ciropractic

[nikyergen]

Paige,
Crystal's back was bad enough that she got teased something terrible in school. She used to come home everyday in tears because the kids teased her, even as a freshman in high school. She even contemplated suicide at one time. She ended up having a drug problem over it. She used the drugs to crawl into a hole to get away from her problem. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but was looking for relief from the physical and mental pain. She has since straightened her life around and become a wonderful and beautiful young lady. Surgery has made all the difference in her life. She is now very confident in herself and is not afraid to get up in front of people and talk publicly. She has climbed to the top of the ladder in several of her youth associations that she belongs to, where before, she would of never even tried to go to the top. So, in our household, surgery was a big plus and we are so thankful for it. We have our beautiful wonderful daughter back, full of confidence.

Now, I have a child that is full of confidence and understands how easily drugs can take over your life. She is very active in encouraging others not to use drugs and can say "I've been there and done that and it got me nowhere."

Nikki

[scoliosiscutie]

nikyergen-
That is an insperation to me! i dont feel so bad anymore its great to hear she has got her life straitned out. My friends are very supportive of me with scoli. They get mad when i dont wear my brace. They tease me some times but i know that they are just kidding. And guess what!?? my chiro said that my scoli is getting worse and he can not fix it he will only practice on me for pain releif! this is so great well not that its getting worse but that he actually admitted that he can not help! I guess there is a light at the end of the tunnel and they thank you for helping me stay in there for that long time!!
Paige

[nikyergen]

Paige,
I am so glad your chiropractor was good enough to say that he couldn't make things better, that he could only help to releave some pain. That takes quite a chiropractor to do that. Keep us posted on how you are doing and what the ortho's next plan of action is.

You keep hanging in there. There is always hope. Sometimes you just have to have some faith.

Nikki

[scoliosiscutie]

I will dont worry!! im very happy about this although my parents aren't. Im kind of scared about surgery but i guess it is the best thing! my ortho doesnt want to see me intill march but i might have to go in before then! Me and my mom have noticed my shoulder blade sticks out...and i walked different but we never really peiced it together. I will keep you posted and do you have any tips about pre-paring for surgery mentally and how you and Crystal made waiting for the surgery less stressful keeping your nervs down? thanks a bunch!!
Paige

[nikyergen]

Paige,
How did Crystal and I get through the waiting game for surgery. I'll tell you it wasn't easy. And my blessed husband and other children paid dearly for my moodiness. I have apologized over and over, but they all understand, as they were worried and scared too.

One of our advantages was that we went from our Ortho appointment the end of October right into basketball season. Basketball season ended the end of February and I had two weeks to get arrangements made for someone to come in and feed our cows for two weeks, finish lambing out our ewes, take care of dogs, cats, and miscellaneous purebred show rabbits. I had the opportunity to be at almost all of my girls games and enjoyed everyone, as I knew there was the possibility that Crystal wouldn't play competitive ball after surgery. But, don't let that bother you. It was her choice not the surgeons. She is busy with school, a job, and of course her very nice boyfriend. Even dad likes this young man. She's college bound and really understands the importance of good grades in high school.

One way to prepare yourself is to be in the best physical condition you possibly can be. You won't believe how this will help your recovery. I have a houseful of athletes and they all realize the importance of physical condition. Get yourself mentally prepared by asking your doctor all the questions you can think of. Start making a list, with your mom and dad, now. Find out what kind of surgery you will be having, how long it will take, how long you are expected to be in the hospital. The list goes on. Don't try to take school work with you to the hospital. It is a waste of time. You won't feel good enough to do any.

Tell your folks, my husband and I weren't happy about our daughters surgery either. But, today, I can tell them it is the very best thing she has ever had done. It completely turned her life around. You can share my story with them. We are not ashamed of it. We are actually proud of the fact that she realized she had a drug problem and was able to do something about it. Because of her drug problem, she was off all prescription pain meds at the end of her second week after surgery. She didn't want to fall into the trap of relying on them again. Tell your folks, I wish we were close enough to sit across the table and share our experience with them. We tried the chiro thing, and like you, it didn't work. I cried when the ortho said surgery. My husband crawled into his own silence about it. We never even talked about it. But, that was okay. The only thing I ever asked of my husband was to talk to Crystal about it, and let her know that she was doing what was right for her. It was her choice and we would live by it.

