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  • I got my surgery date

    Hi everyone. I thought I would let you know that I got my surgery date today. The date is April 19th 2005. Just thought I would let you know!
    ~*Lauren*~
    Braced for 5 months
    Decided on surgery with 65 and 54 degree curves
    Pre-op curve measurements were in the 70's and 80's
    Surgery on April 26th 2005
    Fused from T3-L4
    Post-op curve is 15 degrees

  • #2
    Hello: We have surgery date also - Feb. 15th. The doctor wants AC to donate her own blood, so we should be scheduling that very soon. They will be doing posterior - how about you? I think waiting is the hardest part!

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    • #3
      I am also having a posterior spinal fusion. I have to donate my own blood as well. Not for a long time yet but I do. I also think that the waiting is the hardest part. Good luck with her surgery!
      ~*Lauren*~
      Braced for 5 months
      Decided on surgery with 65 and 54 degree curves
      Pre-op curve measurements were in the 70's and 80's
      Surgery on April 26th 2005
      Fused from T3-L4
      Post-op curve is 15 degrees

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks a lot! Good luck to you, too!
        AC wore a brace for about 2 years and it slowed down the curves, but didn't stop them and they got much worse within the last few months. She's having a lot of pain now, so she's at the point where she's ready for surgery, hoping she won't have the back pain once she recovers from the surgery. (I hope so too).
        Melinda

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        • #5
          I have back pain sometimes too. My curves are at 65 and 54 degrees. I sometimes get so much pain I can't wait until surgery but I am also nervous about it. I wore a brace for 5 months. I wore a boston brace. What kind of brace did AC wear? I hope your her pain isn't too bad after surgery either. Good luck!
          ~*Lauren*~
          Braced for 5 months
          Decided on surgery with 65 and 54 degree curves
          Pre-op curve measurements were in the 70's and 80's
          Surgery on April 26th 2005
          Fused from T3-L4
          Post-op curve is 15 degrees

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi: She wore a Boston brace too, but I get them mixed up. She wore one that fastened in back for a long time and then they switched her to one that fastened in front. That was easier for her. She started out with spots that were rubbed raw and that was really painful - mainly on one side because the brace was pushing so hard against that side. It got better though. She doesn't really want to talk about the surgery and doesn't even like it when we mention it around other people (family). She just wants it to be over with.
            Melinda

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            • #7
              Hello Melinda!
              I was just reading your post(s), and when you said your daughter "really doesn't want to talk about surgery." I had to laugh, that's exactly how my daugther was! Exactly, to her, there was just nothing to talk about. She did fine with it all, and she's now about three months post-op,doing terrific. Most of the kids in her class don't even know why she was out two months, she just says "back surgery," and I couldn't agree with her more, that's her business. My daughter's 13, how old is yours? Pat

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              • #8
                Melinda,

                Don't worry if your daughter doesn't want to talk about her surgery very much. I've been coming to this forum for a long time and it was just recently that I've started using my daughter's name. I offered to let Jamie join me on this site and she refused. I was told I could talk about her, but under no terms was I allowed to use her name! Boy has that all changed! She now responds to questions from other kids facing surgery, she tells everyone who asks about her whole ordeal, and even wants to write a paper about her surgery for school. Your daughter will come around in her own time. Make sure she is okay and give her as much information as you thinks she needs. She will hear you. Remember, she is probably very scared because this surgery is a lot for adults to handle, let alone kids.

                Mary Lou

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                • #9
                  Pat and Mary Lou: AC is 13 too!!! Seems like a lot of kids around that age, it must be when the curve gets the worse and they want to catch it before it gets too bad. She says she wishes it would have happened sooner, when she wasn't so self-conscious. But then I tell her she wouldn't be as tall and when we could have done it sooner (last summer) she wasn't ready - was refusing to even discuss it. Now, because of the pain she's been in, she is ready to go for it. (And really doesn't have an option anyway). She is worried about being embarrassed if she has to go to the bathroom, or is on her monthly. We've been telling her the nurses are used to all this and it will not be a problem. But 13-year-olds are hard to convince.
                  One question I had, and I'll ask doctor again, is he mentioned 6 month restrictions. She and I are wondering if that is a hard and fast rule to not do ANYTHING for 6 months. She is refusing to come on here and communicate (and here I thought it was a wonderful idea). I still think it's wonderful - for me anyway!!
                  Melinda

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                  • #10
                    6 month restriction!

                    Hello!

                    My Jamie's been swimming since she was 6 weeks post-op, and she's been doing long walk/hikes at two months. Her restrictions were pretty much all lifted at 3 months; she's bending now (not alot, but she certainly can). BUT, I've since learned from Mary Lou that alot of that has to do with the amount of "screws" holding them together. There's pretty much nothing she can't do. But again, everyone is different. But we've been told by many people; her doctor, nurses, etc., that her recovery was so good, because she came into surgery in great shape; she's a very physical kid. I think it makes a difference. Pat

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                    • #11
                      Melinda,

                      Since your daughter is so worried about bathroom issues, I feel I need to bring this to your attention. I don't know if this happened to anyone else or not, but Jamie got her period a few days after surgery and it wasn't due for a few weeks. The nurses told me it is very common and some girls get their first ever period right after surgery. Jamie and I found it more comfortable for me to give her a bath, change her clothes, take her to the bathroom, etc. The one thing I did ask the nurses to do for us was to wash her hair for us before she came home.

                      You will learn very quickly that each doctor/child is different. As Pat said, some of it depends on the amount of screws they use during surgery. It seems like they usually used what's called "pedicle screws" to anchor everything. With Jamie they couldn't use a lot of screws and I think her restrictions are going to be longer and maybe more strict than others. At this point, she will be six weeks post-op tomorrow, she isn't allowed to lift more than 10 lbs; no bending, twisting, turning; and no gym for three months. I'm not sure how long the weight and bending will apply. She returns to the doctor on the 4th of February so I'll let you know more than. Jamie goes to the basment and shoots pool; hangs out (mostly at our house) with friends; goes to school half days; went shopping yesterday; does pretty much everything she wants to do with some restrictions.

                      Mary Lou

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                      • #12
                        Pat and Mary Lou:
                        Wow just hearing the two of you and how different your kids are. Were their surgeries similar - length of fusion, posterior/anterior, etc.? I don't know how long the fusion will be, he told me but it was all so fast I didn't catch it. She does have an 'S' curve and he'll do posterior with cadaver bone. He did mention screws but I don't think he said exactly how many. I'll have to ask again at pre-op. Interesting about period - maybe the stress to their body brings it on? I do plan to stay with her while she's there - he's saying one week - and the hospital said there is a fold-out bed in the room. She may get tired of me being there - at 13 she's already trying to stretch her wings a bit - I guess I can go to waiting room and give her some time to herself if that happens. She is not an athletic kid. She is active and more into reading/writing/flute, but I do worry that this will knock her for a loop. Thanks for info!
                        Take care!
                        Melinda

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by AC13
                          She is not an athletic kid. She is active and more into reading/writing/flute,
                          How interesting -- exactly like Caitlin (just add "playing the Sims"). We're stressing the payoff for her now: after all these years of of feeling bad about not being especially good at sport, she'll be back playing her flute a lot faster than if her favourite thing had been kick-boxing, or something.

                          Patricia
                          Patricia
                          Scoli Mum from New Zealand
                          Daughter Caitlin's surgery 2nd May 2005
                          Posterior fusion T3 - L1

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                          • #14
                            Patricia: Ohhh good point!! I will have to pass that on.
                            Melinda

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