. Because you're younger, you'll probably recover faster than I did and be off painkillers even sooner. But there are no guarantees. It's really hard to predict these things. But, really, you'll probably do just fine. The first month after surgery isn't pleasant for anyone, but having it done while you're still young will make your life a lot easier.

    Dave

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    • #3
      wow dave,
      You lost alot of wieght in only 2 weeks!! Is it healthy to loss wieght that fast because i would think that would be really bad 4 you. do most people loss that much wieght? id like to know so will every1 post what happened with your experience....thanks!!!
      luve allways,
      *Paige*
      __-------______--------______-------__
      12years old had postier fusion Jan.22,o4!!

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      • #4
        I should have added that I'm almost 6'4" tall and weighed 223 pounds before surgery. So, the 17 pounds I lost was only 7% of my weight. I don't know whether 7% is a typical figure, but it if is, that would mean that someone who weighs, say, 140 pounds preoperatively would only lose 10 pounds.

        As for the speed of loss, while it surely isn't ideal to lose weight that fast, after surgery your body is going through so many changing processes that the rapid weight loss alone isn't usually a serious concern (as long as you weighed a normal/healthy weight prior to surgery).

        Dave

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        • #5
          I'm 17 and less than 9 months after surgery i was playing full contact jv lacrosse (i started 14 of 18 games).The only problems i had playing was my knees hurt because i had grown so much (6'1" pre surgery, 6'4" now) and had little physical activity and i discovered i have a heart condition called svt but its unrelated to the surgeries. the first time i tried running it hurt like hell. i was only one pain killers for about a month after surgery.
          Last edited by brian86; 11-17-2003, 08:40 PM.

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          • #6
            Everyone's different. I know someone who is able to go skiing with no problems, and another who cant sit for more then 20 minutes without getting sore. As for me, a few things that I have found to be painful are intense running, jumping on a trampoleen(sp?) and horse back riding. Also it does get painful being on my feet or sitting for extended periods of time. Its been a real pain getting a job, I lost a job because of my limitations (no lifting over 15 pounds and no repeated bending- but my spine at the current moment is in pretty bad shape because of the careless things i did the few years after surgery) I'll be honest, life is different after surgery, there are a few things I'd like to try but wouldnt because of my back. But still, I live a normal life, I wouldnt trade my experience with surgery and my limitations, because it has been an obstacle that I have learned to over come and work around. Thats all its about, learning what your limitations are and overcoming. It's without a doubt made me stronger and a more detirmined person

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            • #7
              scared!!

              hey im Teil.. im 14 and i hav scoliosis which is at 43.. i was originally only at 25 or so wen i was givin the brace.. but getting a new bf and all i didnt wear it.. about 7 months l8r im told i hav to make the decision of surgury.. im really scared coz in all my life i havnt eva had blood tests or broken bones or evan stitches.. and i HATE pain!! i would like to no if the operation resricts alot of movment afta.. coz thats the main reason i didnt wear the brace.. i wore it for about 2 weeks.. till i realised things that i neva thought bout normally.. became a problem.. like being in a shop and dropping somthing.. it became to hard to just jump down and pik it up.. and embarrasing if i couldnt find a friend to help out.. also it becamse sooo hard to find cloths to wear over the top.. now i no that people who have had or still have a brace no what im talking about.. but anyways... i need any advice on helping me chose surgury.. id be ok with it if it wasnt so much restriction of movment afterwards.. and the fact of the scar!! i am getting cut down the side.. does the scar fade really well? is it pink or white? stick out or dent in? oh and one more thing.. im really worried bout the fact i only have one hip!!! lol my friends all joke about it and all yeh.. but deep down it hurts.. and i stil cant get cloths to wear because ppl can see it! so yeh.. how much wil the surgury get rid of this problem!? and i spose my lil hunch back that is hapening..
              sorry this was so long.. i just feel like i needed sum answers or sum one 2 talk to maybe??
              well please reply..
              luv always
              teil.