Check with your folks and see if it is okay if I give you my e-mail. If it is okay, private message me, and I will send it to you. But, I will only do that if it is okay with your folks. I also want you to share everything I tell you with them. No secrets from them, it isn't good when you are looking at a major surgery. Okay.

I thinking more thoughts, but have to get them organized before I write more, which I will later.

'til later,
Nikki

[scoliosiscutie]

Nikki,
I will start making a list that is kind of what I did when I had my foot surgery after breaking it for 10 months. Me and my friends were all talking and they have said your an athlete your used to surgery. But isnt this a much bigger surgery? after the surgery was Crystal in much pain? i guess that is the biggest fear I have. At the hospital that you and your family went to did they allow Crystal's friends to see her? I am going to have a sit down to night with my parents and I will let you know how it goes
Paige

[nikyergen]

Paige,
I got your PM. I won't have time to write you until tomorrow morning. I hope that is okay. I am in the process of making 30 yards of bias tape for a ball gown for my middle daughter. It's one of the Scarlet O'Hara type gowns. Very pretty. THen I have a meeting this evening and won't be home until very late. So, I will sit and write to you tomorrow morning and you'll see it sometime tomorrow.
Nikki

[green m&m]

oh and i had another question... how come after you have back surgery (or any surgery i really dont know?) its not good to get dental work like getting teeth pulled or getting your ears periced? thanks
?

Any type of surgery can put your body at higher risk for pickup infections and such. It is a 'shock' to your body so your immune system can be a bit out of sync. So surgeons just want to be cautious and let your boody heal without having exposure to bacteria/viruses during the healing process. It definatly would not be pleasent if you recently had surgery and got ..lets say a cold. A coughing fit might make your incision site sore :-(

Usually, if you HAVE to get dental work soon after surgery they'll have you take a course of antibiotic as a preventive meausure.

So this isn't for forever, just while you are healing.

[scoliosiscutie]

ooo ok well ive seen that on the site before and i was just wondering why that was. well it makes sense now thanks

[Karen Ocker]

antibiotics "forever"?

Usually, if you HAVE to get dental work soon after surgery they'll have you take a course of antibiotic as a preventive meausure.

So this isn't for forever, just while you are healing.

It is 3 years and 3 months since surgery and my spine surgeon INSISTS I take antibiotics: before the dentist(always), whenever a skin procedure draws blood such as biopsies, piercings and of course all other surgical operations.

Why??? Because whenever the skin is broken, in the previous examples, bacteria can enter the blood and lodge in the hardware; the hardware has no germ-resisting defenses like the body's other tissues. This is the current thinking; maybe it will change in the future.

Karen

[scoliosiscutie]

wow! does that happen to everyone like if I had surgery then like months after i had to get my wisdom teeth out? it all does make sense thanks!

[LindaRacine]

Taking antibiotics prophylacticly for dental procedures is actually controversial. There are plenty of studies that support both views. I've been told by a surgeon that he tells people to take the antibiotics if they question him about it (to cover his butt), but he doesn't actually recommend it to people unless they bring it up.

--Linda

[green m&m]

Taking antibiotics prophylacticly for dental procedures is actually controversial. There are plenty of studies that support both views. I've been told by a surgeon that he tells people to take the antibiotics if they question him about it (to cover his butt), but he doesn't actually recommend it to people unless they bring it up.

--Linda

I've read the same thing for people with heart valve problems. Apparently only a few out of millions of people with heart murmur end up with endocarditis from dental work.. But.. in this day and age of high malpractice premiums everyone is covering themselves...

[Meyer]

I had surgery in 1982 at the age of 11. I started going to the chiropractor several years after the surgery. It helps a lot. I never went to the chiropractor before the surgery.

My curves before the surgery were 37 degrees and 55 degrees. Today, 24 years later, my curves are 32 degrees and 37 degrees. The same as they were when I left the operating room that evening. The curves do not gradually get worse even after surgery.

I have to be premedicated for dental appointments because of the Herrington Rod. My son has to be premedicated for dentist appointments because of a heart murmur. I think it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to being premedicated.

M&M

[scoliosiscutie]

hello!! yeah i really want surgery i think my back is getting worse but i dont know because now i can see my body curve? but yea never noticed that before. i havent been wearing my brace because i hate it but i foung out one of my best friends has scoli too!!!! she has to get a boston brace!!!! we have similar degrees and double scoli!!! does any one no the difference between a TLSO and a boston? thanks paige