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  • This is my spine (xray)

    This is X ray from January 18th, 2012.
    report says lumbar curve increased from 61 to 70 degrees
    (since April 2010)
    the upper curve reportely remained at 42 degrees

    jess
    Attached Files

  • #2
    Oh my gosh, Jess! I don't know how you are even walking! Those films are incredible. I don't think I've ever seen anyone with that bad of a lower curve and straight hips. You are similar to me (worse curve, of course), amazingly symmetrical from the outside but twisted on the inside.

    It also looks like you have a lateral spondylolisthesis and a bunch of degeneration at L5. I'm by no means an expert, but that's my lay understanding of these. You also appear to have the truest flat-back I've ever seen. There's absolutely no lordosis in your lower spine and no kyphosis in your upper spine.

    I don't mean to be rude by my interpretation of your films, as you already know the diagnosis and prognosis for your case. I can truly understand why you are in the amount of pain that you are in.

    May I ask what your next step is? You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I'm not trying to be scary or nosy. You really have my deepest concern, which you already knew, I hope.
    Be happy!
    We don't know what tomorrow brings,
    but we are alive today!

    Comment


    • #3
      Jess

      Oh, boy. I can see why you have been hanging so long.....Sigh.

      Your lack of kyphosis and lordosis is amazing.....

      You do know that you can be fixed, and there are quite a few of us that have had our train wrecks, just like you, that have been fixed up....

      Ed
      49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
      Pre surgery curves T70,L70
      ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
      Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

      Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
      http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

      My x-rays
      http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

      http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

      Comment


      • #4
        Wow Jess. That's breath-taking.

        Didn't Lonner give you pretty good about relieving pain with fusion? That would be very good if he could fix both the curve and the sagittal issues.

        What does Sparky think about all this? :-)

        Sharon
        Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

        No island of sanity.

        Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
        Answer: Medicine


        "We are all African."

        Comment


        • #5
          thank you all for your replies...
          yes, my spine causes a lot of pain...especially lower spine...

          i am not going to risk more steroid shots....especially when it takes
          a lot of the stuff to give me lower back relief...

          rohr...i do not mind questions...you are accurate with your assessment...
          and you are right...i do look straighter from outside...fool a lot of people, until i am in bad pain and tired...then the "hump" gets bigger and i slump forward...
          i do have listhesis...next move? i am seeing Lonner Oct 25th....he thought
          my curves were "relatively stable" at 42 and 61...but lower is now 70....he did say
          DDD was gettting worse...i cannot seem to bring myself to surgery decision....i do have insurance change as of Nov 1st...no choice...forced by City of New York....thanks again to one of the worst mayors NYC has ever seen....unless you are very rich....

          Ed, thanks again for your kind sympathy....

          Sharon, Lonner thought i could get a lot of relief from surgery....
          and Sparky knows i handle things pretty well, unless i SEE the Xray...then
          i cannot maintain denial in face of it...

          one note...Boachie says i have "visible thoracic lordosis compensatory
          for the left lower thoracic kyphosis" Lonner said i am "particularly
          hypokyphotic in thoracic spine..." which i mistook for "hyperkyphotic" til Linda pointed
          out my error to me....

          thanks again for the replies and concern...
          jess....& Sparky
          Last edited by jrnyc; 10-11-2012, 05:29 PM.

          Comment


          • #6
            Those are amazing x-rays, Jess! Your lumbar curve is very very like mine was just before I had it fixed when I was 18, though I certainly didn't have such a lack of normal kyphosis/lordosis. Were these pics taken with you standing up or lying down?

            Comment


            • #7
              hi tonibunny...
              they were taken standing up...
              i did have "bending X rays" taken while laying down...
              haven't seen them and never asked to get a copy of them...
              it shocked me that, once i didn't have the help of gravity, the
              "flexibility" i thought i had disappeared really fast....

              i hope you are free of pain since having surgery....??????

              jess...& Sparky

              Comment


              • #8
                Jess,
                As you know, everyone has to know when the time is right, if ever, for surgery. I would never try to convince someone to have surgery, as not everyone is as happy as I am after having this major surgery. Good luck in your decision. I am fused t4 to sacrum, but feel like there is nothing that I can't do with some modifications. I'm riding my bike, standing and teaching all day without pain, tap dancing, and golfing every chance I get. I also feel like my odds are better for a more active life with less pain when I am older than I would have if I hadn't had surgery, as my curve would most likely have continued to increase, thus eventually causing more pain and a reduction in my activities. I was also one who had very little pain prior to surgery, but I'm still happy I had the surgery. Thinking of you . . .
                Karen

                Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
                Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
                70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
                Rib Hump-GONE!
                Age-60 at the time of surgery
                Now 66
                Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
                Retired Kdgn. Teacher

                See photobucket link for:
                Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
                Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
                tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
                http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/

                Comment


                • #9
                  thanks Karen....
                  i have a lot of pain...
                  i am very glad that you had such good results...especially with
                  the statistics that say that those with less pain prior to surgery
                  are usually less pleased with outcome afterwards...
                  but then i am proof that statistics are not always true...
                  i was someone who "should not have" had curves progress to
                  surgical level...but who DID have curves progress...

                  i hope you continue to be pain free.
                  jess...& Sparky

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    It's always a shock to see xrays of our spines (even post-op!) But without being any kind of expert, I can see why you're in lots of pain, Jess. I know you've been struggling with a decision for a long time and I hope Dr. Lonner can help on October 25. I guess to make a decision for this major surgery, we need very definite reasons and to have all our questions answered so that the decision is clear. Good luck Jess.
                    Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                    Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                    T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                    Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                    Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I can agree about “some” statistics. Its like wondering about how much snow we will get this season....Hmm???

