19 Year Old Male. Scoliosis Progressing.

[jrnyc]

you did those with a cell phone?
i think they came out really well for cell phone pix!

it looks pretty straight to me....to the untrained eye....
of course, it is your body and you would want the straightest correction...stick straight i would guess....
assuming it will heal well, you look like you will be in good shape...literally!

i looked at the hardware they removed and cannot believe all of that was in such a tall and thin person!!
how....how...HOW did it not feel heavy when you walked...?
never having had the surgery, it just stuns me how much metal patients get used to having inside of them......
i know it is not supposed to weigh very much, but it just LOOKS like it would be heavy....and FEEL heavy!

do you think thin patients feel it more...??
i read about those who have the metal poking thru the skin when they are really skinny....
a surgeon i met with mentioned discussing pediatric screws for me if/when i have the surgery,
as i am small boned and very thin now....

congratulations on your new, straight spine, John! you so deserve to have a pain free, active life...looks like you will!

jess

[rohrer01]

Actually, just thought I'd try taking cell phone pics of the films anyways. I think you should compare them to the picture of my older hardware. It improved, but I honestly thought the correction would be slightly better. I guess it's still good, and the main problem of loose hardware is fixed as well as lack of fusion. I just hope the hardware doesn't move until the bone fuses.

Let me know what you guys think.

Before: (Few Days Post-Op/1 year Post-Op/1.5 years Post-Op)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1andHalf-1.jpg

After:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../newspine4.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../newspine5.jpg

I think the correction looks pretty good, considering they were trying to spare you some movement in the lower lumbar. It definitely looks more stable as they used another crossbar (don't know what they are called) and the rod isn't sticking out away from your vertebrae anymore. It's my understanding that most peopld don't get "perfect" correction, even though that is what we all want. Your curve starts at the bottom and unless that were fused I don't think there's anything they could do about it. I would be happy as long as your pain is gone, your bones fuse and you still have some mobility. I'm certainly not an expert, but your body will tell you if it was a success or not. The curve that remains looks very minimal. If someone had that magnitude of a curve I'm pretty sure that they would not be a surgical candidate. You sound like you are doing remarkably well for only about a week post-op. Don't sell yourself short on the pain meds as you have them for a reason. Obviously if you aren't in pain that is GREAT! You are a brave young man. I'm hoping that you can heal quickly and get on with your life. I know you are hoping that those bones fuse quickly. I would take it easy for a long while just to make sure you don't do anything that would compromise the fusion. Take care and thanks for sharing!

[JDM555]

you did those with a cell phone?
i think they came out really well for cell phone pix!

it looks pretty straight to me....to the untrained eye....
of course, it is your body and you would want the straightest correction...stick straight i would guess....
assuming it will heal well, you look like you will be in good shape...literally!

i looked at the hardware they removed and cannot believe all of that was in such a tall and thin person!!
how....how...HOW did it not feel heavy when you walked...?
never having had the surgery, it just stuns me how much metal patients get used to having inside of them......
i know it is not supposed to weigh very much, but it just LOOKS like it would be heavy....and FEEL heavy!

do you think thin patients feel it more...??
i read about those who have the metal poking thru the skin when they are really skinny....
a surgeon i met with mentioned discussing pediatric screws for me if/when i have the surgery,
as i am small boned and very thin now....

congratulations on your new, straight spine, John! you so deserve to have a pain free, active life...looks like you will!

jess

I think the correction looks pretty good, considering they were trying to spare you some movement in the lower lumbar. It definitely looks more stable as they used another crossbar (don't know what they are called) and the rod isn't sticking out away from your vertebrae anymore. It's my understanding that most peopld don't get "perfect" correction, even though that is what we all want. Your curve starts at the bottom and unless that were fused I don't think there's anything they could do about it. I would be happy as long as your pain is gone, your bones fuse and you still have some mobility. I'm certainly not an expert, but your body will tell you if it was a success or not. The curve that remains looks very minimal. If someone had that magnitude of a curve I'm pretty sure that they would not be a surgical candidate. You sound like you are doing remarkably well for only about a week post-op. Don't sell yourself short on the pain meds as you have them for a reason. Obviously if you aren't in pain that is GREAT! You are a brave young man. I'm hoping that you can heal quickly and get on with your life. I know you are hoping that those bones fuse quickly. I would take it easy for a long while just to make sure you don't do anything that would compromise the fusion. Take care and thanks for sharing!