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              • #8
                ~Teil~

                Hi my name is Lana, i'm 15 years old, and I Have scoliosis to! about a year ago I was at 37 degrees, And today I found out that i'm at 46 degrees!!! I know exactly how you feel! I had to wear a brace to, but after 2 days i ditched it! Its just sitting in my closet collecting dust......i now regret leaving my brace behind, because my curviture got worse! I couldnt go anywhere with my brace either, i had to wear BAGGY clothes in the summer!!! I heard about spinal stapleing, they staple your spine somehow and it straightens your spine, i would get it but i'm 15, you gotta be 14 or younger to get it! You have a chance to get it, its much more better that a spinal fusion, look up "Spinal Stapeling" on yahoo. I'm scheduled to get surgery in June! I'm so scared. But the Doc. told me that the scar is VERY thin! I'd rather have a little scar then being crooked all my life, so i know that this surgery is for the better. Although i wont be able to play basketball anymore.....there is no other sport in the world that i like better than Basketball, and the Doc. told me i wouldnt be able to play. I was planning to play Varsity B-ball in next year. I Also hate needles and pain also, they told me i had to have tubes in my arms and i almost had a heart-attack! But i know i'll be ok. You'll be ok to! Just think....you'll have a straight spine, no more worrying about people looking at your back, finally being able to wear a bathing suit to the beach with no worryies, and all that great stuff!! Well good luck to you Teil! Hope everything works out 4 ya!
                ~Lana~
                Lana

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                • #9
                  lana and teil...n ever1 else who reads this!! lol

                  hey!! im 14 almost 15 and just got the surgery on oct. 6 and im doin great! i was in the hospital for 5 days and dont member a thing cause i was on morphine!! and after that i was on pain killers for 2 1/2 weeks!! i missed a month of school( but all my friends visited me AT LEAST 4 times a week) (witch helped ALOT!!!)and now im bak to doin normal teen stuff. im gonna start tennis bak up in the spring if my doc lets me(hopefully he does!!) lol but neways...i lost 9pounds which was too much for me, cause i was originally like 96 and now im like 87 and now my docs makin me drink protein drinks(GAIN WEIGHT!!) and omg its so grose!! EWWW!! yeah...and...WAIT...im not tryin to scare ya or anything but my scar is from like from my right side to the middle of my back. and its pink....but it doesnt really bother me its getting liter evry day it seams like...just be sure u put vitamin E on it and take one everyday and it will keep the scaring down!! o and even better all the guys when i got back to skool were like "woa like do u hav a sckar??" and i was "yeah" and they were like let me see it! and they thought it was THE KULEST thing!!! (man...guys are wierd!! jkjk lol but im not embaressed or ashed of it...im PROUD of it...and i call it "my shark bite" lol i think it kul...and im a prep...so itz not that bad!! well...i better shut up now this is really long, but i hope it answered ur questions!! and i hope this is helpful, if u have ne questions fill free to email me at beachblonde04@yahoo.com and ill write ya bak ASAP!!! luv ya
                  Good luck!!
                  ellen

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                  • #10
                    hey
                    my name is Ali. I had scoliosis surgery in august 01. I'm 15 almost 16. I lost about five pounds. I was only about 100 then. I was about 5'2 when I had the surgery, I'm now 5'6 and still growing. but its almost two and a half years after my surgery. I never wore a brace. because we caught my curve to late. It was 43 in july, when I found out I had scoliosis and 57 in august when i went in for surgery. I was in the hospital for three days, I was walking again in less then 24 hours after the surgery. Running hurt alot at first but I got used to it. I started playng basketball and juggling a soccer ball within 2 or 3 months. You'll stop urself from wrestling trust me. you just will. You'll be stiff, not really any less flexible. You can dance still. I play soccer, basketball, and football (regular, tackle football). I swim alot. But I can't think of anything that I can't do really. I wrestle with my brothers (who r wrestlers). but i don't really for a team. I probably could if I wanted to thoug. Well i hope I was some help. and oh, yeah, thats why they give you the brace to stop it from growing. cya

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