Surgery Scheduled of 8/24/09

[pilar]

This is so great! thanks everyone for your wishes. and yes, for us is just waiting now...I'm so anxious!

[lumbar3491]

I agree that waiting for the surgery (aka, the big unknown) is the hardest. In May, I decided to go ahead with the surgery and requested August 24 as the date. Then I played a mental game with myself. We went on vacation for three weeks recently, and I talked myself into ignoring my upcoming surgery until I returned. That really helped prevent mental churning. Now I have so much to do to prepare for the surgery that I have no time to churn.

Thanks again for your most welcome support.

It is great to belong to the "August 2009" group.

[Vali]

Best wishes to all the candidates coming up for surgery. I'm new to this forum
and I would also like to thank the wonderful people on here. I have been reading the posts on here since March, which is when I found out that the extreme pain and difficulty walking and doing a lot of things, were due to a 58 degree lumbar scoliosis. This forum also made it easy for me, to know what to expect after surgery and recovery. Need to lie down now, getting a little sore.

[lumbar3491]

Hi Vali

Welcome to the forum. I'm pretty new here myself and am finding the support to be just wonderful. Like you, I am in horrible pain with a 55 degree lumbar curve. I cannot walk even for a few minutes before I have to sit down. The pain was bad but tolerable in 2005; now it is intolerable which is why I decided to go for the surgery. So, you are not alone with your pain.

[Vali]

Thankyou lumbar 3491. I hope I'm doing this right, have to get used to using the forum. I guess someone will let me know, if i'm not. So sorry that you are in such pain. I forgot to mention (thought it would come up as part of my bio), but I have already had surgery. My surgery was on June 1st, 2009. The soreness i am experiencing now, is what i call recovery pangs.

[lumbar3491]

Hi Vali,

Thanks for clarifying that your pain is post-op. Hope your pain eases up soon.

Have a great day!

Karen

[asccbodypro]

lumbar curve

Vali,

I just had surgery 3 months ago for a 50 degree lumbar curve. I also had 3 herniated discs as well and a 5 centimter shift. I can so appreciate your pain, as can everyone else here! Do you know if your doc is putting you in a brace or not? I hated hated hated mine at first but once they made some adjustments and I got use to it I certainly was more comfy with it on. Hot, but comfy! Good luck you'll do great. keep us posted!

[Vali]

Hi Susan,
As far as I know, my surgeon does not brace his patients. However, don't know if bracing applies to patients with longer fusions. I noticed in your bio., that you had some anterior surgery, I had some as well down low, if this is not too personal, can you please tell me, if you have a little bit of a pot belly, cause i do and i don't like it! I'm hoping it goes away fast. Happy recovery!

[Lorraine 1966]

Gosh August is definately a busy month for you all. I will be thinking and sending out nothing but caring thoughts and loving 'scoli' wishes to you all.

Looking forward to later in the year when you all come back on line and tell us how great you all are feeling. Good luck. xx

Lorraine.

[asccbodypro]

Vali,

I actually had an side lateral approach which the call an anterior approach which makes no sense to me whats so ever. So I can't answer your question. However, I have heard from many others on this message board that they had similar problems with their stomachs.

Have you started PT yet? I would imagine part of your problem is lack of muscle tone in your abdominals. If you are at the PT stage I'm sure they will incorporate working on your core training....maybe your doing this already. Give it time though. I would imagine, just like everything else, that it takes time for everything to return to normal. I'm sorry that you aren't happy with this aspect of your recovery. I wouldn't be either.

My one complaint since surgery is a breathing problem. It really is just the muscles in my upper back, but it makes it difficult to take a deep breath. It's more annoying than anything. I can do my cardio fine, it's just taking those really deep breaths. Periodically throughout the day I have breaths that come in short fast shallow breaths. I seem to have no control over them. It's rather odd.

[asccbodypro]

stomach tone

Vali,

I actually had an side lateral approach which the call an anterior approach which makes no sense to me whats so ever. So I can't answer your question. However, I have heard from many others on this message board that they had similar problems with their stomachs.

