New Here, Having To Considering Surgery

[jrnyc]

hey Lisa
welcome to the forum...

a lot of what you wrote sounds familiar...scoli that didn't bother me for many years...
then i herniated discs, and it was downhill from there! i now have scoli, degenerative disc disease, listhesis, hypokyphosis, spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, and a few other things i have probably blocked out!
surgery has been recommended to me by every surgeon i've consulted, including several in NYC, 2 in CT, and one in southern CA...
my curves are now holding at T42, L61, but my discs are getting a lot worse...surgery recommended is for scoli and for disc replacement....
for now, i am just having pain management tx...oral pain meds, lots of different shots i've tried...epidural, facet block, nerve ablation, trigger point, etc..only ones that have worked are botox shots in thoracic area, and sacroiliac joint injections in lumbar area...the SI joint shots are a blessing, as nothing else had helped my lumbar pain, which is worst area of my spine...

there are many good SRS surgeons in CA...including one who only does minimally invasive approach, in LA, at Cedars...

i wish you luck in your search for answers...i know you will find the right answers for you...

jess

[kennedy]

Lisa welcome to the froum. Don't worry about a long post. good luck with your surgery. there great scoliosis surgeons in CA even @ UC Davis

[mabeckoff]

Lisa, Welcome to the forum. Where do you live? I just moved to Southern CA from NC and am having my revision surgery July 18th

Melissa

[SpineTime]

hey Lisa
welcome to the forum...

a lot of what you wrote sounds familiar...scoli that didn't bother me for many years...
then i herniated discs, and it was downhill from there! i now have scoli, degenerative disc disease, listhesis, hypokyphosis, spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, and a few other things i have probably blocked out!
surgery has been recommended to me by every surgeon i've consulted, including several in NYC, 2 in CT, and one in southern CA...
my curves are now holding at T42, L61, but my discs are getting a lot worse...surgery recommended is for scoli and for disc replacement....
for now, i am just having pain management tx...oral pain meds, lots of different shots i've tried...epidural, facet block, nerve ablation, trigger point, etc..only ones that have worked are botox shots in thoracic area, and sacroiliac joint injections in lumbar area...the SI joint shots are a blessing, as nothing else had helped my lumbar pain, which is worst area of my spine...

there are many good SRS surgeons in CA...including one who only does minimally invasive approach, in LA, at Cedars...

i wish you luck in your search for answers...i know you will find the right answers for you...

jess

Hi Jess,

I've seen your posts about going to a pain mgmt dr. I wonder why my pain mgmt dr hasn't done Botox or trigger point injections with me. I think I have the same things you listed, minus disk herniations (mine are just bulging, so... yay? lol), and minus the spinal stenosis.

Most of my pain is right-sided muscle strain and spasm-type stuff, because the right side of my back has to do more of the work with the imbalance caused by the curve. But there's also a nerve pain, with a sensation of heaviness and pressure right in the middle of my lower back that is much harder to deal with. I guess it's more of a pinched nerve thing in that area. I just wish I'd gotten even a couple months of pain relief with anything he did. I'm glad the SI injections have helped you. It's just so nice to get some relief!

Do you think you'll avoid surgery as long as the curves hold? And do you think you will have min. invasive surgery? I think I read that you saw Dr. Anand in L.A. who only does min. invasive? I've looked at his website. I'm interested in that, except if it takes soooo much longer under anesthesia, that sounds scary, and if they need to deflate a lung (do they still have to do that?)... yikes, don't know if I'd be brave enough for that. But my curve is low, so maybe they wouldn't need to do that, and the shorter healing time might just make up for it. Lots to think about.

[SpineTime]

Lisa welcome to the froum. Don't worry about a long post. good luck with your surgery. there great scoliosis surgeons in CA even @ UC Davis

Hi Kara,

Thank you for the welcome. I'm in awe of you and everyone else who has already gone through the surgery!

[SpineTime]

Lisa, Welcome to the forum. Where do you live? I just moved to Southern CA from NC and am having my revision surgery July 18th

Melissa

Hi Melissa,

I'm near Palm Springs. Are you more towards L.A., or San Diego? I used to live only about 45-60 min. from the L.A. area (and the beaches, I miss that...), so it feels like I'm reeeaaally far out here now. I hope all goes well with your upcoming surgery. I think I read that you are settled in but don't have a car? It is hard to be in this area without a car.

