New here. Terrified about surgery!

[Qikdraw]

Thanks everyone for your input!
I have my last appointment with Dr. Pashman this coming tuesday and I have lots of questions for him already. I hope I don't forget anything.
P

Write them down on a sheet of paper and bring it with you. You're going through enough stress so you don't need to pile more on yourself thinking you're going to forget something.

I hope your appointment goes well.

Brad

[pilar]

I have to agree with all of the posters above. I had to wait 6 months for my surgery and it gave me lots of time to prepare but also time to drive myself crazy with worry. I think that is very natural. I had sworn for 40 years I would never have surgery. I just kept progressing and by the last year and a half it was moving really rapidly. I was becoming totally scrunched down. By the time I had surgery I was at 91 and 62. So pretty close to yours.
As bad as mine was I had managed through how I dressed, exercise and chiro, etc. etc. to keep mine looking not too bad. Many thought I was crazy too since they said I can't see any problem. Without a top they would see it big time. Yes, the pain kept increasing and due to the degree of progression my long-term prognosis looked pretty bleak.
Also I agree with Brad on the exercise. I had always done lots of it anyway, but I ramped it way up to 1-1 and a half hours a day. I think that does help the healing process.
It's a tough surgery, no doubt about it. However, I decided the year plus of recovery was worth having lots more years where I could actually be out of pain and not be a crumpled old lady. I'm 10 weeks out from surgery and I'm almost 2 inches taller and look much straighter. I have sort of a leaning issue to the left which I hope will adjust eventually but my overall look is so much better. Good luck with all of this!! Janet

Hi Janet!
10 weeks out of surgery! wow good for you! how are you feeling? Is your post-op painful? Do you notice a lot of difference in your body? And if you don't mind asking... what was your degree of correction?
Thanks.
Pilar

[Jimbo]

Oh wow, with curves like that I would get surgery as soon as possible!!

[Doodles]

Pilar--
Post-op pain does gradually get better. After the 2 weeks in hospital/rehab I came home and thought I was doing quite well. I guess at night I did lots of moaning and groaning for awhile--probably the oxycontin. That and percocet I was off about 4 weeks ago I think. That wasn't a problem. Since then tried around Memorial Day to go off Hydrocodone 7.5--2 every 4 hours-- a little but it was too soon and really seemed to set me back. Just started yesterday to try to cut back gradually. Just eliminated a half tab during the night. Sounds silly but I'm worried now to try more than that after reading some of the problems here. So we will do that for a few days and then try more. I also take 3 baclofen a day--muscle relaxers.
The "pain" now is a lot more extreme fatigue of my back after sitting too long and aches and soreness that demand getting flat on the bed. If I do very much I pay for it! I occasionally get rather quick spurts of pain in certain areas but it definitely is not continuous.
My overall stance is so much better as my husband says. I'm almost 2 inches taller so I've been stretched out from my old scrunched self. I had a lot of rotation in ribs etc. and that is definitely better than it was. Left shoulder blade is now more prominent than the right but still is much better than before. I have a lean to the left now that I will ask about at my June 24th appt. I'm hoping that will right itself. I don't know my degree of correction although Dr. Lenke said after surgery that he thought he got a very good correction. I'll probably find that out at the appt. Hope this helps. Janet

[loves to skate]

Thanks everyone for your input!
I have my last appointment with Dr. Pashman this coming tuesday and I have lots of questions for him already. I hope I don't forget anything.
P

Write your questions down or you will forget. Good luck, Sally

Oops, I guess I missed a page. You already have been given this advice. Sorry

[pilar]

Thanks to all for your advice!
My appointment is on tuesday, so I'm preparing myself for it. Lots of questions. My back actually hurts today, so I can not wait to see him!
I have a lots of concerns about this and I hope he will ease my mind. I also quit smoking about a month ago and I smoked for a lot of years... ( my bad I know ). I'm wondering how is that going to affect me if I have this surgery in three months? any adults there that went through the same thing? My Dr. didn't seem to care that much the first time he asked me.

[jrnyc]

also awaiting surgery

dear pilar
i too am awaiting surgery, planning for november, but keep changing my mind...i have an upper 40 degree curve, which we will ignore, as pain is relieved with botox shots.. and a lower 60 degree, which we will address...doctor says i must have front and back incisions, and a "cage" to anchor rods to my hips...it's that last part that terrifies me...but i know it is needed to "stabilize" the rods....
i wish you luck and will say a prayer for your healing once the surgery is done...and for strength and courage to go thru with it...

best always
jrnyc(jess)

[pilar]

Hi jess,
I just came back from my appointment with my Doc and I found that that I'll be fused from T2 to my pelvis as well. I'm soo scared. I feel like I will not going to be able to move ever again. It sucks! good thing is that I really like my doctor and I trust his judgment. I have major curves, so it does make sense the fusion. my curves are 70* 90* 50*
My boyfriend doesn't want me to do it since I don't have major pains right now. He thinks that I will hurt myself with this surgery. I just very afraid that he is right.
P.

[JenniferG]

Nor did I have major pain from my scoliosis. My surgeon told me that those with little or no pain tend to have better outcomes, so I hope this helps with your nerves. (I'm very happy with my outcome.)

[asccbodypro]

Pilar,

Sorry to hear your curves are so bad. As you probably already know, they will only get worse and at some point it will compromise your health and you don't want to wait until that point. I wore a brace as a kid and was fine until 5 years ago and spent the past 5 years in major pain and my quality of life revolved around my back. I finally had my surgery about 8 weeks ago. It's hard to go through. I think everyone here will tell you that but before you know it your able to do a little bit more each day. Even though I have pain from surgery and healing, I do not have the same pain that I had prior to surgery. Just make sure you ask as many questions as you can and find a surgeon that you TRUST and takes the time with you that you need. Good luck, I wish you all the best in making your decision. It took me a long time to make mine but my curves were no where near as bad as yours! Take care!!!!

[curvycakes]

Hi Pilar!

Hi Pilar. I was diagnosed about the same time you were with a 45 degree thoracic curve and I was told that surgery was my only option. I didn't have any pain at the time and it wasn't a big deal to me so I looked at other options (bracing, chiropractic) for treatment. I am 19 now and while those options may have helped a little, they did not do much. Now I am almost 73 degrees thoracic and I have realized that surgery really is the only thing that can fix this curve! I'm glad I'm getting the procedure done (this Thursday!) but I sort of wish I had really evaluated my options when I was younger...I might have been able to get better correction and I would have gotten it out of the way rather than having to change my college summer plans to fit the surgery in. Also, try not to pay TOO much attention to people who tell you that surgery is not an option. Everyone may be telling you not to have surgery, but do they have to live with your curve? No. Basically, you need to make the final decision, take some time and think for yourself. If something in your gut feels right, you should trust it.
So anyway, just realize that this surgery will really have an effect on your future. In my case, I may have realized this later than I would have liked. Best of luck deciding--I'm here if you'd like to talk!

[pilar]

Thanks curvycakes!
you are still very young and flexible (19). I'm on the other hand, 30 years old. And I wish I would have made this decision at your age. I probably would have has around the same curvature that you have right now. You will have a very good correction right now. My curves are kind of stiff, so I don't know how much correction I will get. I just hope that for my 90* I will get a good 40's correction. One can only hope. I also will get thorascopy on my rib hump, so at least I am going to look decent. My only worry right now is my insurance. Who knows if they going to approve it. I have insurance from my school so it is not the best. I guess I have to just wait now and see what happens. All this waiting and deciding is killing me though...

[LindaRacine]

dear pilar
i too am awaiting surgery, planning for november, but keep changing my mind...i have an upper 40 degree curve, which we will ignore, as pain is relieved with botox shots.. and a lower 60 degree, which we will address...doctor says i must have front and back incisions, and a "cage" to anchor rods to my hips...it's that last part that terrifies me...but i know it is needed to "stabilize" the rods....
i wish you luck and will say a prayer for your healing once the surgery is done...and for strength and courage to go thru with it...

best always
jrnyc(jess)

Hi Jess...

I think you may be confused about what will be done in surgery. The hips aren't involved in scoliosis surgery. I suspect that the rods will go down to the pelvis, with a cage or cages in the front of some part of the lumbar spine to replace a disc or discs.

Here's an xray that shows both iliac bolts and cages:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flatba...unt=20&dir=asc

This is a person who had multiple surgeries, so there's more implants than you'll have, but I wanted you to see the cages (the 2 mesh things in the middle at the bottom, and the iliac bolts, which are the 2 long bolts at the very bottom.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Linda

[jrnyc]

still considering/scared of "cages"

dear linda
thank you so much for the clarification, and for your help...i have a better idea of where the metal will go...still pretty scary, tho...

thanks again
jess(jrnyc)