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MY FUSIONS WERE IN 1982 & 1983 FOR AN S CURVE: 75, 55, & ? DEGREES. THE HARRINGTON ROD BROKE AFTER THE FIRST FUSION, BUT HAS REMAINED IN ONE PIECE SINCE SECOND FUSION. I WAS AROUND 11 YRS. OLD WHEN MY AUNT ASKED ME WHY I WAS LIMPING. I THEN SHOWED HER HOW UNEVEN MY HIPS LOOKED BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHY. SHE VERY CALMLY CALLED MY MOM IN TO LOOK, AND THAT'S WHEN IT ALL BEGAN. THE FIRST DOCTOR WAS VERY LAID-BACK ABOUT IT. THE SECOND ORDERED X-RAYS, REVEALING I NEEDED A BRACE ASAP. AFTER WEARING THE BOSTON JACKET, I WAS THEN SWITCHED TO THE MILWAUKEE- TO- YOUR- NECK BRACE. IT SEEMED LIKE THE CURVES HAD A MIND OF THEIR OWN, AGGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. BY 10TH GRADE, THERE WAS NO CHOICE BUT TO OPERATE.
SINCE THEN, I'VE BASICALLY BEEN FINE. ACHES AND PAINS HERE & THERE, BUT SO DOES EVERYONE, RIGHT? I'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL HUSBAND, AND CARRIED TWO, NOW BEAUTIFUL , WONDERFUL SONS. NOTICED HOW EASILY I GET STIFF NECKS AND SCIATICA, BUT NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ANYTHING OF IT. ONE DAY IN FEBRUARY, I WOKE UP WITH EXCRUCIATING PAIN DOWN THE FRONT OF MY RIGHT LEG. SINCE THEN, IT'S BECOME HIP AND LOWER BACK PAIN AS WELL. IT VARIES FROM MODERATE TO SEVERE. ALSO, MODERATE TO SEVERE PAIN & NUMBNESS IN MY ARMS AND HANDS. AFTER XRAYS & MRI'S, THEY HAVE FOUND A CURVE BELOW MY PREVIOUS FUSION, CAUSING ALL KINDS OF PINCHING AND RUBBING. THERE'S NARROWING AND ARTHRITIS. THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH ALMOST EVERY DISC IN MY NECK. (MY ROD IS IN MY LUMBAR SPINE.) BOTH HANDS SHOWED CARPAL TUNNEL AND NERVE DAMAGE FROM THE SPINE.
I'VE BEEN ON ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES, PAIN-KILLERS, PT, AQUATIC PT, ULTRASOUND, TENS UNIT, CHIROPRACTIC CARE, BUT NOTHING PROVIDES 100% RELIEF. THE ONLY REMEDIES THAT HELP THE BEST, BUT AREN'T THE BEST ANSWERS ARE, PAIN MEDICINE, ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES,LAYING DOWN WITH PILLOWS UNDER KNEES, AND A MEMORY FOAM PILLOW. I'VE BEEN TOLD I'M PAST THE POINT OF GETTING RELIEF FROM AN EPIDURAL, WHICH I'D HAVE TO AGREE WITH. THE FIRST ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON I SAW SAID HE COULD GO IN THROUGH THE FRONT AND BACK, TWO DIFFERENT DAYS, REMOVE EXISTING ROD, FUSE NEW CURVE AT BOTTOM WITH A NEW ROD, BUT BY GOING IN THROUGH HE FRONT, YOUR VULNERABLE TO MANY COMPLICATIONS. FURTHERMORE, HE DOES DO NECKS, BUT WOULDN'T TOUCH MINE B/C TOO MANY DISCS HAVE A PROBLEM. HELP?!
SINCE THEN, I'VE BASICALLY BEEN FINE. ACHES AND PAINS HERE & THERE, BUT SO DOES EVERYONE, RIGHT? I'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL HUSBAND, AND CARRIED TWO, NOW BEAUTIFUL , WONDERFUL SONS. NOTICED HOW EASILY I GET STIFF NECKS AND SCIATICA, BUT NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ANYTHING OF IT. ONE DAY IN FEBRUARY, I WOKE UP WITH EXCRUCIATING PAIN DOWN THE FRONT OF MY RIGHT LEG. SINCE THEN, IT'S BECOME HIP AND LOWER BACK PAIN AS WELL. IT VARIES FROM MODERATE TO SEVERE. ALSO, MODERATE TO SEVERE PAIN & NUMBNESS IN MY ARMS AND HANDS. AFTER XRAYS & MRI'S, THEY HAVE FOUND A CURVE BELOW MY PREVIOUS FUSION, CAUSING ALL KINDS OF PINCHING AND RUBBING. THERE'S NARROWING AND ARTHRITIS. THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH ALMOST EVERY DISC IN MY NECK. (MY ROD IS IN MY LUMBAR SPINE.) BOTH HANDS SHOWED CARPAL TUNNEL AND NERVE DAMAGE FROM THE SPINE.
I'VE BEEN ON ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES, PAIN-KILLERS, PT, AQUATIC PT, ULTRASOUND, TENS UNIT, CHIROPRACTIC CARE, BUT NOTHING PROVIDES 100% RELIEF. THE ONLY REMEDIES THAT HELP THE BEST, BUT AREN'T THE BEST ANSWERS ARE, PAIN MEDICINE, ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES,LAYING DOWN WITH PILLOWS UNDER KNEES, AND A MEMORY FOAM PILLOW. I'VE BEEN TOLD I'M PAST THE POINT OF GETTING RELIEF FROM AN EPIDURAL, WHICH I'D HAVE TO AGREE WITH. THE FIRST ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON I SAW SAID HE COULD GO IN THROUGH THE FRONT AND BACK, TWO DIFFERENT DAYS, REMOVE EXISTING ROD, FUSE NEW CURVE AT BOTTOM WITH A NEW ROD, BUT BY GOING IN THROUGH HE FRONT, YOUR VULNERABLE TO MANY COMPLICATIONS. FURTHERMORE, HE DOES DO NECKS, BUT WOULDN'T TOUCH MINE B/C TOO MANY DISCS HAVE A PROBLEM. HELP?!
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