Announcement

**abhbarry** · 09-28-2006, 08:06 AM

missing school

Welcome to the forum. As you have probably read, all your feelings of being scared are very normal. I would talk to your surgeon though about the timing of your surgery. Since you are young, you may very well be able to return to U of M after Christmas break, but you also may need/want to give yourself more time before returning full time to school. I'm thinking of doing my surgery next June so I have 3 months before returning to graduate school.
Best of luck!
-Anya

**Shari** · 09-30-2006, 01:40 AM

Hi Ninja,

I too want to welcome you to this forum. I can't answer your questions about the dizziness and tingling. I think you must address these problems when you see your doctor!!!

I remember when I first found this forum, and I shed a few tears myself. It is a very comforting feeling to know that there are other's that are going through or have been through the same thing.

Feel free to bombard away!!! That's why we are all here, to support each other as much as we possibly can.

Shari

**ashleym8118** · 10-08-2006, 05:37 PM

I'm a little late reading this, but I hope your appointment went well and alleviated some of your fears! I know I had about a month long wait before I could get an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon, not knowing what he was going to say and imagining the worst situation possible...by the time the day of the appointment came, I don't think there was anything he could tell me that was worse than what I had already imagined!

We did schedule surgery at my appointment, and it is also for the beginning of my holiday break at my university (December 14th, 2006). I'm 20 and a nursing major at the university of alabama...I plan on coming back to school in mid-January around the start of classes, but am only taking an anatomy class. My doctor said he does most of his scoliosis surgeries at the beginning of the summer and the beginning of the holidays. So if surgery is necessary, since you're young and if you're healthy, it may very well be possible that you would not have to miss school. I wouldn't take a full course load or anything, probably not more than two classes or so, but if you've got someone who is willing to help you around the dorm/apartment for awhile and get you to class, you will probably be okay. It would be great if you could take the whole semester off, but I know in my case, it's not really a good option right now.

I don't post much on here but I read through the forums a lot and it has really helped me and made me feel not so alone! Most of us don't exactly know a ton of people who have been through this themselves, so it's great when you realize that you're not REALLY the only one. I'll be thinking of you, let us know how your appointment went.
-Ashley

**AlmostNinja** · 10-08-2006, 05:59 PM

hi ashley!

it is so nice to hear from you, and from other people i can connect with.

and do you want to know something so coincidental? When i went to the doctor last week, they schedualed my scoliosis surgery for December 14th 2006. weird huh?

we can be like surgery buddies!

WOOT!

gosh i hope i will be able to take a full load next semester, i was planning on it... i suppose maybe three classes would suffice. i don't want to fall behind.

right now, i am worried about what my back and body will look like after surgery. i don't want to be all stiff and robot looking. will people be able to tell that i have a rod in my back?

i suppose it will be better then people being able to tell that i have scoliosis...

i wish i could just meet or hang out with someone who had the surgery, and just see them. i know that sounds creepy, but i'm afraid i'm going to be unhappy afterwords.

**bbest** · 10-08-2006, 06:40 PM

I don't know how long your fusion will be and that appears to make a difference as far as mobility and stiffness are concerned. You should expect some stiffness, although you probably will not appear robotic. People will not know you have a rod in your back unless you tell them. I can tell you from my own experience, I was so proud of what I was able to endure, and of my new straighter spine - I wanted everyone to know. As far as feeling unhappy after surgery, the recovery process brings it's own set of emotions. You may feel relieved, scared, cautious, anxious, depressed, and happy at the same time and for different reasons. What you are thinking is completely normal. We all wonder what to expect. My advice would be to do all the research you can, read all of the books, ask your doctor all of the questions you have. Ask for the names and numbers of some of your surgeon's patients who had the same surgery. See what their experiences were like. You may be nervous or afraid right up to the morning of your surgery, but at least you will know you did everything you could to prepare for it.

**ashleym8118** · 10-09-2006, 05:27 PM

That is pretty cool that we'll probably be in surgery at the same time...that is strangely comforting to me to know that someone else out there will be in my same situation on the 14th. I will definitely be thinking of you and we will have to stay in touch! Do you know the length your fusion will be and if your doctor will use anterior or posterior surgery or both? My curve is a 46* thoracolumbar curve and my fusion will be from T11-L3 with removal of my 10th rib, anterior only. I'm having surgery not because of very severe or chronic pain, but because my curve is progressing about two degrees per year and will only cause me more trouble later; the surgery is inevitable, and will be harder to recover from the older I am.

As far as your classes go, I would really try to take it as easy as possible. I know you don't want to fall behind, I completely understand that...my first doctor told me I would absolutely have to take a semester off and I immediately started crying because of how behind that would end up making me in nursing school, even though it's only a couple of classes (luckily the surgeon agreed that I would be ok to go back to school as long as I take it easy). Three classes may be a lot, it really depends on the workload and how you plan to get to class and how you're feeling. I found out today it looks like I'm going to need to take another class in addition to my anatomy lecture & lab, so I'm kind of irritated/disappointed about that because I thought I had everything worked out for next semester. I'm worried about getting to class (I moved off campus this year and so I'm going to have to depend on my roommate and boyfriend to drive me to class for awhile...unfortunately for them, I have an 8:00am class this semester haha) and being comfortable sitting for an hour or more for lectures. Depending on the type of classes you're in right now, you might want to consider just taking one or two classes this spring then taking the others in the summer or adding them to your schedule in the fall.

Definitely find out about the extent of your surgery and that may answer a lot of your questions. Also, your doctor may be able to put you in touch with someone who has had the surgery.

Please stay in touch!
-Ashley

Announcement

new and dizzy and tingly and scared

new and dizzy and tingly and scared

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment