i have to get thorcoplasty

[tg100]

im an 18 year old male and I got scoliosis surgery on 20 june and now i find out that i need another thorcoplasty operation if i want to fix my rib hump. i never even knew about this until now. should it have been done during my operation?

i thought i was finished with it but now im upset that i have to go through another surgery. i really want the surgery because i hate the way it looks.

after i have the surgery i would love to just know that its over and forget about ever having scoliosis. is this possible? i dont want to think about it for the rest of my life. i really hate the thought of never being normal and having a normal body.



one more thing, has any well known person or celebrity had scoliosis? i've just been wondering lately.

[LindaRacine]

Hi tg...

I think many surgeons don't do thoracoplasties on their patients unless the patient is really vocal about their rib humps. Did you talk about it before your surgery?

For a list of famous people with scoliosis:

http://www.scoliosis-world.com/famou..._scoliosis.htm

--Linda

[ck43]

tg, you ask whether you will ever forget scoli. Please consider me your big sister, in a big family so you get the age difference. I am 43, female, married.

I have life experience but it is not YOUR life experience and so your life and changing times and all that..

First I am "ticked off with you" to have thought you jumped the big hurdle and now there's another???? Linda was right, in, did the subject come up before your surgery?

Next, so you know you're "not alone" .. heck, I had spinal fusion yada at 15. I came home, the found out I need a filling for a tooth cavity. My reaction was a few 15 yr old hot tears, "No more pain. No more pain."

I can't tell you anything about your next step. I can tell you what I went on to do. I had this powerful intuition when a certain magazine rolled into town, or I wouldn't have even considered trying for it. But. There I am in a certain magazine, sideview of any other college girl, washing her hair over a sink. A trained eye might see something. Everyone else just talks about pretty my eyes are or how pretty a picture.

My point here is, I didn't forget I had scoli and I've never regretted the picture as it "erases" something for me, or heals something in me. My family will never understand why I elected to become a girl of the Pac 10 in a certain magazine. Later on, years later, over a glass of wine, my father said, "You can't tell me my daughter isn't beautiful."

Scoliosis will come and go in your life. There will be romances or strolls on a beach in a two piece swimming suit, all with a scar and you won't care. Nope you won't. That magazine crew saw nothing or noticed nothing was "wrong" with me until the 7th hour of an 8 hour photo shoot. By contrast they freaked out when they realized I wore no nail polish.

Last year I taught Athlectic Conditioning ++ as a group fitness instructor. I learned it from a former player of the NFL while I was already a certified fitness instructor. I enjoyed his class for the challenge of it and memerized the moves. Do you think I ever didn't forget in the back of my mind what a scoli kid was accomplishing?

Your scoli chapter will end. It will. You just need to know "when" and then you can be the trooper that all of us are or learn to be. Next visit with your doc, ask WHEN, I want dates, I want expectations, I want the best that you know.

Learning I had to have a fusion after three years in the brace? I was SOOOOOO happy! My mother went the other direction. Hope you hear me chuckle here, but I had DATES. Real dates, and then I would be "finished."

Hang in there baby. (I mean the slang phrase. I am not calling you a baby. You're NOT! I bawled over a tooth filling, but then hey, I was physically weak and in recent worse trauma.) If recall correctly Isabella Roselli was flat on her back in the family living room so to speak a long while. That was part of "her" life experience, she being akin to "my" big sister. Different treatments different times.

[ck43]

eeesh, I didn't mean ticked off with you

Eesh. Should have proofed. I am so sorry. I wasn't ticked off with you I was ticked off in general that anyone should be led to believe, hey this is the big hurdle, I only have to get through this and then to find out...

After I had surgery, some nurse got it into her head I was clock watching. I had a clock radio. For me, I was thinking at 15, I only have to get to such and such time.... and so that time came and went.

Meanwhile, someone made a MISTAKE on what my dosage time was and they thought I was clock watching rather than being in real pain.

Idiot. They were so sorry later, no doubt drawn by the noise of so many things above me swinging and clanging together over my bed, from my "shuddering." I only had to get through that one hurdle you know, be brave, make it, not bother anyone and so on, and she took it away. She might have done so hours earlier so I could have somehow, God willing, thought wow this is a really bad one, but I only have to get to ...