The last 2 were taken with me holding the films up toward the ceiling light. They came out ok, but I wish I had the digital version of the x-rays to provide. It does look good, but under further viewing, the L3/4 disc isn't horizontal. When I did bending X-Rays, with the hardware in me, I was able to get L4 perfectly horizontal, so I know I was flexible enough. He removed the hardware, removed the facet joints and lamina's, so that should make it even more flexible. Plus, I'm wearing a shoe on my right foot because my right leg appears to be shorter, causing the hips to be uneven, thus creating a bigger curve. So with this in mind, and still seeing it's not completely horizontal, I'm thinking maybe there was a chance it could of been corrected a bit further.

He told me that the bottom of L3 was completely parallel with my hips, so it's a great correction to him. Comparing to my old X-Rays, I'm one happy son of a bitch, but I'm just worried because sometimes the spine curves a bit while the bone is fusing. I don't want to give it a chance to become even more slanted.

And Rohrer, you're absolutely right, if I'm pain free and can gym and have many solid years ahead of me, I'll be one happy cookie, but I don't want to worry down the road about it curving again and falling into the same situation of worrying that my L4 disk will go out. I did notice the shortness of the rods and 2 crossbars, which looks pretty solid like you say. I'm not looking for perfect correction, but I was just hoping for that horizontal L4 that I saw in my bending X-Rays.

As far as pain meds, trust me, I'm not in a race or trying to get off of them soon. I take them as I see fit. Surprisingly, I'm doing great with only 5 days out of the hospital. I just need to do more walking. But pain wise, I have no "pain". It's discomfort at the worst. When it gets really bad, I just feel tightness to my left side and back incisions, but other than that, I'm solid. The next few days looks decent in terms of weather, I'll try to go out and walk and get fresh air.

[BendyBill]

Glad to hear how well you're doing, mate. Hoping that your recovery will continue to be as smooth as it seems to have been so far!

B

[mabeckoff]

Hey Ed. I'm a little sore, but doing OK I guess. I have absolutely no appetite today and found it extremely hard to eat anything. I'm on very little pain medication. In the day, I usually take 1 20mg oxycontin, 1 or 2 percocets and 1 valium before sleeping. Considering I'm a little over 1 week post-op, I find that very interesting. I'm not in much pain, just discomfort and soreness, mostly from my damned staples. Can't wait to get those sons of bitches out. I'm noticing shortness of breath though, which gets pretty severe when I go up/down stairs. I started taking calcium/vitamin D/C daily and hopefully in a few weeks, I'll be able to return to the gym to swim daily.

I still gotta share those new X-Rays with everyone. I'm waiting on digital x-rays instead of trying to get cell phone pictures of the films. Thanks for asking Ed!
John

John, those staples are the worst. I was so glad when they were removed. I felt so much better right away. It is funny about my appetite.The first two surgeries I had no problems eating. This third one I have no appetite at all. Glad to hear that you are coming along nicely

[JDM555]

Glad to hear how well you're doing, mate. Hoping that your recovery will continue to be as smooth as it seems to have been so far!

B

Thanks brother. Appreciate the kind words.

John, those staples are the worst. I was so glad when they were removed. I felt so much better right away. It is funny about my appetite.The first two surgeries I had no problems eating. This third one I have no appetite at all. Glad to hear that you are coming along nicely

Yeh, it's making it hard to sit or lay down anywhere. I still got to keep them till the 5th. Speaking of appetite, I woke up this morning with the WORST feeling in my stomach and my mom kept trying to tell me to eat. So I ate a small piece of turkey, 2 pieces of salami, some lettuce, and slice of orange and within minutes, my body was like NOPE, when I say I'm not hungry, I'm not hungry and I threw it all up. I guess it's going to be a slow day in the eating department. No appetite at all the past few days.

I'm glad I didn't take my pain med or that would of went with it. Now I'm worried and slowly drinking water, but still don't feel good.

[rohrer01]

John, if the doctor said that your vertebrae looked level with your hips, then that must be more imortant than a straight disc. Discs, as you know are our little shock abosrbers, maybe it will straighten out over time, or it might be wedged because the vertebra below the fusion isn't straight. Unfortunately, whether we have scoli or not, as we age our backs wear out and being fused down low makes them wear out quicker. I am only 42 and have a perfectly healthy lumbar spine, my problems are all up top. BUT, with that said, I have developed DDD (degenerative disc disease) in my L5-S1 disc. I have to get steroid injections in it once in a while, otherwise I can barely walk and have to lean up against a wall to get dressed.

