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    Hello everyone my name is Ryan Kelsch and i am 14 years old and have recently been diagnosed with scoliosis. my curvature in february was around 40 degrees and now is 45-50 degrees and my surgery is already scheduled for april 17th. i guess i just have the pre-op scares but i just had a few questions and any one is welcome to answer. first off what is the pain like? is it tolerable? and how was the stryker frame bed(if u were in it)? how was it like? and anyother basic information you think i would need to know about post-op preparations feel free to add.....thank you Ryan Kelsch
    my name is Ryan Kelsch
    i have a curve of 45-50 degrees
    and my surgery is scheduled for aApril 17th

  • #2
    Hi Ryan,

    I just posted a message to you in the "I'm Back" thread - didn't see this one (sorry). I mentioned my son (same age as you) had surgery in Dec. and will be happy to share his experience and offer any advice. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. Have you notified you school about your upcoming surgery so arrangements can be made? (a tutor if needed during recovery, extra set of books as you will not be able to lift or carry any weight for a while after surgery, that kind of stuff). Good luck -

    Renee

    Comment


    • #3
      hi renee,

      thanks for the reply. i guess im just having trouble understanding things now, and the doctors at chicldrens in cincinnati told me this would be a good place to find out some things and talk to kids my age that have had the same procedure done. i guess these times for me the past couple of weeks have been really hard. the scoliosis came out of no where. i grew 4 inches over the summer and threw this year and i guess is the cause of it. i was shocked because with no further notice of it my first x-ray showed it to be 45 degress. which devestated my whole family (especially me). what makes this even harder is that in kentucky it is the start of baseball season (my favorite sport) and knowing due to my surgery i will only be able to play 3 games the whole year makes me depressed even more. all my pills and tutors and everything are arranged already(i guess childrens in San Diego are the same as here in Cincinnati) but everything prior and post surgery are already scheduled. some of the questions that i have for your son would be how he liked the stryker frame bed (if he were put in it), and what was it like? and if he had bone graph or not? if so where from? and any other basic information that u may seem to find that u think i would need to kno besides standard stuff feel free to reply back with any information u think is necessary!! thanks a million

      Ryan
      my name is Ryan Kelsch
      i have a curve of 45-50 degrees
      and my surgery is scheduled for aApril 17th

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Ryan,

        Yeah, it can be quite devestating to discover you have scoliosis and need surgery to correct it, especially when you feel perfectly fine. Many times the condition becomes apparent when you go through a major growth spurt, I noticed my son's scoli when he was 10 but it became really noticeable (to me) and increased quite a bit every time he hit a growth spurt.

        I totally understand being bummed out about not being able to participate in your favorite sports. Everyone going through the surgery has to give up pretty much all physical activity (except walking) for a while, but in the interest of keeping your body health it is definitely worth it. Joe is 3 months post-op and he is now able to start jogging, swimming and biking. As a matter of fact, he is out right now trying out the bike he got for his birthday.

        Joe did not have a Stryker frame bed so he couldn't help you there. He did have a bone graft; the surgeon chipped bone directly from his spine so there was no need for an additional incision like when you have a hip graft (less painful too).

        I need to make dinner now but I will talk to Joe and see if he will reply later with any advice that he thinks will be helpful to know. Again, any specific questions you have, feel free to ask.

        Renee
        Last edited by flowerpower; 03-22-2006, 07:11 PM.

        Comment


        • #5
          hey renee and joe,

          well thanks for the information any is helpful!! yes one other question i was wondering i had to have my surgery done in the thorax of my back and i only have a single curve; did joe have a double curve that went pretty much all the way down his back. i was wondering because my surgeon told me that he would only have to cut me about halfway down my back and i figured that if he had his all the way down mine might be little differnt. another thing i was wondering (i havent been bac to the doctors in probably a week or so and since being on ehre i have planty of questions......i hope i dont bug u too much....but i really appreciate the help!!) did joe have staples after his procedure?? and was he in the full body cast?? and is he braced now??

          my procedure is aproxamitely 3-5 hours long. my surgeon dr. duranni from childrens hospital in cincinnati does not take the bone graph of the spine or even off the hip, he uses a protein supplement (i cant recall the proper name but ill check and see) so the pain from the graph is not there. post surgery i am not in any kind of cast and/or brace. he also added that i will be up and running like a chicken with my head cut off....lol.....in 2 weeks.. i really dont know if this will be true, all though our procedures sound kind of different. he also stated that patients after surgery remark that thier backs are fine but most of the pain comes from the spot of the graph. also it was kind of ironic but my principal at ther high scholl had the same procedure i had when she was a freshman my exact age (of course heres was 20 years ago and technology had come a long waay since then) but i thought it was neat when she told me, and she also told me that most of her pain to this day is from the spot of the graph.

