questions about surgery please help me!!

[kat_lou]

hi my name is katie and im 14 years old! i have scoliosis in an s shape! i have had it since i was 13 and i was givin a back brace! i would now like an operation but me or my mum do not know what it consists of! if you or your daughter has had surgery would you please let me know what it includes i.e how long you are in hospital? what the scars are like? how long you take to recover? etc...
please will you email me with all these things love from katie.
my email address is katelovestigger@hotmail.com
thank you katie xxxxxxxx

[momofthree]

Hey Katie-
I'm 16 years old and I just had the surgery on May 24th. (by the way-this is under my moms name, but when I saw your post, I asked her to let me answer).

I had the surgery on Tuesday, May 24th, and to tell you the truth, I don't remember much from that day after the put me out. I opened my eyes a couple of times to talk to my parents and my grandma, but that's about it.

I'm going to be completely honest with you--my surgery wasn't as bad as yours will be, because I only had one curve (55*), but I know a lot of people that had S-curves, and it's not much worse. How bad are your curves?

Wednesday morning I was getting reallllllllly bored, and I wanted to get up, so I was walking pretty much 12 or 13 hours after surgery. Let me tell you, walking is THE BEST. Don't be afraid to get up and do it. I definitely prefer it to laying in bed. Also, out of the people I know that have had the surgery done, there have been a couple that didn't get up for almost 4 days after, and their recovery was much slower.

I never had the back brace because we discovered it at 43* in July of 2003, and I guess that's too high for a brace.

Sorry I'm not staying on topic--There is just so much to tell you!!

Okay the scar-- I can't actually see mine yet, because there is still a bandage on it, because it's practically new. I know my doctor stitched the inside and glued the outside. I know that sounds TERRIBLE, but an aunt of mine had a bone in her leg taken out (loooong story) and the doctor did the same thing, and everything is holding together and the scar is barely visable.

My two-week post-op appointment was Thursday, June 9. I got the OK to swim and ride a bike. The recovery is somewhat slow, but it's the safest thing. My next appointment is July 12, and I'm happy to say that hopefully I can start jogging (right now it's physically impossible for me) and FINALLY I CAN DRIVE AGAIN!

I don't know if I answered all your questions, but feel free to reply with more, and I'll be happy to answer them!

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

Hey Katie!

I'm 13 and I had surgery on Tuesday, April 26,2005. I'm doing wonderfully! I was put out by IV. I don't remeber to much form recovery because my mom says that I would open my eyes for a few minutes, and then I would close them again. I slept pretty much the whole day after surgery.

On Thursday afternoon I got up for the first time. I was very dizzy. I sat on the edge of the bed for about 5 minutes and then the nurse and my mom helped me to stand up. It felt good to get my muscles moving again but it did hurt a bit at first. I sat in a chair for 30 minutes that day. I made sure that everytime I sat in a chair, my mom brushed my hair out because your hair gets pretty knotted if you don't. Later on that day, I walked to the door. And then I walked to the nurses station.

On Friday I walked around the floor. It tired me out a lot. I always fell asleep right after my walks.

I was discharged form the hospital on Tuesday, May 3,2005. Exactly one week after my surgery. For the drive home I used two pillows in the car and it didn't hurt.

I returned to school for half days at 4 weeks post-op. I returned for full days last week when I was 6 weeks post-op. I have no pain anymore and I pretty much normal again except for my restrictions.

My scar is looking really good. It is very thin. It looks like someone took a red sharpie and drew a line down my back. My surgeon used internal stitches and I had steri-strips on. I am very proud of my scar and think of it as something I earned. It shows how much I've been through.

I hope that answered your questions but if you have anymore just ask!

[kat_lou]

heya lauren thank you so much for giving me all that information! my dad is now thinking about letting me have the op!! the op sounds very complicated but im sure it is worth it!! was it ok wearing your uniform after the op? did your back get tired really easily? im sorry if these questions annoy you but i need to know as much as i can!! than you love katie xx

[ANIMAL LOVER12]

No, no they don't annoy me at all!!

I do not regret having this surgery at all. It was definately well worth it! I won't lie, the first week was pretty tough, but it was a lot better after that week was over. I don't wear a uniform to school, but wearing regular clothes was fine. I wore really baggy stuff and elastic waist bands for about 2-3 weeks after my surgery, but then I put on some jeans and a tighter shirt and it felt fine. My back got tired VERY easily for the first 3 weeks. I still feel tired when I get home from school and I've noticed I go to bed about an hour earlier then I did before surgery because I get tired. If oyu have any more questions, just ask!

[susannajon]

Hi Katie!

Surgery is a really big deal, and you shouldn't do it unless several really knowledgable and experienced scoliosis surgeons have looked at your back and agreed that surgery is the best course. This is a really serious and painful surgery, and I don't want to scare you, but there is a small chance that the surgery will not turn out well, and you could have pain or problems as you grow older. MOST kids who have this surgery do extremely well. I just want you to know that it's not 100% guaranteed, and you should be sure you and your parents do lots of research and make this important decision after getting all of your facts in order.

My daughter had an S curve also. She also was never braced. Her curve was 70/40 when it was operated on March 9th, 2005. She is doing really well. She had a lot of pain the first few weeks, but it got better after that. The most important thing for you to do is find the very best doctor to do the surgery. I would start with the Shriners Hospitals, as they have some of the very best orthopedic surgeons in the world working there. In addition, they will do your surgery for free! This can be a big help for your parents, because major medical procedures can be very hard for families Here's the website so you can see which Shriners hospital is closest to you:

http://www.shrinershq.org/

Please let us know what state you live in, and we will give you some names of doctors near you who you can go to to get an expert opinion. We are from Baltimore, MD, and we ended up picking a doctor in New York City to do the surgery.

Hugs to you, and to your family!

[brittany]

hey katie
Im a 16 year old girl. I have had two surgeries, and they have been worth it. I have had the posterior and anterior approach. I have a lot of scaring but they are about as wide as a pin mark! On the posterior, i was in the hospital for 7 days .On the anterior, i was in the hospital for 5 days. I now have no pain! I hoped I helped. If you have anymore questions email me at gajrteen@aol.com
<3brittany