People deal with hurdles. Lots of people do. Athletes for example. But the athlete knows he/she only has to get to that one line but sometimes there is a surprise and they have to give more. No one really knows where the extra power comes from, but you've got it. You've got.

[tg100]

Thanks for the replies.

i didnt talk about thorcoplasty before my scoliosis operation but only because i didnt know about it. i know about it now and im ticked off that i have to get another operation when they could have done it at the same time as my other one.

i want to make my body as normal as possible and fixing my ribs and shoulders is really important to me. i have to wait until next june at the earliest for the operation because of school commitments. so, im not exactly going to have the best summer either.

the only reason im looking forward to it is because it will be over and done with. i look at everyone i know and their backs are perfect. maybe its just me but i find that a spine being curved instead of straight is completely strange. i just feel so bad sometimes thinking why cant i be like everyone else. why did i have to be in the 1% of people with this problem? i would do anything to have a normal body, but this deformity ruined it.

i hate the thought of knowing ill always have this with me and thats depressing.

[LindaRacine]

Hi tg...

I wouldn't necessarily expect a surgeon to mention thoracoplasty to you. Did s/he talk about the cosmetic aspect of scoliosis, and whether it bothered you? I'm told that thoracoplasties are pretty painful procedures, and I think surgeons don't recommend them unless they have a patient who is very vocal about hating the way their back looks.

--Linda

[sweetness514]

Hi,

I'm sorry that they didn't talk to about this before, and you do have the right to be pissed Maybe you should think about getting it, it is supposed to be painful for some, and try to read info about it with previous posts on the subject here, you will at least know of other people's experiences with it.

I do notice that not a lot of people have straight backs, as a matter of fact a lot have humps especially near their necks and have horrible postrure, so I don't know if what you see of yourself is in fact that bad. Just a thought.

[tg100]

Im looking for an honest answer...

Is it possible to be happy with your body with scoliosis? am i going to be haunted with this for the rest of my life? it sounds like sweetness514 has had to deal with it since she was 12. im not really looking forward to the future if this deformity is going to cause more problems.

all i want is to make my body look as normal as possible. how can i achieve this? scoliosis is ruining my life.

[sweetness514]

Hi tg100,

I'm sorry you feel that way. I can only say that scoliosis hasn't ruined all of my life, but yes it has made it hard to live with for CERTAIN periods of time. Wearing the brace in my teen years an having a lot of pain then due to the progressing curve was hard to live with, but I still managed to have a normal life. Then when I was mostly pain free for 8 years between the ages of 18 and 26, I barely ever thought of it, even if I had a hump, for me it's pain that makes me think of it, not the cosmetic aspect of scoliosis. People around me never noticed or cared, and certainly not men.

Now these last few years it has again taken a place in my life, b/c I had revision surgery and a lot of pain. But with time it gets better and there are important things, especially people in life that I care about.

If you feel badly about your self image, maybe you can see a therapist that specializes in body image issues, it's worth a try.

Don't despair, and if you need to vent come here

[lelc2002@yahoo]

I had a thoroplasty that reduced my hump....I never really discussed it all that much with the surgeons...they saw how badly deformed I was & I knew my surgeon would do whatever he could to help me.. I, at the time, was much more concerned with placement of my organs & health considerations than how I looked... but now I can say it certainly is a nice plus to look better..! Ly
http://lynnebackattack.blogspot.com
fused T-11 to L-5/95 thorocolum. curve reduced into the 50's/ Dr. Boachie/Dr. Kim

[LindaRacine]

Hi tg...

Even with a thoracoplasty, your body will never be 100% symmetrical. I can tell you from a lot of experience that you'll always find something about which you'll be unhappy in regard to your body. As others have already said, this problem is much bigger to you than it is to anyone else. My mechanism for coping when I look in the mirror and hate what I see, is to ask myself if I'd like any of my friends or family less; if they had the same "flaws." Of course, the answer is always no.

I'd like to encourage you to speak to someone who has expertise in body image problems, to help you learn to accept what you have.

Regards,
Linda

[ck43]

tg, they have found scoliosis in chickens even. Also isn't the stat for scoliosis 1 in 8 people?

I still have a hump my friend but I stand straight have good balance and few people ever ever notice. I know you are 18 and just want to be done with it. You thought you were done with it with this last surgery. At some point, you will be done with it.