          my recovery time untill i can play sports again is 4 months. when finding out at first my recovery time with the graph, with the cast, and with the brace would have been one full year, but the Dr. at childrens said that was maionly becayse of the graph and all of the extra things they had to do. at first i was tore to peices thinking i was going to go my whole sophomore year without playing either basketball or baseball, but the news everntually got better. like i said now my recovery time is 4 months i was just wondering how lond joe's recovery time is and how log it would take it to appropriatly heal

          another thing since im interested in sports is i was wondering if joe grew any aftre his procedure and if he did how much??

          i really appreciate you giving your time to me and whomever else you inform on here. i know a lot of people out there wouldnt bohter to give it a glimpse. you here to give me and tlak to me (otehr than my parents & relatives) gives me a boost on my confidence going into this "major procedure". but just going through it which i kno u have just in times like these u need sumone who u can trust to be tehre(i know its only been a day) but im sure joe knows how i feel111

          thank you,
          Ryan
          my name is Ryan Kelsch
          i have a curve of 45-50 degrees
          and my surgery is scheduled for aApril 17th

          Comment


          • #6
            Ryan,

            I just wanted to wish you luck on your upcoming surgery. I had my first surgery at your age that was 10 years ago and i did great. Now they do use that protein instead of the bone graft from your hip. My first surgery that I had they did use bone from my hip and i can tell you that did hurt more than the back pain! I recovered fairly fast. I had my surgery in july and by the beginning of sept I was starting high school and was a cheerleader. I had a double curve unlike yours so im sure you will recover even faster.
            After surgery what I felt helped me was to take walks. Sometimes i would not be able to sleep and would go for a walk in the middle of the night. I would have someone go with me of coarse but i did find that this helped. The more you are active after surgery the faster you will recover. Just dont over do it. I know you are very anxious to get back to basketballl and baseball but remember you are going through a major surgery and it will take some time to heal.
            They did not put me in that bed that you are talking about. What kind of bed is it? Well i hope i answered some of your questions and if there is anything else i can help you with please just ask. Everyone is so caring on here and understand everything you are going through so anyone will help!

            Sarah
            Sarah 25 yrs old- Married with three english bulldogs

            1995-Surgery for scoliosis fused T3-L3.
            2000-Surgery for Rod breaking, relaced rod and took out upper rods.
            March 2005-Surgery for removal of all rods.
            August 2005-Fusion of T10-T11 due to crack in fusion, Rods put back in.
            August 2006- Surgery for fusion from L4 to sacrum.

            Comment


            • #7
              Hey Ryan,

              This is Joe. Um, to answer your questions:

              Since you are having a surgery for a single curve, I don't know how bad it will hurt as opposed to having a double curve like me. However, the pain wasn't too bad coming out of surgery. The one thing that got to me however, was that I didn't know where I was! Apparently, after surgery, they wheeled me over to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, and waited until the anesthesia wore off. Well, when I woke up, I was freaking out because I didn't know where the heck I was! Answering other questions... no, I didn't have staples after surgery. No, I was not in a full body cast. And no, I'm not braced now. You really shouldn't worry Ryan. The worst part of the procedure is waiting. I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but it's true. Good luck -

              Joseph

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Ryan,

                My daughter Sienna (also 14 and a freshman) just has surgery a week and a half ago. She had very minor scoli and Shewermans Kyphosis. The bed you are asking about does not sound familiar so I doubt she was in one. They actually removed one rib and scraped her pelvis for bone graft. She also developed this over a single summer with a growth spurt and we went through the same feelings of devestation. She is taking a nap but when she wakes up I will have her post a response. Feel free to ask her questions as she is still experiencing the effects of recent surgery and will be a great resource. God bless you.........Lisa

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi Ryan,

                  I'm 14 years old and almost 11 months post-op (my fusion was for a double curve, and I was fused T3-L4) The pain after surgery was pretty bad, but it was tolerable. They put you on a lot of medications which help, and keep you some what out of it. I slept most of the time, so a lot of the time I wasn't even noticing the pain. Surgery was scary, but it was definately the right choice for me.

                  My doctor said I had the bone graft taken from my hip, but I've had no pain from it ever (and I still don't), and there's no additional incision for me. My incision was down low enough they were able to get it from there. My incision was closed with stitches. I wasn't in a body cast, and I wasn't braced.