Here's some advice (I should take it myself). Don't live your life worrying about if or when you will have to be fused lower. Take that one when it comes. I say take my own advice because I live afraid of the day "when" I will need surgery. That's kind of why I want it now, just so I can put it behind me! I've had one really horrific surgery in the past, so I know how horrifying it can be, but it was "soft tissue" surgery, so I probably can't even imagine what I'm up against. My experience was with a c-section where they gave me the paralytic drug, but not enough of the knock-out drug, so I was conscious and could feel the whole surgery, but couldn't move or scream or anything. It's really the stuff nightmares are made of. I imagine scoli surgery as worse than that.

As far as the appetite goes, I always have problems with that as I am on regular pain meds for back pain now. After any surgery, I JUST DO NOT WANT TO EAT, so I can understand. If you can keep it down, you might want to try some of the high calorie "Ensure". Some people like them and some people hate them. I think they are actually pretty good if they are good an COLD. Make sure to get the high calorie ones, though. They sell store brands that are cheaper, but I don't know if they sell the high calorie in the store brand. It gets pricey, but during one of my pregnancies I wasn't gaining enough weight (14 lb total) my doc prescribed it and got the insurance company to actually pay for it. He threatened them if they didn't pay for it he would admit me to the hospital for the rest of my pregnancy so my weight could be monitored. So I got lucky there.

Best wishes. I hope your tummy starts feeling better soon!

[jrnyc]

so sorry you are having stomach problems...
i know you need to gain some weight and certainly not lose any...
when your stomach starts to feel better, do you think you could handle
some protein smoothies??....
they are digested more easily than solid food...
and TiEd has sworn by them on forum...
i would stay away from meat until you feel better...it can be hard to digest...
citrus can also be hard on the stomach
can you handle dairy...like yogurt?
i know the pain meds wont help you have an appetite either....

you remain in my thoughts and prayers until you are completely healed

jess

[JDM555]

Thanks for the tips. I'll keep them in mind. And you're right, just got to stop worrying. I think after I know I'm fused this time, I'll finally be able to return to my regular life and finally be worry free. I drank some tea and that's about it all day. I'm still not feeling all that, but I'll try a small portion of clam chowder soup, hopefully that stays down now that I had a BM. Maybe that was the reason why I couldn't eat? Not feeling very healthy today lol.

[Mojo's Mom]

Just have to say, Ensure is nutritional garbage. The first 4 ingredients are water and 3 different forms of high glycemic index sugars. Remember that ingredients are listed in order of proportional quantity. That's the beginning of how you make a soft drink. Other than that, ensure has some milk and soy protein, some vegetable oil and a few synthetic vitamins and minerals.

The idea of a drink of some kind is a great one. Make your own protein smoothies in the blender with fresh fruits and veggies and quality protein powder...you need a lot of high quality protein after a major surgery like this. I expect to put my Vitamix to a lot of extra use after my surgery. The smoothies are easily digested, especially if you have a Vitamix or Blentec machine that will break down the cell walls of the foods you put in.

But Ensure is mostly sugar and water, folks. Not too healthy.

[Doreen1]

Muscle Provider

Hi John,

When my hubby was into body building, he discovered an awesome protein powder made by Beverly International: Muscle Provider. We brought a tub with us so he can make me some shakes in a shaker cup post-op. Not only is it the best tasting chocolate shake, but it is very high quality. You can use milk or water. We usually mix in water and then add a splash of heavy whipping cream (cuz I need a few extra calories).

http://store.beverlyinternational.co...=action&key=29

Ingredients: Protein blend (whey protein isolate, hydrolyzed whey protein, whey protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed lactalbumin, egg white), cocoa powder, guar gum, natural and artificial flavor, sodium chloride, soy lecithin, acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, sucralose. Contains milk, soybean and egg.

We also brought items to make smoothies with all-natural yogurt, OJ, bags of frozen berries and bananas.

Warmly,
Doreen

[JDM555]

Just have to say, Ensure is nutritional garbage. The first 4 ingredients are water and 3 different forms of high glycemic index sugars. Remember that ingredients are listed in order of proportional quantity. That's the beginning of how you make a soft drink. Other than that, ensure has some milk and soy protein, some vegetable oil and a few synthetic vitamins and minerals.

The idea of a drink of some kind is a great one. Make your own protein smoothies in the blender with fresh fruits and veggies and quality protein powder...you need a lot of high quality protein after a major surgery like this. I expect to put my Vitamix to a lot of extra use after my surgery. The smoothies are easily digested, especially if you have a Vitamix or Blentec machine that will break down the cell walls of the foods you put in.

But Ensure is mostly sugar and water, folks. Not too healthy.

Yeah, I think I tried some after my first surgeries and I hated it. It doesn't seem too healthy like you say as well, I don't think I'll be buying them because I just can't stand the taste. Thanks for the heads up.

