1st appt with doctor post-op

[sanah]

Hey, I just saw Dr. Parks today for the first time since I left the hospital. They took an x-ray from the back, and from the side, jeez those screws look big xD.
My lumbar is very straight, he didn't even see where to measure to find the degree xD. My upper thoracic is still pretty curvy though. It was a 35 pre-op, and a 27 post-op. So we are going to watch it, and see if it straightens out or stays there. If it stays there I guess I get to monitor it through the years to make sure it's not getting worse, if so it's a higher fusion for me! xD

I'm fused from T5-T12 it's pretty short xD I was looking at the x-ray and I have 2 braces, both about 2 vertebrae from the end.

I looked pretty straight except for the upper thoracic and my natural curve (from the side) looks pretty normal too.

My hips are still slightly rotated, and my left rib is still more prominent, but that will be fine ^__^; I actually wouldn't mind having some sort of proof for future friends, to say 'here! here's my scar and look there's my rib!" "ooo" xD

My left shoulder is higher then the right, and it might stay that way, but hopefully it'll even out over time here.

They took the steri-strips off and cleaned my back off (it had a lot of adhesive on it) and cut the little sutures at the ends. It was really weird as they went over it to rub off the adhesive, my mom was trying to do it last week and I jumped away when she got to the sides, so she could only clean of the bottom and top of my back. My left shoulder area has been really sensitive, and so when they were cleaning me off (I was laying on my stomach) I jumped and moved towards my side when they got in the area, it felt really weird. All of those nerves growing back I guess.

So my incision looks good, and I only have to wear a bandage for the rest of this week and then I get to go back to school on monday, and once my scar is pink and smooth I can even jump in the pool! Not to swim, but to float around a bit =P I also can start doing a stationary bike, in a week too.

so my next appointment is July 1st, and by then I should be able to get back into shape and maybe I can swim for my high school team and help them make it to state come august-november ^__^

Thank you everyone for your help and support, I wish those who have yet to get their operations luck, and I'll try to post about the first week or so post op at home here shortly! Love you guys xD

[Susie*Bee]

Yay, Sanah! That's great that you had such a good appointment! It sounds like you are having a wonderful recovery and doing so well! I agree about the screws! They definitely look wicked, don't they?

I think you'll find that at least some of the shoulder height discrepancy will resolve itself with time and with working at it some. My physical therapist had said to look in the mirror and get a feel for what is correct, and then try to practice that when you can. Mine wasn't very much off-- and I don't know if it changed (they look even to me now) because of consciously thinking (ok, raise your right shoulder a tad) for a little bit or because it just happened anyway. But my pt said that at about 6 months post-op, when I first went there. I think before then I wasn't even aware of the problem-- or at least not that much.

The sensitivity you're having should get some better with time-- maybe some who had the surgery longer ago than me can say something... mine is still sensitive, but not as much-- and I'm at 11 months post-op.

I'm so excited for you about going back to school! Won't that be good to be back with your friends and doing school stuff again?!!! Take care-- and keep us posted with how everything's going.

[Aussiemum]

Good on you Sanah!!!!
Elysia's steri tabs just had to drop off on their own which they did over about 3 - 4 weeks, she would have freaked if they had to be taken off!!!! LOL!
So glad your doing so well, you sound like a very sweet, mature 15 year old and I bet your mum is dam PROUD!!!!!

Good on you!
Del
xx