Hello

[Robbie]

lol, I meant I'm a midget compared to you. The website said that you lose some flexibility in your back because they're fusing the vertebrae together so that the curve doesn't get worse. You don't lose much, and it's obvious most people don't notice it, or people wouldn't have the surgery done! I've rather lose a bit of flexibility in my back (I'm never going to be going into gymnastics!) than have this stupid curve in my spine.

From Wikipedia:

Spinal fusion is the most widely performed surgery for scoliosis. In this procedure bone (either harvested from elsewhere on the body, or donor bone) is grafted to the vertebrae so that when it heals, they will form one solid bone mass and the vertebral column becomes rigid. This prevents worsening of the curve at the expense of spinal movement. This can be performed from the anterior (front) aspect of the spine by entering the thoracic or abdominal cavity, or performed from the back (posterior). A combination of both is used on more severe cases.

Patients with fused spines and permanent implants tend to have normal lives with unrestricted activities. They are able to participate in recreational athletics, have natural childbirth and are generally satisfied with their treatment. The most notable limitation of spinal fusions is that patients who have undergone surgery for scoliosis are ineligible for military service in the United States.

[Jen-jen]

its amazin how many different ops ther r 2 treat scoliosis. iv talkd 2 americans, british n puerto ricans n not 1 has ad da same procedure as the otha. iv neva even herd of that op!!
what happens with me is that they attach small metal clips to the curved area then slide a rod down these clips and tighten it until the spine has been pulled reasonably straight. 1 op, small incision in the right-hand side and no bone extras needed. lol. is that the op that ur docs want u 2 av?? cos it sounds kinda harsh 2 me compared 2 mine.

x x

[Robbie]

No decision has been made as to what operation I might have. I was under the impression that spinal fusion was the operation most commonly performed for scoliosis. A lot of people on here say that they've had their spine fused, which I took to mean that they've had spinal fusion done.

[ScoliGal]

surgery does take away ur flexibility, well it depends on the level of fusion. i was fused from T4-L4 and thats alot because i cant even bend over half way. everything is so stiff at my waist. lol

[Jen-jen]

seriously?! oh... i dont no y im different then. iv seen that lotsa people say they av ad a fusion but it never really registered. it sounds pretty harsh to me stil tho... im happy with what wil happen to me. i just wish it would happen sooner. its painful for me. do u get pain?

x x

[Robbie]

My parents have booked me on an earlier flight back to England (in October) so that I can speak to my doctor in person.

surgery does take away ur flexibility, well it depends on the level of fusion. i was fused from T4-L4 and thats alot because i cant even bend over half way. everything is so stiff at my waist. lol

I can barely bend over half-way at the moment, so I really don't see what difference it'll make to me! ... Unless I won't be able to bend over at all. lol.

[Jen-jen]

ahhh so ur comin bk ova here 4 a bit. how long u stayin?? I feel really humbled here cos my scoliosis only gives me pain n makes me luk bad n limits me v little. thats all the agro i get from it yet i stil want the surgery. how shallow am i? lol. u wont lose ur ability 2 bend ova. lol. if not, ull just av 2 b v gud at squattin. lol. hope all goes wel wid ur doc! x x

[Robbie]

Thanks.

Nah, you're not shallow. It's only natural to want to have something 'negative' about your body corrected.

I don't know how long I'll be staying for - maybe permanently. I'm not sure if I like this part of the USA much. lol.

[Jen-jen]

lol thats sum serious psychology goin on ther matey!!! wat part of da USA u in?? how cum u dnt like it?? i bet its cos dey dnt av our wonderful fish n chips!!! lol. which bit of England dya go 2?

x x

[Robbie]

lol. Yeah, the fish and chips there are good. I'm in North Carolina at the moment. The area I'm in is really secluded, in the middle of nowhere, and just.. boring! lol. There's nothing to do. I don't drive out here so I can't get around anywhere and I'm stuck at the house all the time.

I'm going to Buckinghamshire in England. Technically my village is in Buckinghamshire, but the post code is Bedfordshire. Weird. :P I'm about half an hour away from Milton Keynes, if you've ever heard of it.

[coloradogirl]

Hey there,
I read your entry. I highly suggest you do NOT get the surgery, because surgery does not correct scoliosis. The surgery is permanent, so that means you cannot go and undo it. My scoliosis curvatures are very severe, and surgery is not an option for me, because of a lung condition I have. The only way that I can correct my back is through yoga stretching and strengthening the muslces that way. Look into other programs: yoga or bracing, before even considering the surgery. I have some books that have disgusting pictures of what happens in the surgery and they explain what happens when the surgery is performed. I hope this helps you in some way.

