LONG STORY!! Hello I'm 50 years young and need some feedback from others with scoliosis please! I have a 40 degree lumbar curve, spondyolisis S1, L5, a disc bulge L3 or L2 with a non fused S1L5 fusion in April 2003.
I'm getting ready to have another try at S1/L5 fusion - in the process of getting ready for this my doctor wanted me to go for a second opinion who said yes this needs to happen but you should also consider fixing the lumbar scoliosis (40degree curve). He sent me to a brand new doctor in the area who's fresh out of school and is a 'scoliosis specialist' wanna be. He suggested hardward from T10 down to my pelvis.
When I went back to my original dr, he said this is not a good idea. He said we should only be fixing the S1/L5 and include L4 this time. This time he will try the pins again. Last time he tried but said it was too unstable and he felt the hardward would not stick - so just fused with bone from my hip. Asking why he felt it would work this time - he said he's going to include L4 - said there are new types of pins available and if it's still soft he'd use my own bones again but this time instead of wearing a brace he'd put me in a cast.
MY main question is how many of you out there had a 40 degree curve fixed? It seems to me you all have much larger curves and have problems with your hardware!
My pain is in my left leg, down the leg into the ankle foot and two toes. When you look at me you can not see any curve of my spine. My head is in line with my tailbone. I do have a little shortness of breath and have muscle spasms in my upper back but is relieved with massage.
I am overweight in my belly and breast area. This I hope to take care of once the pain from lower back, leg etc is taken care of. So that I will be able to really do some good distance power walking and some good hiking.
Dr. Brown's opinion is that if the curve is fixed then I will be out of line with my head tipping over to the right.
His second concern is if the hardware does not take and or breaks you've got that much more of an area that needs to be repaired. He feels we should just watch the curve and see if it continues to progress then perhaps rethink straightening but thinks it would be unlikely!
I do realize this site if for people who have problems with their surgeries and the ones who've had successful surgeries are not visiting these types of sites they are living painfree productive lives. But you are the people I need to get some feedback from.
I need to know if you think a 40 degree curve is worth the loss of flexiblity etc.
I want to live another 50 years but I want to be as flexible and pain free as possible - I want to still be able to work in my organic garden - go hiking and be able to pick up and run around and go sledding with my nephews and someday grandchildren. I'm an outdoors person who loves hiking, boating and camping - I'd like to ski again someday but that's not as important as the above.....
sorry for dragging this out but hoping to give enough details to you all to understand my situation. Please let me know if you need to know any other details.....
Looking forward to your comments!
I'm getting ready to have another try at S1/L5 fusion - in the process of getting ready for this my doctor wanted me to go for a second opinion who said yes this needs to happen but you should also consider fixing the lumbar scoliosis (40degree curve). He sent me to a brand new doctor in the area who's fresh out of school and is a 'scoliosis specialist' wanna be. He suggested hardward from T10 down to my pelvis.
When I went back to my original dr, he said this is not a good idea. He said we should only be fixing the S1/L5 and include L4 this time. This time he will try the pins again. Last time he tried but said it was too unstable and he felt the hardward would not stick - so just fused with bone from my hip. Asking why he felt it would work this time - he said he's going to include L4 - said there are new types of pins available and if it's still soft he'd use my own bones again but this time instead of wearing a brace he'd put me in a cast.
MY main question is how many of you out there had a 40 degree curve fixed? It seems to me you all have much larger curves and have problems with your hardware!
My pain is in my left leg, down the leg into the ankle foot and two toes. When you look at me you can not see any curve of my spine. My head is in line with my tailbone. I do have a little shortness of breath and have muscle spasms in my upper back but is relieved with massage.
I am overweight in my belly and breast area. This I hope to take care of once the pain from lower back, leg etc is taken care of. So that I will be able to really do some good distance power walking and some good hiking.
Dr. Brown's opinion is that if the curve is fixed then I will be out of line with my head tipping over to the right.
His second concern is if the hardware does not take and or breaks you've got that much more of an area that needs to be repaired. He feels we should just watch the curve and see if it continues to progress then perhaps rethink straightening but thinks it would be unlikely!
I do realize this site if for people who have problems with their surgeries and the ones who've had successful surgeries are not visiting these types of sites they are living painfree productive lives. But you are the people I need to get some feedback from.
I need to know if you think a 40 degree curve is worth the loss of flexiblity etc.
I want to live another 50 years but I want to be as flexible and pain free as possible - I want to still be able to work in my organic garden - go hiking and be able to pick up and run around and go sledding with my nephews and someday grandchildren. I'm an outdoors person who loves hiking, boating and camping - I'd like to ski again someday but that's not as important as the above.....
sorry for dragging this out but hoping to give enough details to you all to understand my situation. Please let me know if you need to know any other details.....
Looking forward to your comments!
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