I had scoliosis surgery last year.....

[I_luv_Jay]

Hi, I'm a new member, I am 15 years old and at the end of 2003 i was sick with the flu and my mum took me to the doctor for a check up and then he said to mum have you noticed her back? And mum just looked at him and said no why? Then he showed her how the lower part of my spine was curved and said that i had scoliosis and he sent me to get x-rays. Once i had the x-rays and went back to see him the report said that i had a 44 degree curvature so he sent me to an orthopeadic doctor/surgeon but it was a couple of months before we could get an appointment, he explained what it was to us and then said that curves over 30 degrees could require surgery but as it was the first time he'd seen me he said to have more x-rays done in a couple of months and come back to see him, in that couple of months my degree of curvature didn't increase but then when i went to see him agin a few months after with another lot of new x-rays it had increased to 50 degrees and dr cree said that he'd recommend surgery. So we decided that i needed to have the surgery as in the time since we first saw him and he'd said about surgery then to the time when it had increased to 50 degrees we'd thought about it but hadn't really decided until we realised that it had gotten worse. I had the choice of going on a waiting list for the public (children's) hospital or to go at the end of last year and have the surgery at the private hospital, we went for the private hospital so that the surgery and time i'd have to have off school wouldn't effect any of my exams, so on November 23rd 2004 i was operated on and now four months later i am fine, the surgery was sucessful and my curve is now only about 12 degrees, i now have to wear a brace and i have to until september this year, at least. My curve was in the lower part of my spine at L1, 2 and 3 which is what was operated on however my curve does go into L4 and because of if i'm still growing that could make the curve in L4 get a little worse and there may still be another operation down the track, but thats partly why i have to wear the brace incase i'm still growing.

[Risa]

Hello I Luv Jay,
Wanted to welcome you to this site. I'm new by 1 week. I'm so glad your doing good after your surgery. My daughter will be going through surgery too. If you have any pointers for me feel free to let me know. I'm glad the pain isn't bad. Risa

[I_luv_Jay]

Hello Risa,
Thanks for the welcome, it was only by coincidence that i found this forum! LOL My mum was just searching and it came up! When is your daughter going for her surgery? How old is your daughter? I'm not to sure what pointers i could give you just that it wasn't to painful and that i was in hospital for about 10 days i think it was, i don't know where the insision (cut) will be for your daughter but i was cut on the side and the scarring isn't to bad. Good luck for your daughters surgery and i'm sure everything will be fine.

[Risa]

Hello I luv Jay,
My daughter is 11 her surgery is going to be May 18th, her insision is going to be on her back.Thats great that you were able to have the insision on your side. I don't know to much about it except scring is not as bad. My daughters curve is at 72 degrees.Risa

[I_luv_Jay]

Hello Risa,
I am sorry that your daughter has to have surgery for it so young. Yeah i was lucky that my insision was in my side, i think though if i do have to have the 2nd operation that it will be on my back. My daughter is 11 her surgery is going to be May 18th, her insision is going to be on her back. Good luck once again and i'm sure everything will be fine. You will have to post back here and let me know how everything goes/ is going. I_luv_Jay

[I_luv_Jay]

Hi Risa I haven't been on since last time i posted i was just wondering how your daughters surgery went?