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  • #16
    Is that the earliest that you could get in?

    Hi Sheryl, Yes, that was the earliest. I was Dr. Lenke's first patient on Dec 6, and by the time I left the office was overfilled to the point people were sitting in chairs out in the hall. Actually they offered me July 3, but I've been hospitalized enough to know even on minor holidays the staffing can become sparse. I want "all hands on deck" when my time comes. Thank you for your very kind thoughts and wishes. I'm 61 and everyone I know still works, so they can't just drop everything they are doing to wet nurse me. I completely understand, all but the very rich are finding it hard to live a comfortable life and have any discretionary income. This is why I spend 35% of my income on various health insurance policies. The insurance companies are more than happy to rake in the premiums, so let them foot the bill for an extended stay in a rehab. I think I've paid enough over my adult life to be entitled to whatever time I truly need. Nobody will want it to be as short a stay as posisible more than me. It is not as though I'm visiting a luxury spa, it is a major surgery rehab facility. In NYC of all places.

    I don't envy you the 2 procedures. Ed described his and I don't know I could tolerate that. Dr. Lenke was a true revealation compared to the surgeon I was considering. The degree of my deformity, my narcotic intake, nothing made the slightest negative impression on him. I was so happy he exhibited no hesitation at all in taking my case. He asked me if I could lie flat on my back. I did so with some pain, and he was obviously pleased. He said "You have just saved both of us a couple of hours on the table." That is encouraging. He is a man on a mission, with a very special talent. I have no idea what Columbia pays him, but whatever it is he is worth it. Chet

    Comment


    • #17
      "Calm seas"

      Chet, I retired from the Navy Reserves after 30 years, so thanks for your kind wishes. Having any surgery is a craps shoot. I wish you well. Sounds like you have done your homework and have chosen competent hands.
      Wishing you, "Fair seas and following wind"
      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


      • #18
        Chet...

        You do realize that wet nurse means that the nurse breast feeds their charges, right?

        --Linda
        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

        Comment


        • #19
          Originally posted by rjmacready View Post
          Ed, Certainly your and Cathy's sentiments are most gracious. You may be correct in the fact I could be overthinking this upcoming affair. Seeing as this is a result of a previous surgery, I always ask myself if I had been more diligent, asked more questions, etc. the outcome might have been different.

          I'm sure I'm not the 1st patient who has no family extant, nor people who can simply put their lives on hold & wet nurse me. Dr. Lenke strikes me as the kind of person who has seen it all. C
          The thing is, Chet, people who have been through it WANT to help. It's not grace or anything selfless. It's a strange dynamic... kind of like a bunch of women talking about the pain of childbirth with smiles on their faces. So, my offer stands. As of June 24 I am off for the summer.
          Cathy
          2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
          54 years old March 5
          AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
          Surgery April 8 2015
          Presurgical curves T77 L66
          Post surgical T27 L22
          Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
            Chet...

            You do realize that wet nurse means that the nurse breast feeds their charges, right?

            --Linda
            Linda I'm sorry but we are going to have to wait until Ed weighs in on this matter before we decide a thing! LOL
            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


            • #21
              “Were not I thine only nurse, I would say thou hadst sucked wisdom from thy teat”

              I didn’t have a wet nurse, I had Ensure drinks (Strawberry of course) Ha ha

              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


              • #22
                That was Shakespeare, Page 39 (smiley face)

                Cathy is right, Cathy, you are right, and how very nice of you to offer!

                One of the things that would have made a huge difference with my attitude in the hospital would have been a visit from a healed scoliosis patient. Nobody else can match that positive effect.

                After being hit by a train, post anesthesia, shock and doubt rises which is scary, with doubt being a healthy thing “before”, it needs to be erased from our minds in our recoveries after surgery.

                I had a little trouble with this for a few days, and this graveyard nurse actually brought me back after a little talk.

                Our minds and attitude mean everything......in comparison, nothing else matters.

                http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-li...-20043950?pg=1

                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


                • #23
                  Originally posted by titaniumed View Post
                  “Were not I thine only nurse, I would say thou hadst sucked wisdom from thy teat”

                  I didn’t have a wet nurse, I had Ensure drinks (Strawberry of course) Ha ha

                  Ed
                  LOL!!!!!!!!!!