Have you started PT yet? I would imagine part of your problem is lack of muscle tone in your abdominals. If you are at the PT stage I'm sure they will incorporate working on your core training....maybe your doing this already. Give it time though. I would imagine, just like everything else, it take a while for everything to return to normal. I'm sorry that you aren't happy with this aspect of your recovery. I wouldn't be either.

My one complaint since surgery is a breathing problem. It really is just the muscles in my upper back mostly, but it makes it difficult to take a deep breath. It's more annoying than anything. I can do my cardio fine, it's just taking those really deep breaths hurts a little. Periodically throughout the day I have breaths that come in short fast shallow breaths. I seem to have no control over them. It's rather odd.

Good luck, I hope you find an answer to your problem with your stomach and that it resolves with time. Scoliosis surgery is definitely not easy. Remember to take it easy on yourself and give yourself ample time for recovery!

[Doodles]

Suan--I'm curious. What kind of cardio do they have you doing at this rather early time? I'd love to do some. Janet

[asccbodypro]

cardio

Janet,

When I consulted with my surgeon early on he said any kind of exercise such as walking, stationary nike, elliptical, treadmil would be fine. He preferred walking in the beginning. He also encouraged me to walk as soon as I came home. Well, I laughed at that one as I am sure most of you did. What little walking I did do was at night and my husband and I would start just walking to the end of the block and eventually would do three blocks and then the heat kicked in and I just couldn't do it. I think it was at my 6 week apt I said I just can't walk outside and I am going to attempt the elliptical. He said go for it. My husband was very difficult and still is about me trying new things unless he knows the doc okayed it.

So I Have been doing my elliptical since then. My first day I did 5 minutes just to see how my back would feel and everyday I added 5 minutes untill I was at 30 minutes wich took all of a week for me. I also started with the ramp at it's lowest setting and the resistance at it's lowest setting. I did lots of cardio though prior to surgery. Mind you though, as soon as I was done, I would change my clothes and crawl into bed with exhaustion.

Now I am still doing 30 minutes but I have upped the ramp and upped the resistance so I am working up a ggod sweat. I also still wear my brace during my cardio sessions. The Dr. said I didn't have to, it really is for my own security and also it helps work up a good sweat, which I have always enjoyed while doing cardio.....it's good for the skin! At least I like to think so:O)

Were you active prior to surgery? If so continue with what you were doing. Unless of course you were running which I doubt because I am going to assume you had some pain! Start with walking. If it's to hot outside, try walking at the mall early in the morning before it gets to busy. That's what my Dr. recommended but even at that 6 week point I didn't have the energy to dressed and get in the car and than walk. I was worn out by the time I made it to the mall!

Good luck and let me know what you decided to try.
I am still doing 30 minutes but I have

[Vali]

Susan,
My physio came in the morning after surgery and we commenced with abdominal bracing exercises - 6x after each meal, deep breathing exercises -
5 very deep breaths and two good coughs (not ahem ones) every hour, ankle flexing - 20x per hour, hip and knee flexion - 6x per hour for each leg. I was told to maintain this routine until I have my first post-op visit with the surgeon, which is this Tuesday (27.7.09).
As for the breathing problems, I have noticed that since increasing my walks to one hour this week, my chest has been a little tight. However, this seems to be only when I'm sitting.
I was reading in a magazine somewhere, that suggests, 10 minutes a day devoted to meditational deep breathing excercises can relieve a lot of stress.
This may also help us scoli patients? Its worth a try!

[asccbodypro]

breathing

Vali,

You are so lucky you had a Physical Therapist who obviously new what they were doing. I had a girl who was a PT for about 3 months. She didn't even help me out of bed. It was like she was afraid to touch me. She NEVER said there were any exercises that I could do in bed. I would have loved to have been able to stretch my legs and hips.

I am a very good conversationalist and even in the hospital talking took my mind off things. This PT person that was asigned to me could barely carry on a conversation. Oh well, what are you going to do. I have been doing a lot of breathing exercises for my abs and lungs....things I knew from my personal training days. Good thing I had some knowledge going into all of this lol!

Good luck with your recovery and thanks for the info, I will certainly try some of the things your physio had you doing...ie coughing. That's a tough one even three months out. I try not to do that at all :O) Take care and thanks again.