[gardenjen]

It's your choice

Hi Robbie!
In the end, you need to decide what's right for you and get peaceful with your decision. My daughter had a thoracoscopic surgery scheduled to correct her top curve (>45 degrees) in 2004, but she decided to cancel it right before the surgery date. She was 20 at the time and I felt that it had to be her decision, one way or the other. She's at a Schroth P.T. clinic for 2 weeks in WI, US right now, working on exercises to maintain, or at least, slow the progression of her curves. After 4 days there, and a lot of hard work - 4 hours of exercise/day (she calls it Boot Camp, lol), she is quite encouraged. There's a clinic in Suffolk, UK, called Scoliosis SOS, run by a young woman with scoliosis, that claims to offer the same treatment. You may want to check out it out at erikamaude.com.
Best wishes to you, whatever you decide!

[Jen-jen]

Ah yeh, i no Milton Keynes! they av a big snow slope ther dnt they?? My surgeon is based in Leeds so luckily im only n hr n a half away from where I live (the coast, a strange place called Scarborough). It's a pity when you're secluded aint it? tho i bet ur prob more secluded than me! mosta my friends live a bus ride away which is handy bt i dnt no any1 in the village. weird huh?

I went to the local fair yesterday and i went on a ride that i always go on bt this time it really hurt my bk.. i couldnt go on 3 others and it seriously ticked me off!!! Big time!! how can i go from it not botherin me at all to suddenly gettin pain a lot?? n its not cos im more aware of it cos this is stil afta i found out. tho that prob doesnt help, knowin that i hav it either does it?

x x

[Robbie]

Hey there,
I read your entry. I highly suggest you do NOT get the surgery, because surgery does not correct scoliosis. The surgery is permanent, so that means you cannot go and undo it. My scoliosis curvatures are very severe, and surgery is not an option for me, because of a lung condition I have. The only way that I can correct my back is through yoga stretching and strengthening the muslces that way. Look into other programs: yoga or bracing, before even considering the surgery. I have some books that have disgusting pictures of what happens in the surgery and they explain what happens when the surgery is performed. I hope this helps you in some way.

Hi there! I've done a lot of reading on the surgery, and seen some pretty disgusting pictures - but I haven't ever heard of any surgery that isn't disgusting. Anything with blood disgusts me! I fully understand that the surgery doesn't cure scoliosis, and that it is permanent, which is why I want to see about having it done - I don't want a temporary 'solution' to the problem. I want to do something lasting about it.

Hi Robbie!
In the end, you need to decide what's right for you and get peaceful with your decision. My daughter had a thoracoscopic surgery scheduled to correct her top curve (>45 degrees) in 2004, but she decided to cancel it right before the surgery date. She was 20 at the time and I felt that it had to be her decision, one way or the other. She's at a Schroth P.T. clinic for 2 weeks in WI, US right now, working on exercises to maintain, or at least, slow the progression of her curves. After 4 days there, and a lot of hard work - 4 hours of exercise/day (she calls it Boot Camp, lol), she is quite encouraged. There's a clinic in Suffolk, UK, called Scoliosis SOS, run by a young woman with scoliosis, that claims to offer the same treatment. You may want to check out it out at erikamaude.com.
Best wishes to you, whatever you decide!

Thank-you! The thing is, I don't want to maintain my curve. I want to lessen it. It really bothers me to know that there my spine is like this. I don't know why, and I know it's probably silly of me to think like this when there are many other people with worse curves who get along just fine. It's just that I have to live with this body for the rest of my life, and I want to try and get it corrected to some extent. I'm definitely not looking to fully correct it, as I know that's impossible, but I want to do something.

----

My parents have gotten me an appointment with my doctor for October 16th - four days after I land in England. lol. Things move too quickly!

I've heard of Scarborough. I don't think I've ever been there though. This place is VERY secluded - there aren't any buses! Buses only exist in the towns around here, and I'm about five miles outside of one of the smallest! Even my village in England had buses. Weird North Carolina. Maybe if I move back, I'll go to New York or somewhere better.

Sorry to hear you're in more pain. :\ I used to get really bad aches lying in bed - right from my right shoulder-blade to the front. It really bugged me, but I didn't know what caused it. I don't get it often now - I get an irritating ache all down my back now. It makes me feel sick sometimes.

[macky]

Hi Robbie. Look an operation does correct scoliosis for crying out loud. What you put in one of your posts about posterior and anterior surgery is exactly what is done now ,as well as the fusion.

I agree that it is your decision and of course you have to take everything into consideration but in the long run and I had mine done 40 years ago it really is the best decision in MY OPINION anyway.

Read one of the posts by x-becki-x under the name of "Hello everyone" she had her operation not long ago and was back at school in11 days and is fine.
Of course every operation is not good to read about and to see exactly what happens to you, but at least you had the sense to do all that, and to realise that, that is what happens. You really appear to have your head on straight and dont let anyone including me let you change your mind or make you think otherwise.

Macky