Being in public places without my brace

[Kari]

I am happy to say that I am now 3 months post-op and doing well. I am taking more risks to be in public, drive, and walk without my brace. I have noticed I can do a lot more when I am wearing my brace. When I am out and about without my brace I fatique much faster and have more discomfort.

When I am in public I am so overly sensitive to having people behind me. I have a big fear of someone push me or just bump me the wrong way. When I wear my brace, my kids hate it because the world is staring at me. The thing is I am really tired of wearing my brace in public, but constantly worry about being bumped or touched on my back which is still very sensitive. Yesturday, at my daugthers dance class a mom tapped me on the back and I just about flew through the roof. Without the visual cue of the brace, people just forget.

Anybody else have this problem? When does the soft tissue stop being so sensitive? Any ideas of what to do in public places?

Kari
age 40, 3 kids
fused t-3 -L-4

[suzyjay]

I was also worried about people bumping or touching me,. If someone touched me on the back, besides the pain, I would jump and my back would get very tense. My doctor told me to wean off my brace after three months because I came to depend on it too much. I was so worried that I would not be able to do it but I did aid I was glad I did. My doctor said my muscles were getting weak from depending on the brace. When you do come off your brace you must do it slowly. At first take it off for an hour or two for the first week and increase the time without the brace after a couple of weeks you should be out it and your. back will get become less sensitive.

Sue

[Shari]

Hi Kari,

I wore my brace for 4 1/2 months and even though I hated every minute of it, I had a great sense of security in it. I rarely went out in public with it, except for doctor visits.

But once I was out of it, my fear of someone bumping into me, was at times overwhelming. And to be honest that lasted for at least a year for me, if not longer. Having been in the restaurant business, I seemed to be able to dodge elbows, getting stepped on and bumped into before my surgery.

After my surgery, I knew I was not as agile as I was before, and crouds made me very nervous. I'm 2 years post-op now and my fear has subsided to a great degree, but I still look out for people that aren't watching what they are doing.

It's hard to tell you what to do while in public surroundings, I tried to stay out of them as much as possible, but when I was in them, I was very aware of what everyone was doing around me. I guess that comes with being in the business, but I understand where you're coming from!!!

Shari

[Singer]

Hi Kari -- regarding soft-tissue sensitivity -- my physical therapist told me to massage all the supersensitive areas on my body with lotion, to get used to being touched. She said the more you avoid touching those areas, the more sensitive they get. (She told me this after I jumped ten feet when she touched my back!)

I'm about 9 weeks post-op and still wearing my brace, even though it drives me crazy by the end of the day. When I go out in public I have the brace AND a walker, and people stare but I could care less.

[MATJESNIC]

Are you all talking about the clam-shell brace? Nicole got fitted for one. Her surgeon said some people wear it a lot and some choose not to wear it at all. He said it was up to Nicole. Any advice?

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

I was also afraid to be out in public without my brace, but once I going without it, I very quickly got over that. I wore my brace under apparel, so I guess I never felt the need to have a visible warning of my vulnerability. Like Shari, my back did remain super sensitive to being touched for a long time.

Regards,
Linda

[MishP]

Question

I'm wondering who decides when you have the brace after the surgery. Dr. Boachie said that is was a 50/50 chance for me.

Also, I didn't realize that the skin will be so sensitive for so long. That concerns me having little kids and all.

[Heathmoose]

Hi Kari. Like you, I too had issues with soft tissue and sensitivity. When I had physical therapy, I just could NOT tolerate any touch whatsoever. I could not even touch my left rib cage...it was so hypersensitive. Eventually that went away. I also was extremely fearful of people bumping into me. My husband and I would go to our town pool and I would walk without the brace into the pool and my husband would sort of walk behind me to make sure nobody came near me. When I went back to work in my school, once in a while, kids would come up to me and hug me and touch my left side, which was the super-sensitive side and I'd go through the roof! Over time, it really does heal. Though, 3 years later, I still have numbness in my left rib cage area, but it really doesn't bother me. I also sometimes have itches that I cannot scratch, so there's still nerve activity going on, I think.

I wore a brace as well. I really did not mind it at all...maybe because I had worn one in highschool. I just wore it under my clothes.

Good luck with your recovery...it really does get better!!!

[Shari]

What an important subject to talk about!!! I don't think it matters what kind of surgery we have. The issue is that may of us have sensitive areas that we tend to be protective of.

I have found that people think I'm standoffish, for the wrong reasons now.
I was always that way before, because I never wanted anyone to hug me or rub their hands down my back out of fear that they would discover my deformity. I hid it so well!!! That was something I did for many years, mostly due to vanity and shame.

Now after my surgery, I let people touch and hug me, but I have strange embarassing reactions to certain touches, because it feels so damn weird!!!

I'm just not quite sure if my reactions are physical or mental, or a combination of both!!! But I am able to let people touch me now more than I was able to do before.

Wow, this is a subject that has been hard for me to address!!! I have had friends bring it up, but I always avoided talking about it.

I feel that sharing things here can be very reveling, hard to do, but I think it's a positive thing. I hope I'm not alone in this personal struggle!!!

I hope I haven't gone overboard here, but it has touched a deep seeded
insecurity.

Sorry for this rambling post,
Shari

I guess I'm just having a bad day!!!

[suzyjay]

MishP

My doctor decided that I would wear a brace. He told me to wear it when I was standing and walking, I wore it also when I was sitting and only took it off to use the bathroom and to sleep. As for having small children, you will have to remind them to be very gentle touching Mom. I will be 7 months post op on Sept 7 and my back is not highly sensitive anymore.

Sue

[Kari]

Wow! Thanks for all the great replies. It is always so helpful to hear that other people face the same issue. I feel better already!

To answer a few questions: Initially my doctor said I did not need a brace and then he changed his mind. I have three young kids and it was a great visual cue for them. In addition, I could go to their schools/be in public without much fear of getting bumped. People do stay clear of you, but be ready to answer questions. Wearing a brace is like wearing a boot (foot cast) many people feel the need to ask what happened. I wore the brace initally, I tend to do more than I should, so it was a good reminder. Overall, very beneficial. Oh yeah, I had a turtle shell with butterflies. They have different colors available so be sure to ask.

Kari

[JoAnn5]

After my original surgery, i did not wear a brace. The surgeon told me that the rods and hardware were my 'internal brace' and i didn't need one. Now next week, i'm having those rods and hardware removed. I wonder if i should ask for a brace this time? He thinks my fusion is solid as it has been 2 years since the first one.

[LindaRacine]

Hi JoAnn...

If your fusion isn't solid, the brace won't hold the correction. However, I think some surgeons put their implant removal patients in a brace for a short amount of time.

Regards,
Linda