How Long Before Back to Norm?

[txmarinemom]

You people just posted 6 posts while I was writing my little one!

Nevermind ;-).

I'm still trying the pillow. So there - LOL!

[samsmom]

Hi Elaine,

Elysia is two weeks post-op and if I could trust the kids at school not to bump or push her or touch her back then I feel she could return to school for 1/2 days. There is no way I will return her though until we see our Surgeon on 31st March for the all clear with the fusion. I personally don't think it's worth the risk - so long as they are happy to keep up with the majority of the school work at home and you can get the time off work to care for them (and tutor - ahhhh teachers should be paid more! We get zero home help here in Australia from the schools so it has to be the parents).

Also although not in much pain at all - Yesterday Elysia wanted to go shopping for her B'day - after 30 minutes she had to sit down and have a rest - after another 30 minutes she said "Let's go". That's a big thing for a girl who just "LOVES SHOPPING". I carried the pillow around for her in bag and walked behind so no-one would bump or touch her back!!! Maybe I should have walked in front with a basket of rose petals that I scattered on the ground for her to walk on as she paraded through the stores! Might as well as she's getting treated like a princess!!!! One of her friends who came for dinner last night brought her a Tiara as a present!!!! Oh well, what they go through - they deserve to be treated like Princesses for awhile (only awhile - don't get any ideas kid!)


xx
Del

Hi Aussiemom,

I too was hysterical laughing about the rose petals. We have been out and about a few times since my daughter's surgery and it is so true. I have been following her like a bodyguard...scoping out the people who look like they might be careless and bump into her and altering our route. I even gave someone the evil eye when he didn't hold the door open for her!! And yes, I too carry the pillow around. I even call her reclining chair that she is most comfortable in, "the throne". Good to see that she is recovering so well. You must be so pleased!

[txmarinemom]

No fair, y'all ... I want rose petals and a bodyguard! LOL ;-)

[Aussiemum]

Sharon - thanks that is so very sweet of you. I'll see how I go here in Aus and if I can't track it down I'll get back to you.

Pam - You'll get your roses and bodyguard eventually when you publish that book and they're holding back your fan base at your book signing!!!!!

Elaine - Sorry if your initial thread has a lot of raving's in it - but as you can see this forum is what keeps everyone sane both before and after surgery. It is the most wonderful group of people you could ever meet and everyone will always be there to support and offer any advice or suggestions that they can throughout your daughter's surgery. It is such a serious thing to happen to anyone or their child and you have to keep your sense of humour.
Maybe one day we should hold a Scoliosis Forum convention - how cool would that be for people to come from all over the world and meet up??

Cheers
Del
xx

[skoshi314]

Road Trip!!!!!!!!!!

Sharon - thanks that is so very sweet of you. I'll see how I go here in Aus and if I can't track it down I'll get back to you.

Pam - You'll get your roses and bodyguard eventually when you publish that book and they're holding back your fan base at your book signing!!!!!

Elaine - Sorry if your initial thread has a lot of raving's in it - but as you can see this forum is what keeps everyone sane both before and after surgery. It is the most wonderful group of people you could ever meet and everyone will always be there to support and offer any advice or suggestions that they can throughout your daughter's surgery. It is such a serious thing to happen to anyone or their child and you have to keep your sense of humour.
Maybe one day we should hold a Scoliosis Forum convention - how cool would that be for people to come from all over the world and meet up??

Cheers
Del
xx

Del,
I'm all in for the Convention! It would be sooooooo amazing to be able to put faces with the names of the beautiful people here. But I do have a request: can we come stay at your house? I would LOVE to see Sydney and quite honestly, would any of you REALLY want to come to Oklahoma? Yea, didn't think so!

[txmarinemom]

must ... resist ...

Becky ... started it ... but ...

MUST ... fight ...

urge ... to launch into ...

Oklahoma ... jokes ...

agggggggghhhhh ...

not nice ...

FUNNY ... but ...

not nice ...

(giggle!)

