Hello everyone. I see a lot of posts on here are from people that recently had the surgery or are a few years post op so I thought I'd share a little about how I'm doing 11 years post op.
I had my surgery in January 1997 when I was 15 years old at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. I'm not familiar with all the correct medical terms anymore but my fusion was done from just below my neck down through the first 3 vertibraes in your lower back that allow you to bend (I was informed that you have 5 vertibraes in your lower back that are responsible for letting you bend down and touch your toes, etc.) so as you can imagine it is a fairly large fusion.
My surgery went very well, was in the hospital for 5 days, released and then spent a good amount of time at home recovering (with a tutor for school) and easing myself back in to school and everyday life. I didn't have any complications with the surgery itself but I did push myself a little too hard and ended up with mono in the summer of 1997. My advice is to listen to your body and if it's tired, rest! It's easy to want to go out with friends and dive right back into school but it's important to realize that when you're body is healing it needs extra rest! I got over the mono in about a month and have not had any issue whatsoever since then.
I'm now 26 years old and I can do pretty much everything anyone else can. This includes: snowboarding, tubing (behind a boat), water-skiing, playing sports, I run and lift weights regularly.....I am not limited at all! I just wanted to let everyone know that life after surgery for me is completely normal - even 11 years later!!
I had my surgery in January 1997 when I was 15 years old at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. I'm not familiar with all the correct medical terms anymore but my fusion was done from just below my neck down through the first 3 vertibraes in your lower back that allow you to bend (I was informed that you have 5 vertibraes in your lower back that are responsible for letting you bend down and touch your toes, etc.) so as you can imagine it is a fairly large fusion.
My surgery went very well, was in the hospital for 5 days, released and then spent a good amount of time at home recovering (with a tutor for school) and easing myself back in to school and everyday life. I didn't have any complications with the surgery itself but I did push myself a little too hard and ended up with mono in the summer of 1997. My advice is to listen to your body and if it's tired, rest! It's easy to want to go out with friends and dive right back into school but it's important to realize that when you're body is healing it needs extra rest! I got over the mono in about a month and have not had any issue whatsoever since then.
I'm now 26 years old and I can do pretty much everything anyone else can. This includes: snowboarding, tubing (behind a boat), water-skiing, playing sports, I run and lift weights regularly.....I am not limited at all! I just wanted to let everyone know that life after surgery for me is completely normal - even 11 years later!!
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