                  I'm still left with some restrictions (no running, no jumping around, no amusement park rides, that kind of stuff) and I'll be left with those until June, which will be 14 months post-op. I have been cleared to do some things though, and most of the things I care about have been lifted (I care about some of the other things, but by the time they're lifted is the time you start doing those activities). Good luck!
                  ~*Lauren*~
                  Braced for 5 months
                  Decided on surgery with 65 and 54 degree curves
                  Pre-op curve measurements were in the 70's and 80's
                  Surgery on April 26th 2005
                  Fused from T3-L4
                  Post-op curve is 15 degrees

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    wow im just really glad there are people like the ones on here. i really didnt know that it ouwl be so efficient as it is. and i am very thankful for each and evry one of your responses.

                    first to joe,
                    i totally agree with you on the fact about the waiting is the worst part. now i really wish my surgery was tomorrow so i could get it over with. but thanx for the reply and please feel free to give me any advice you think qwould be necessary.

                    next for laahg,
                    thanx for your help and support its really really a special feeling that i have since ive been on here talkin with all of you. just the support is amazing and im really really apreciative for it. your daughter really sounds like a remarkable person if her surgery was only a week and a half ago. i figured id be out for at least a month not doing anything at all, but after hearing this i se its not that. thanks fopr the reply and u too if u have anything that u think is necessary for mew to know feel free to reply with any informatiuon at aall.


                    now for lauren,
                    yea it sounds pretty bad your surgery that is. my odctor told me id probably be fully recovered in 4 months to do as i please. but that may be because u were treated for a double durvature and i am only being treated for one. but yea i figured i would be sewed up with stitches knowin that you are the third person that has told me that. and with your bone graph that may have something to do with my recovery time versus yours. im not for sure and if anyone might have a reasoning for this just come on in. well thanks for the reply hope to here from you soon.

                    to everyone who has replyed to me these past few days thank you soo much for your support and comfort during this troubling time. you or some close to u knows exactly how i feel and i reall really truly appreciate all of your replys. hope to hear from each of you all soon!!

                    with appreciation,
                    Ryan
                    my name is Ryan Kelsch
                    i have a curve of 45-50 degrees
                    and my surgery is scheduled for aApril 17th

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      anyone and everyone please tell me your hospital stay and how long you were in the hospital post-surgery. my predicted hospital saty is 3-5 days and im just anxious to see if it was around anyone elses. and agan if there is anyone on here with experiences with the stryker frame bed please reply with your experiences

                      thanks Ryan
                      my name is Ryan Kelsch
                      i have a curve of 45-50 degrees
                      and my surgery is scheduled for aApril 17th

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hi Ryan,

                        I had my surgery in 2003 at the age of 42 1/2. I went in on a Monday morning and came home on a Friday morning.

                        You will do fine...you are very young and your recovery will be much faster than mine was at 42. In my opinion, young people like you seem "bullet proof" when they have this surgery. It has always amazed me how quickly they are off pain meds and how they are able to do things within a week or two that it tooks me months to do.

                        I just wrote your name in my prayer journal and I will be praying for you and the surgeon who does your surgery.

                        You hang in there and we will look forward to hearing from you.

                        Kindest Regards,
                        Gail

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          gail,
                          thank you so very much for your prayers and thoughts in my troubled times. i mean this site totally brings a smile to my face every single time i log on. the people on here are like no other. you all really do not have to do this but out of the kindness of your hearts you do, and that means the world to me. the most positive replys, non negative, always give me more and more courage going into my surgery. i thank you and once again everyone else who has replied to me this past week.

                          most appreciate,
                          Ryan
                          my name is Ryan Kelsch
                          i have a curve of 45-50 degrees
                          and my surgery is scheduled for aApril 17th

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Ryan,

                            Joe's surgery lasted 4 - 4 1/2 hrs. and he was in the hospital for 6 days. Hopefully with a smaller fusion you will not have as long a hospital stay.

                            Renee

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Hi Ryan, I'm Erika I'm seventeen years old, and I just had my second surgery in December. My first surgury was in 2001 It was really hard to accept that I wouldn't be able to be active (play sports ect...) for a really long time, and because of some complications I had a lot of pain untill now. So I'm going to give you some advice on how to prevent the complications and a possible second surgery. ( I had rods removed for my second surgery) First of all since your still growing, do phyisical therapy, even if your doctor tells you you don't need it request it. one of my problems was that I grew and a rod started to losen. Also do what your doctor tells you, even if you feel like you can do something if he says no, then listen to him, it seems obvious but it's a hard thing to do, especially if you love baseball.

                              As for everything else, if you have a bone graft, (I did, it was from the hip) It will most likley hurt worse then the back, the numbness that you might feel is really creepy but it will start to go away after about six months. you won't have movment where the fusion is so be prepared. Also it is said that you can't feel the rods, sometimes you can, it;s not uncomfortable just strange. I'm the kind of person who wished I knew all the good and bad before I had surgury so I think you should have all the facts.

                              If you have anyother questions or anything you can email me I'd gladly answer them elessien@gmail.com
                              Erika
                              Posterior spinal fusion 2001
                              52* before first surgery
                              23* after first surgery

                              Rod removal surgery DEC 2005
                              33* before surgery
                              30* after surgery

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