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  • 5th Anniversary on Monday

    Hard to believe it's been 5 years, but they've been 5 good years and I'm so glad I found the courage to have this surgery.

    How do I feel 5 years out?

    I don't give much thought to my rods/back/surgery any more.

    I think the rods are more "a part of me" than ever, not some alien form inside my back. <grin>

    Flexibility is good. Twisting is the hardest, I don't have much "give" when I try to twist.

    Still no pain, no soreness, no feeling of degeneration in any part of my back.

    When I have to walk/sit/stand for a long time, my legs/bottom feel it before my back does. That's the best thing, my back never gets tired.

    I still walk 5-7 times a week. Dr. Askin said I should continue walking for the rest of my life.

    Still believe the surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself.

    As happens each year on my anniversary, I have a strong urge to thank Dr. Askin again, and tell him how well I'm doing, which I have resisted until today when I sent off an email to him. I probably won't hear back. He's not good at that side of things but I hope he at least gets my email or hears about it.
    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

  • #2
    Time to celebrate on Monday! Congratulations on 5 years out and thank you for all of your support.
    Hugs, 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


    • #3
      Congrats, Jennifer! Thank you for posting - you've always been an inspiration for me.
      I am stronger than scoliosis, and won't let it rule my life!
      45 years old - diagnosed at age 7
      A/P surgery on March 5/7, 2013 - UCSF

      Comment


      • #4
        Amazing! 5 years passes so quickly. Mine was just 4 months after you, and you and a few others who had the surgery just before me were such an encouragement. It helped me with the fear of the unknown, not knowing what to expect. It just calmed me so much to be able to read your posts and others around the same time. You really did have an amazing recovery, it would be so wonderful to be able to get together with everyone and have some sort of celebration in our milestones, or to encourage others with more difficult recoveries, but I guess this is the purpose of this forum!
        Dolores A
        June 4, 2009 Anterior L3 - S1
        June 8, 2009 Posterior T4 - Pelvis
        Mark Agulnick, MD FAAOS
        NY Spine & Scoliosis Center

        Comment


        • #5
          Wow, Jennifer!
          I didn't realize that you were a surgery "newbie" when I joined. You've always been so supportive of me. Thank you and congrats. I'm glad you have your life back!
          Be happy!
          We don't know what tomorrow brings,
          but we are alive today!

          Comment


          • #6
            Thank you ladies. It was my very great fortune to find this forum because it gave me so much information I would otherwise not have had, which made all the difference to how I felt about the surgery. Because at the beginning, I was not in a good place about it.

            So it is me who should be thanking the members here, some of whom are still coming to help others. Ed of course, comes to mind, always helpful and kind, understanding and funny, but there are plenty of others, all of whom made a big difference to how I felt. Thank you!!

            Dolores, how are things going for you now?
            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


            • #7
              Congrats Jennifer
              Kara
              25
              Brace 4-15-05-5-25-06
              Posterior Spinal Fusion 3-10-10
              T4-L2
              Before 50T
              After 20T

              Comment


              • #8
                Congratulations Jennifer! So glad it turned out so well for you. :-)

                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


                • #9
                  You did just fantastic in your recovery Jen....and your such a valuable asset to the forum. We love reading your posts!

                  This actually triggered me to look back into the archives which is something I have never really done for some reason. I didn’t respond to your initial thread or posts I think because I had just had my shoulder surgery in October 2008. I do remember you having the dizzies and vertigo in your recovery which is a very scary complicated thing....its nice to be past all that stuff...(and eventually off meds) a goal of ours.....

                  We are the lucky ones you know. When you think about all the others that struggled, it really makes you think. Was it my surgeon? Was it my hardware? Was it the technique? Is it because I’m in pretty good shape? Could it have been my attitude? Perhaps its a combination of all of these things....

                  I don’t know if I’m correct in saying this, but I think that maybe we post because we might have been “extremely” worried or concerned about our surgeries for too many years. We both waited many decades for technology, rejecting surgery back in the days when it was especially scary.....

                  It really is something to be able to be able to write posts about successful scoliosis surgery.....its almost like landing on Mars. Many years ago, this thought was considered crazy, along with the guys at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). They are not considered that crazy nowadays.....well, maybe just a little. He he
                  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Propulsion_Laboratory

                  Concepts to reality....Our dreams came through...

                  A sigh of relief...

                  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


                  • #10
                    congratulations

                    Congratulations, and thanks for posting and sharing your progress! it is very encouraging to read your opinion. I do wonder if I will always feel like the rods are a foreign intruder in my body.... I hope I will have a good outcome as well - time will tell, thanks for posting! Jamie in TX
                    57 years old.
                    thoracic curve 68 degrees
                    lumbar-sacral curve +/- 41 degrees
                    Cspine C3- C7 fusion Nov. 2011 <done! success!!>, then scoli surgery T2- L4 or maybe to sacrum.
                    Discogram/ myelogram pending. Surgery to be scheduled, maybe fall 2015. <scared but I know this is not going to get better>
                    THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR SHARING EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      You are very inspirational! Congratulations!!
                      Surgery Jan 6, 2014 at 38 yrs
                      Posterior Fusion T10-L4, osteotomy 1 lev.
                      Pre op-Thoracolumbar Curve-50 degrees

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Thank you Kara, Sharon, Ed, Jamie and Springchicken!

                        Ed, I have wondered about those same things. How did I get to be so lucky? I think it must have been a combination of at least some of those points you made, plus a great surgeon, which I think is the #1 most important part of the equation.

                        It goes without saying the grief I feel when I read about a patient having a less than happy result. Which brings me to Melissa. I do hope she pops in and lets us know how she's getting on. I think of her often.
                        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


                        • #13
                          Melissa and I never exchanged e-mail addresses so I have no contact with her....She sure did have her set of battles with all the surgeries and of course having your house burn down is just so hard to fathom....

                          She did have a court case (probate) you know, and her attorney probably told her to cease public posting.....

                          Chances are that she is fine will pop in one of these days....

                          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


                          • #14
                            Congratulations,Jennifer, on your 5 year anniversary. I can't thank you enough for the support you gave me 3 years ago when I so desperately needed it. For the sake of all of the newbies to the forum, I hope you and Ed and others continue to give of your time. Your compassion, knowledge, and encouragement based on your own experiences is invaluable to this forum. Thanks so much!
                            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


                            • #15
                              Yes, CONGRATULATIONS Jennifer for meeting that milestone and doing so well-- and being so supportive on the forum! I hope you feel really good about both your recovery and your helpfulness!

                              Regarding Melissa: I have messaged her on facebook, but not lately. The last time we "spoke" was January 31, and this is what she said:

                              Hi Susie, I have been home one month from the hospital. On 12/23/13 I fell and broke my femur bone for the second time. I am trying to get back to posting on the forum. Yes I left the hospital early to go see my grand daughter. She was born on 1/1/14.

                              Melissa had said that her problem was in not being able to access the forum. For some reason she was not able to log in any longer and she tried to get back on but wasn't able to. I DO have her email address if someone would like to send me a PM, I will pass it on to you if I know you are a "regular" and care about her.
                              71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                              2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                              5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                              Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                              Corrected to 15°
                              CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                              10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                              Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

                              Comment

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