[Aussiemum]

Hmmmm - not a problem Becky - but.... I just checked the members listing and there is 7,895 members - no probs I do have three Loo's! That calculates out at 10.94 seconds each, once a day - How fast can you pee?? LOL!

xx

[skoshi314]

Rebuttal

Pam, I'm going to deal with you first! When I was growing up, my older, yet shorter sister, was ALWAYS saying "Becky started it!!!!" so I just want to say thanks for the litle trip down memory lane! LOL! As as far as Okie jokes, weeeeelllllllllll, just don't get me started on Texas! And by the way, it's an absolutely mystery to me why every time Oklahoma makes national news for something, the networks always seem to pick the people with 3 teeth in their head to put on national TV. What's up with that?

And Del, ummmm, maybe I'll just stay in a hotel close by. Not that I don't appreciate the hospitality and all, but I typically need a little more than 10.94 seconds once a day. By the way, I totally impressed with your math skills!

[ca-native]

It's getting close...

Hello Everyone,

Oh my goodness, you guys are cracking me up! This is a good thing because Kim's surgery is less than two weeks away and everyday I feel myself getting more stressed so I can use the smiles. I like the "princess" comments - Kim's room is decorated in the Disney princess theme.

Her birthday is this Sunday, March 9th and she'll be 16 years old. What a crappy gift, huh? "How about some metal rods and screws for a belated birthday present? These things costs ten of thousands of dollars so ya know I love ya baby!!".

Thanks for all of your support.

[MATJESNIC]

Elaine,

We're all rooting for Kim to do great. It's going to be tough on all of you. But you'll all get through it. You're not alone.

[Beckymk]

Hello Everyone,
Her birthday is this Sunday, March 9th and she'll be 16 years old. What a crappy gift, huh? "How about some metal rods and screws for a belated birthday present? These things costs ten of thousands of dollars so ya know I love ya baby!!".

Thanks for all of your support.

OK, I know this is old but I laughed when I read this. I know how you felt as I'm feeling the same way. DD's birthday is March 10 and they are talking surgery in February. She was so excited because it was going to be the first birthday that she didn't have a gymnastics or cheerleading meet to attend. Instead she now gets recovery from surgery for her 15th birthday!

[tillgurl]

I had my surgery at the beginning of summer, but if I had have been in school, I would have been back 4-5 weeks after, but not longer.
I'm only 7 weeks post-op and leave for vacation tomorrow and have to drive two days to get there.
I NEVER thought I'd be able to go on vacation but I'm feeling great!

[Mary jane]

Scared mom

We are now trying to gauge the recovery time also. My 17 year old has a curve of 58, but has an autonomic illness called dysautonomia and we have ben putting off her surgery hoping she would get stronger. As it stands now she only has the stamina to go to school 2 to 3 days a week. She has been totally homebound until last January, 2008. We are so afraid this surgery will knock her back down again.
It seems many of the children I have read about here bounce back rather fast. Once the kids are back in school, do they continue to heal well and just get back to normal without complications? What about the sitting all day and carrying heavy backpacks?
I am a divorced mom and must admit I am so scared for my daughter, does any one have words of reassurance or comfort? also, any things I can have ready to help her through recovery?

[Pooka1]

We are now trying to gauge the recovery time also. My 17 year old has a curve of 58, but has an autonomic illness called dysautonomia and we have ben putting off her surgery hoping she would get stronger. As it stands now she only has the stamina to go to school 2 to 3 days a week. She has been totally homebound until last January, 2008. We are so afraid this surgery will knock her back down again.
It seems many of the children I have read about here bounce back rather fast. Once the kids are back in school, do they continue to heal well and just get back to normal without complications? What about the sitting all day and carrying heavy backpacks?
I am a divorced mom and must admit I am so scared for my daughter, does any one have words of reassurance or comfort? also, any things I can have ready to help her through recovery?

While it's fair to say most kids recover fairly quickly, a relative few develop some complication (wound infection, etc.).

What I think might be an issue and which your surgeon should address is the need to walk during recovery. Walking seemed to be very important in my daughter's recovery. By the way, my daughter also had a 58* curve at surgery. It was moving several degrees a month at that point, too fast for any bracing, and the surgery happened none too soon.

It is likely no brace would have helped anyway because she likely has some connective tissue disorder. Her twin, who likely has the same disorder, is in a brace that is failing and will likely be told she needs surgery at her next exam in the spring.

So bottom line is you need to address the walking issue, if that is an issue, in my opinion. The recovery will go quicker the more she can walk as I understand these things.

Good luck.