I think it's more critical to you because you are 18, are now an official "adult" and live your life. You are not feeling anything that isn't justified or completely rationale.

I have a cervical (neck) disc degeneration i just learned about at 43. Of course I "freaked" out about it because it had to do with my scoliosis and I was pretty ticked off, especially, "I thought I was DONE with all of that." I understand how you feel. However, according to the orthpedic surgeon I just saw, my current problem has nothing to do with scoliosis.

I am going back Nov 2, to go over the MRI, and I am going to ask him again, "Are you sure this has nothing to do with scoliosis???? Are you sure it isn't something that I did? Are you sure it isn't because I lifted ten pounds in each arm working out?"

I know one thing for sure, you didn't deserve this.

I will say, in high school, I spent an inordinate amount of time looking at others backs. Guess what, I saw scoliosis but then I was sort of obsessed with not being the only one... I mean it's lonely for one and then there's that thought in the back of one's mind, "What did I do to deserve this?"

You might want to also post to the adolescent group here. They will understand the best of what it's like to be 18, and still dealing with it.

13, traction (a day?) then body cast, then brace 13 to 15, spinal fusion, body cast 9 months, plus 9 more of nothing fattening, illegal or immoral. I was also scared of falling or being bumped into.

[BentMetal]

tg -

Honest answer?

This will sound self-centered but I just want to give you a dose of my reality (from my perspective)...

I'm a 43 year old male. I've had scoliosis since I was 10 y/o. I had surgery at 17, and still have two big curves and a rib hump (never repaired it).

I live in southern california. I've surfed since I was 12 (the biggest waves I can find...still do). I played contact football at 13 and 14...as first string wide receiver! My first girlfriend in Jr High was the best looking chick in the school (Jr. High opinions, but she was very pretty), and I'm not even good looking!! I missed 11th grade to have surgery, then went to college. I'm now married to a very pretty lady, have a good job and travel from time to time.

You can have a good life with scoliosis. You just need to minimize it in your mind, and shrug it off. Stay thin, lift some weights (if possible), and be active.

It surprises me, but VERY few people ever notice it!! Even the ladies! No kidding. Besides, why would you want to hang with people who are body conscious (they're usually not too intelligent or interseting anyway).

I am rarely self-concious about it, and have enough motivation to enjoy life...and so should you.

If it's what you want, have your Doctor minimize the deformity, then enjoy your life. Minimize the scoliosis in your mind, and shrug it off. Life; it only happens once...enjoy it.

[ck43]

Gosh, BentMetal that was a great reply! I was very uplifted and felt comraderie even.

tg, it will eventually end, I swear it and you can come and play with the rest of us.

BentMetal you are soooo lucky you got to participate in sports. I was both a girl and a scoli girl at that, at a time when few people in Washington state had even heard of scoliosis. My mother was from a different generation and didn't believe in many sports for girls and as well, no one encouraged me to do them, least of all my doctor, though he was a fabulous doctor.

Now a days the thinking is all reversed, keep active, stay active, live a normal life.

I do wonder though when the ortho guys will team up with the shrinks. Kids need support.

Bentmetal and others for what it's worth I dated one of the world's best soccer players in my 20s and he didn't care either. He didn't.

My husband is a GREAT guy and he doesn't care a hoot! I too went on to college, dated cute guys, eventually had good friends (because initially I didn't trust anyone. It is a weird experience to be braced, treated unkindly at school and at shopping malls, etc. not by everyone but ... then suddenly I am the hot chick. Let me continue with that. Me hot? One of the places I tried to hide from people even out of the brace and cast was butt because I felt the Milwaukee brace well..... anyway, I would get these comments in early college about having such a cute butt that people felt they had to comment.)

Hang in there. It's just a set back you didn't know was coming and meanwhile breathe, enjoy life, exercise as you can, get strong get fiesty, be yourself. None of us has a perfect body and even now I find things to dislike but it rarely... no it NEVER has had anything to do with my back, and I've still got a slight hump but it's a bigger hump when I show people what to look for.

I'll freely bend over hands together, and "show" them. The weird thing about being a pretty girl is sometimes you have to literally show someone, hey, I've been in pain and I am not perfect.

[BentMetal]

tg - the emotional issues that are bothering you now will rapidly diminish as you get older. They will become less and less significant over a short period of time. Like the British say, "stiff upper lip, mate".