Hi John,

When my hubby was into body building, he discovered an awesome protein powder made by Beverly International: Muscle Provider. We brought a tub with us so he can make me some shakes in a shaker cup post-op. Not only is it the best tasting chocolate shake, but it is very high quality. You can use milk or water. We usually mix in water and then add a splash of heavy whipping cream (cuz I need a few extra calories).

http://store.beverlyinternational.co...=action&key=29

Ingredients: Protein blend (whey protein isolate, hydrolyzed whey protein, whey protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed lactalbumin, egg white), cocoa powder, guar gum, natural and artificial flavor, sodium chloride, soy lecithin, acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, sucralose. Contains milk, soybean and egg.

We also brought items to make smoothies with all-natural yogurt, OJ, bags of frozen berries and bananas.

Warmly,
Doreen

Thanks for the tip, I use to be into all these weight gainers and protein powders, but honestly, if my stomach can't handle small amounts of food, there is no way in hell I'm going to down a whole shake. I have a hard time with the tastes and I don't think I'll be able to keep them down if I'm struggling with tiny portions of solid foods. There are some tasteless powders that are very very high quality protein, I might try that. But that is if my appetite stays crappy for the next few days. I was fine right after surgery, I don't know why it's dying all of a sudden. Thanks for the link as well.



I was able to keep the clam chowder and some bread down, but idk, still feel meh. Mom's making an amazing dinner tonight, so I think the smell will help me eat a little more in a bit.

[Mojo's Mom]

John, the thing about the smoothies is you don't have to drink it all at once...you can just drink a bit at a time, and you're constantly feeding your body high quality nutrition in a very digestible form that your body can use immediately. It also helps with bowel regularity. I will make one in the morning, drink a bit before my hour of exercise so my body has an instant supply of energy that won't bog down my digestive system, then I drink it gradually after my workout time is finished. Sometimes I knock back the whole thing at once, but mostly I work at it over a period of a couple of hours and it really keeps an even energy level.

Protein powders are not all the same, you want to look for non-GMO powders if it's a vegetable source, stay clear of soy if you're a man, make sure a whey protein didn't come from cows that are fed antibiotics and growth hormones. I don't use protein powders at this point, but probably will after my surgery. I use nuts for protein and healthy fat in my smoothies, but without the capabilities of the Vitamix that would make the smoothie grainy rather than smooth. If you are using organic eggs, you can use raw egg, too.

[JDM555]

Thanks for all the tips. Great info. I just ate a nice small portion of my moms dinner though. I wanted more, but I had to cut it off because I didn't want to throw it up later. I think I barely made the cut off mark lol. It was great though, I might eat a little more in a few hours, but absolutely horrible diet today. Hopefully tomorrow is better and starts getting back to normal.

Surprise surprise, I've been on 1 oxycodone/apap 10mg/325mg tablet all day. Pain is meh, I might take 1 more before sleeping, or a valium. Valium does help just a tiny bit in the relaxation department when it comes to sleeping, but not too much with pain. So Idk what to take. I read online if my doctor prescribes both percocets and valium, then it's fine to take both at the same time. But I don't feel too comfortable mixing meds. I guess I can take 1 percocet now for the pain till I sleep (lasts a few hours) and 1 valium 30 minutes before sleeping to help me relax. I had a bad, BAD sleep last night. Maybe that's why my appetite sucked today?

[rohrer01]

Sorry, John, didn't mean to give you the bad info about "Ensure". It just has high calories, vitamins and liquid. When I drink them I get really bad diarrhea, so that's why I don't drink them now for my low body weight. But, if you're having problems going.... Anyway, I suggested it because that is what my doctor had me do to get weight up. But if you don't like them anyway, you aren't going to keep it down. Sugar isn't always a bad thing. Your brain lives on glucose and water. It can't tell the difference between table sugar and fruit sugar once it is broken down and metabolized by the body. I don't buy into all that hype, but that's just me. Everything in moderation.

The most important thing is to keep yourself hydrated, especially if you are throwing up. All sorts of bad things happen when you get dehydrated. So plain old water is better than nothing. Sometimes if I'm feeling really yucky from dehydration I will drink pedialyte (but I think it tastes bad no matter what flavor - they have plain flavorless if you're worried about sugar). It restores your body's electrolytes. But it sounds like you are doing fine eating small amounts of food. I'm sure your appetite will return. You are still fresh out of surgery. I think the gist of everyone's advice is to eat things that are a power punch of nutrition in small amounts. Avoid foods that are constipating if you are having that problem. Hang in there, you'll be through this before you know it and you will be the one giving advice to those of us who have not yet had our fusions.