Great News Today!

[Diane BCSW]

I had the doctor’s visit today. Actually, I saw the PA but she confirmed her findings with another doctor as my doctor is out of town. The Xray showed –I have no broken rods. I did fear this due to the similarity of my current symptoms to the ones I had last summer when I did break. As to the bending, she said it will take more physical therapy especially on the S.I. joints and to another place that I’ve already forgotten the name, but it’s above the waistline on either side of the spine, and she said that I’ll never be absolutely straight again. As to the pain both standing and non-standing, she said to one degree or another, I’ll always have pain; that most “scoli” patients do. As to the clinks and clunks which were a great concern of mine, I related to her what I had read in the Scoliosis Forum, that a member’s doctor said these come from muscle and tendons and/or scar tissue suddenly passing over part of the hardware. She said she would agree with that. That too is just something I’ll have to learn to live with.

Thanks to all that read my previous postings and held their fingers crossed for me. I guess I can live with everything that the PA said; what's the alternative? You know, it just occurred to me. People have all kinds of surgeries every day, they recuperate, then IT'S OVER. Not us and I don't have to tell you a thing, you know what I mean. We're Exclusive!!

[debbei]

That's fantastic news Diane. I hope you can rest easy now and not worry that something serious is wrong.

[Susie*Bee]

What a relief!

Diane-- thanks for posting so quickly! That is all great news! (Well, compared to what it could have been...) Yay! That's a load of worry off your shoulders!

And yes, we are an exclusive bunch, aren't we? I've read it before and it is always confirmed-- once a scoli, always a scoli-- we're in it for life, regardless of surgeries, etc. Surgery isn't a panacea-- it's not a cure... although it can be a great event, often alleviating pain, addressing deformities, stabilizing our spines, giving many back a somewhat "normal" life-- but it can also open up a whole new "can of worms" of problems to deal with in the future. Hopefully, with most people, it is a starting point for an improved life from what "would have been" without surgical intervention. And that is a very good thing... But sometimes it is the springboard for new challenges via complications. You have triumphed so well over yours-- and I'm so proud of you and the strength you've shown through all your surgeries and recoveries! What a feat! You're an inspiration.

Time to go celebrate and kick up your heels (oh, right-- I'm sure that's still a no-no under your restrictions...) -- but you know what I mean. It's super that those were just explainable concerns to live with, and nothing had gone wrong... I'm elated for you!

[loves to skate]

Diane,
I am so glad for you that you are not looking at another surgery. Pain is not easy to deal with, but when we know what is causing it, it make it a little easier to take. Take good care of yourself and I hope the PT help you. Sally

[Diane BCSW]

Thank you all for your kind words. Susie, are you a writer? Everything you write sounds like poetry, even if you're just talking about scoliosis - you paint it to look prettier than it is. Yes, I am so relieved that the rods aren't broken. I found out today I have only 3 PT sessions left and that's kind of rotten on the part of United Healthcare. My PT failed to get permission from the ACN (American Chiropratic N?) for 5 visits in May and early June. At $358/visit, that's a lot. The office manager at the PT told me that was their fault and they would eat them. But in determining the 3 PT sessions left, UMC counted those 5 when they didn't even pay them. PT said they would fax a request to UMC for more sessions tomorrow. So here I am with a pretty good degree of kyphosis, and 3 PT sessions left and I certainly cannot afford even the discounted insurance rate for PT.

Has anyone ever received insurance permission to go beyond your allowed PT visits?

I'm trying out a revised signature. So far, I haven't been able to view the final result of coloring each line, so let me know immediately if it's just terrible. Most of the color choices are dark and I knew that wouldn't work.

[debbei]

Diane,
I'm sorry about the only 3 sessions left problem. That really stinks. I don't know what they'll do, but it wouldn't hurt to at least try and ask.

As far as the signiture, the 1st and 3rd lines are kind of hard to read but I can still read them.