                      But skiers are usually stoked. They are pumped and waiting for snow.....We buy season passes and new skis without any guarantee’s. We watch silly Warren Miller movies in October and drink beer....(smiley face)

                      Hardcore skiers are out there on an inch. Hardcore skiers are out there in the rain. They dodge the rocks, and repair the ski’s, and keep skiing.

                      I don’t think about it being warm right now, its about when it comes, and it will come. It can rain, but that’s just a bad day, it will get colder and eventually snow. I don’t think that the whole season will be shot because its warm right now.

                      If you want to ski, you have to be stoked.

                      It’s the same with scoliosis surgery. You can’t worry about all the rocks and the rain, you just can’t.

                      Ed
                      49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
                      Pre surgery curves T70,L70
                      ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
                      Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

                      Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
                      http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

                      My x-rays
                      http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

                      http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Yikes, Jess! I hope that you find some help. I can see that all of the muscles in you lumbr back are really pulled with the curve!
                        Thinking of you from FIJI. Susan
                        Adult Onset Degen Scoliosis @65, 25* T & 36* L w/ 11.2 cm coronal balance; T kyphosis 90*; Sev disc degen T & L stenosis

                        2013: T3- S1 Fusion w/ ALIF L4-S1/XLIF L2-4, PSF T4-S1 2 surgeries
                        2014: Hernia @ ALIF repaired; Emergency screw removal SCI T4,5 sec to PJK
                        2015: Rev Broken Bil T & L rods and no fusion: 2 revision surgeries; hardware P. Acnes infection
                        2016: Ant/Lat Lumbar diskectomy w/ 4 cages + BMP + harvested bone
                        2018: Removal L4,5 screw
                        2021: Removal T1 screw & rod

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          thanks, Jen...
                          Ed, you are funny....it would definitely help if i could
                          get stoked for scoli surgery!

                          jess...& Sparky

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Jess

                            I’m not trying to be funny this time, I know, sometimes I can be “Dry”. I’m just trying to be realistic and talk a little about how I tackled some of my fears, panic, and attitude.

                            Its so hard making the decision, but if everyone was so scared, nobody would have surgery....Everyone that has major surgery hears about the complications, and basically has to shrug these things off in any way that they can. The only way is to focus on the plan, or as Sharon says “eyes on the prize”.

                            When I hiked the Angels landing trail in Zion, I got up to the staging point for the last scary leg and looked down and was pretty freaked out....those sheer cliffs and death warnings really have an impact. I’m thinking, this is nuts! 1500 foot drop. But then again, thousands have hiked up there for the past 86 years, how do they do it? I thought to myself, just focus on the summit and don’t look down. Like the eye blinders used on race horses, just look straight ahead and focus.
                            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinders

                            After the summit, it was so much easier coming back down. I wasn’t even holding the chain half the time! You cant keep thinking that you are going to fall, it only makes it worse. Yes, a certain percentage fall, but your not.

                            I was so glad I did it.

                            Its also the same with scuba diving. You are NOT allowed to panic underwater. 1st time night diving is especially freaky. You have to stay calm......... It requires effort.......... My heartrate on my 1st night dive was HIGH. Now, I wont miss a night dive when diving. I will miss a day dive before missing a night dive. This is not bravery, it’s a mental effort, an understanding.

                            Same with scoliosis surgery. There is a certain amount of mental effort in staying calm, and understanding what is happening, especially in recovery. It took focus. I knew in advance that it would take time for things to heal. I knew that the road was going to be bumpy, and that it would pass in time. Blinders were still on, and total focus was on recovery.

                            Being stoked about surgery is a lot harder than being stoked about a sport, but IF you need surgery, then, its about understanding and of course, being stoked.....in that order. There are times we have no choice. My surgeon wanted me to understand, and I had to have the right attitude. He wanted my blinders on, and a strong will to succeed. The no decision on his part, then became a yes, only after my attitude adjusted. You can see that surgeons will and can say no, it depends on the patient. Deep down I was mad which affected me.....I wasn’t mad at anybody or anything, just mad that I had to do this. It was something I had to let go of, which I did. I don’t get exited about things anymore. I tackled the max, and threw the bull down by its horns.

                            I now realize how important the “will to succeed” truly is, especially in serious adult scoliosis surgery. If you do say “yes”, that yes means that you are committed wholeheartedly to succeeding in a successful recovery no matter what it takes.

                            Ed
                            49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
                            Pre surgery curves T70,L70
                            ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
                            Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

                            Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
                            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

                            My x-rays
                            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

                            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by titaniumed View Post
                              The only way is to focus on the plan, or as Sharon says “eyes on the prize”.
                              That is a reference to the title of an excellent PBS series of the same name on the African American Civil Rights movement in the US. I see from the wiki page that the title came from a song, "Keep your eyes on the prize...

                              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_Yo...s_on_the_Prize

                              By the way, technically speaking, everyone in the US is African because humans evolved in Africa.
                              Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                              No island of sanity.

                              Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                              Answer: Medicine


                              "We are all African."

                              Comment

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