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just told i might need surgery

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  • just told i might need surgery

    hey all.

    my husband found this forum for me and i am so glad to have read your posts and seen folks' blogs. my orthopedist believes i am in need of surgery for my scoliosis. i am only at a 45 degree in T and 42 in L but the angles have increased by 5 degrees in the past year and a half and i've lost about an inch and a half of height. it's so weird to be shorter than my father after almost 20 years of being taller! i am 33 and live in chicago. seeing that popular spine doc, dr. dewald, soon.

    ugh. i am terrified. i am a yoga teacher and i love my work and feel almost certain there is no way i will be able to teach if my spine is fused. i've been doing as much research as possible to educate myself, but i wish i could run away from it all. the positives of the surgery are clear to me, but i am so worried about all that i would lose. help! any feedback would be appreciated! by the way, does anyone ride a bike who is post-op? i am a bicycle commuter and know while i recover i probably can't ride my bike, but wonder if i'll be able to in the future. what do you think?

    thanks everyone! sorry for the explosion of fear. i only found out a week ago and my head is still spinning.

    best,
    robyn

  • #2
    take a deep breath and try not to panic

    although your curve has progressed, it's not an emergency, you have tons of time to think this through.

    regarding what you can do after a fusion, i haven't tried riding a bike but i got on a horse at 9 weeks post op (which i think answers your question). sometimes you have to adapt the way you do things, but there's very little which is actually impossible. i'm afraid you could be right about yoga, though. unfortunately, if your fusion is of substantial length, you will lose considerable flexibility.

    however, the benefits are huge. that progression is concerning, and the long term risks of untreated scoliosis are chronic pain and loss of lung function and mobility. at 33 recovery shouldn't be too bad and i imagine you're reasonably fit.

    i think your very first question would be how much of your spine the surgeon would plan to fuse, and whether he'd take an anterior or posterior approach. yes, it is scary, but if you have friends and family to support you, it's a lot easier
    diagnosed aged 14 (2001)
    braced from july 2001 to february 2003 to hold curves
    fused T11-L3 on july 16th 2005 (aged 18)
    Discharged by surgeon july 11th 2007 (aged 20 and almost 2 years post-op)
    scoliosis support forum

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    • #3
      Hi Robyn,

      Welcome and congratulations on finding this forum, the people, the information and the support you will find here.

      Yes it's is very terrifing , and may mean a change in lifestyle, but so does the progression of scoliosis. I'm very impressed that you teach yoga, and that may not have to change. I'm also pretty sure you'll be able to still ride your bike. I kept asking my Dr. if I could ever golf again. And he kept saying yes. I haven't yet, but I know I will be playing golf again.

      I was scared to death also, but I was and am grateful that what I have could be fixed. Just wait and see what Dr. Dewald has to say first, then go from there. We all understand your fears. and this is a great place to vent them.

      Hang in there,
      Shari

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      • #4
        Hi Robyn...

        You may want to contact Elyse Browning Miller. She teaches yoga and has scoliosis. Although she hasn't had surgery, a number of her patients have, so I'm sure she'd be a good resource for you. Her website is http://yogaforscoliosis.com.

        Regards,
        Linda
        Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
        Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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        • #5
          Hi
          I'm 33 too and have 60 degree L and 50 degree T. I DON'T want to have surgery, but have been researching my options for one year. Surgery is the only answer unfortunately. I'm deciding what doctor and hospital at the moment. I narrowed it down to Stonybrook University Hospital on LI or Beth Israel in NYC. Good luck!
          Jenn
          37 y/o female
          60 degree lumbar
          45 degree thoracic
          1st time anterior/posterior surgery May 8th and 10th 2006
          T 5 to S 1
          NYC

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          • #6
            Thanks everyone very much for the support. Hearing your personal experiences is so helpful. Funny about the Yoga For Scoliosis - I was just looking into teacher training with Elise. There is no one in the Chicago area certified to teach it. It's also good to know that I don't have to get this done tomorrow. I am in grad school now with another year and a half left and I was nervous I was going to have to take a leave of absence. Now, it sounds as if I can finish school before surgery. Well, we'll see what the doctor says in March!
            Best,
            Robyn

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