                  I knew this would be worth it.
                  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


                  • #24
                    In case one has not read the link I provided.....For those doing surgery, memorize everything below.

                    Putting positive thinking into practice

                    Negative self-talk Positive thinking
                    I've never done it before. It's an opportunity to learn something new.
                    It's too complicated. I'll tackle it from a different angle.
                    I don't have the resources. Necessity is the mother of invention.
                    I'm too lazy to get this done. I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule, but I can re-examine some priorities.
                    There's no way it will work. I can try to make it work.
                    It's too radical a change. Let's take a chance.
                    No one bothers to communicate with me. I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.
                    I'm not going to get any better at this. I'll give it another try.

                    Practicing positive thinking every day

                    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


                    • #25
                      I was kind of hoping for that

                      Originally posted by LindaRacine View Post
                      Chet...

                      You do realize that wet nurse means that the nurse breast feeds their charges, right?

                      --Linda
                      Linda, Title says it all. I will need all distractions possible I fear... No, seriously I did not know that. I simply assumed it involved changing diapers, i.e. "wet" work. Of course that term is also slang for killing people in certain circles. I stand humiliated and corrected. Chet

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Chet, I thought the wet nurse concept was a good idea for male scoliosis surgery recovery.... The thing is, you don’t want to recover too quickly using this program.

                        If they did a study, I am sure they would discover that none of the males would check out of rehab.

                        Looks like we are stuck with Ensure.....

                        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


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by titaniumed View Post
                          Chet, I thought the wet nurse concept was a good idea for male scoliosis surgery recovery.... The thing is, you don’t want to recover too quickly using this program.

                          If they did a study, I am sure they would discover that none of the males would check out of rehab.

                          Looks like we are stuck with Ensure.....

                          Ed
                          LOL!

                          Post of the month nomination.
                          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


                          • #28
                            Helping

                            Cathy, I will not dismiss your kind offer. In June, I will finally get a cell phone and get in touch, OK? I have a story very similar to Ed's- when I was in hospital post my femur fracture surgery. (I was not diagnosed w/osteoporosis for another 2 years on a spine surgeon's hunch.) When I told him I simply tripped and stumbled a bit, he said "you have osteoporosis." I said that is news to me. NOBODY involved in my femur fracture thought to check. It is things like this and my first back surgery debacle that do not exactly inspire confidence in the medical community. It is why I am much more of an inquisitive, involved patient now.

                            Anyway, I can't sleep in hospitals, I can only manage a series of 30-45 minute naps. An overnight nurse supervisor took an interest in me, and spent many hours over 4 days between 1-5 AM just sitting in my room and talking. I was on an enormous amount of opiates, and she said "I will become your advocate in keeping your meds coming. The PM team wants to reduce your dose, but I will argue your case." She didn't have to do that, so like you she simply wanted to help. We had much in common, our conversations made the time go by so much faster. So, I promise I will be more open to the idea of receiving help. I have been self sufficient for such a long period of time it is hard to break down that wall.

                            Perhaps some help from me: I would recommend to anyone using nutritional drinks to check Boost High Protein vs. Ensure. In Sam's Club it is 4-6 dollars less a case, and has the better nutritional profile IMO. I use it because protein usually involves some sort of cooking, so I rely mostly upon Boost and Premier Protein bars, which (supposedly) have 30 grams of protein per 2.52 ounce bar. I'm not a big eater and don't like to cook so the majority of my protein intake does not come from the usual sources such as meat/poultry. Just a note from my experience. Chet

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Protein shake

                              OMG after surgery I had no appetite either, so lived on Ensure.... but switched to premiere protein shakes, vanilla and strawberry. Tons of protein, low sugar and carbs. Costco. I still have them now, helps keep in shape.

                              Imagine if a wet nurse gave these flavors?! Nobody would leave rehab lol
                              Cathy
                              2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
                              54 years old March 5
                              AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
                              Surgery April 8 2015
                              Presurgical curves T77 L66
                              Post surgical T27 L22
                              Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by cathydrew View Post
                                Imagine if a wet nurse gave these flavors?!
                                I also thought about that.

                                Also thought about one side chocolate and the other strawberry....

                                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

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