[peachrush7]

Lisa,
Your post reminds me so much of my initial posts when I joined the forum....it was like FINALLY! People who understand first hand what I'm going through, and are interested to know what's happening with me! There's nothing like going through your whole life without ever speaking to another person with scoliosis, and then suddenly realize there are hundreds and hundreds of us. So don't feel bad, I think sharing our story is such a big part of accepting what is wrong with our spines, and moving forward with taking care of them.

Blessings,
Rebecca

[mabeckoff]

Hi Melissa,

I'm near Palm Springs. Are you more towards L.A., or San Diego? I used to live only about 45-60 min. from the L.A. area (and the beaches, I miss that...), so it feels like I'm reeeaaally far out here now. I hope all goes well with your upcoming surgery. I think I read that you are settled in but don't have a car? It is hard to be in this area without a car.

I am in Hesperia . I have a car now but once I have my surgery I will not be able to drive . We went to Palm Springs to take the tram ride. I am having my surgery in Orange CA. We are about 90 minutes apart.
Melissa

[SpineTime]

Lisa,
Your post reminds me so much of my initial posts when I joined the forum....it was like FINALLY! People who understand first hand what I'm going through, and are interested to know what's happening with me! There's nothing like going through your whole life without ever speaking to another person with scoliosis, and then suddenly realize there are hundreds and hundreds of us. So don't feel bad, I think sharing our story is such a big part of accepting what is wrong with our spines, and moving forward with taking care of them.

Blessings,
Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,

I was reading Doreen's post today, where she mentioned reading your blog, and I realized I never thanked you for your post above to me or told you I also read a lot of your blog. You did a nice job on it, and I found it very helpful. I also read Scoligirl's blog though, that you mentioned. Now I'm just afraid I might confuse and "co-mingle" your stories! I don't think I will though.

I'm in a holding pattern right now as far as my back. I had an appt for a second opinion this month but had to cancel. I have to reschedule for August or Sept when my husband can go with me when his work schedule calms down. So... I'm just kind of hanging out, reading the posts here each day.

I also wanted to add an x-ray to my signature but couldn't get it to work. It's not a very good x-ray anyway (small and hard to see). Hope you're still doing well and thanks for your reply!

Lisa

[jrnyc]

hi Lisa
sorry i didn't see your reply to my post til now...

i do not believe minimally invasive takes any longer...if you read the posts on surgery in forum, people write of being on the table for 10, 11, 12 hours...i do not believe minimally invasive is a heck of a lot longer than that....

the botox is only for my upper back...my worst pain is lower back...the pain spreads an ache, like a heaviness, into my hips and lower...i am now getting sacroiliac joint injections for that....for some reason no doctor can figure, they are working, when nothing else did...not trigger point, not nerve ablation, not epidurals, not facet blocks, etc....nothing else! my lower back pain makes walking very difficult...that the SI joint shots work is a blessing!

my curve goes toward the left, and the right side carries much of my body...i have a "hump" on my left side, near the scapula....

i am resistant to surgery that needs to go to the pelvis (to the sacrum with pelvic fixation)

i would speak up to your doctor and ask why he/she is doing this or that, or not doing it...it is your body...you have a right to know...at least, that's what i think...

best of luck....
jess

[peachrush7]

Hi Rebecca,

I was reading Doreen's post today, where she mentioned reading your blog, and I realized I never thanked you for your post above to me or told you I also read a lot of your blog. You did a nice job on it, and I found it very helpful. I also read Scoligirl's blog though, that you mentioned. Now I'm just afraid I might confuse and "co-mingle" your stories! I don't think I will though.

I'm in a holding pattern right now as far as my back. I had an appt for a second opinion this month but had to cancel. I have to reschedule for August or Sept when my husband can go with me when his work schedule calms down. So... I'm just kind of hanging out, reading the posts here each day.

I also wanted to add an x-ray to my signature but couldn't get it to work. It's not a very good x-ray anyway (small and hard to see). Hope you're still doing well and thanks for your reply!

Lisa

Lisa,
Thanks for letting me know the blog is helpful!!! That's what I'm realizing it has really turned into...a way to share my story, and to help others who are going through it or about to go through it. This forum and the people here have really helped me, and I really want to help others in the same way.

I know about that holding pattern...all of last year was like that for me. All those appointments and everything take time. Thankfully I didn't have to get a ton of opinions at that point, since I had already found my surgeon. I read this forum religiously though lol. It really does help prepare for what to expect!

Thanks again for the compliment, it's always nice to hear it's doing what I hope it to!