19 Year Old Male. Scoliosis Progressing.

[Doodles]

John, You sound great and must look great too. You were due for some very good days--may it continue! Janet

[JDM555]

So thrilled for you John! What a turnaround. From one fitness buff to another - do.not.overdo. Baby steps as you start back into each phase of exercise. It feels good, but just monitor yourself as if you were advising someone else who was coming back from injuries. Or you'll find yourself where I am - joking that it's not called working out at this phase, it's just continual rehab haha. End of lecture. Truly so very happy for you Let us all know how you're doing please.

Oh trust me, I won't overdo haha. I'll be very very cautious this time around and won't lift anything until I'm fused. Just very light cardio, like 10-15 minutes and then go swimming. Some walking, some stationary bike, elliptical without grabbing handles, etc. One thing I regret and wasn't sure if it helped cause my pain from my first surgery was returning to the gym at 3 months post-op, gradually working my way up of course. I was feeling great till 7 months, so I don't think it was "just" the gym, but it might of helped with the pain at 7 months? I don't know, just going to play it safe this time around. And thanks for the kind words!

That is just wonderful news, John! I have not heard you sound so upbeat and happy in I don't know how long.

Congratulations on such a good recovery. I love reading your updates even if I don't comment often. I am very happy for you.

Thank you so much Leah, I appreciate everything. I'm feeling better, and starting to have a lot more energy and I'm 1 month post-op. Hopefully by summer I'll be at 100% again and be able to lift weights and feel great. I'll try to update as I go down these next few months.

You do sound great John! Ohhh, scar pics tomorrow eh? Will check back for those, haha.

Haha. Sounds like a plan. The scar is not gross whatsoever, so I'm posting it in the thread. I think it's healing rapidly and beautifully. My side scar is tiny, but it has some bruising around it, but it's still looks good.

Glad to hear you so happy and doing so well

I wish that I felt as good as you do

You are in my prayers

Thanks. I'm sorry about your recovery, but you'll get better, trust me. I've been keeping you in my prayers every night as well. I hope you have a solid recovery.

John, You sound great and must look great too. You were due for some very good days--may it continue! Janet

Thanks Doodles! I hope it keeps getting better and better to the point where I get back to my old self and my back gets fused 100%. Between Thanksgiving and going to a family party last Friday, people were amazed at how much better I looked. I was walking around and not on pain meds and got my color back and had a smile and was just energetic, it was great. I get some pain here and there, but it's expected at 1 month post-op. I'm sure the weeks from now on will start to slowly get rid of the surgical pain.




Thanks all. I'll add the pictures of my scars in a bit. Stay tuned.

[jrnyc]

hey John
i am so glad to hear that you are taking things slow and careful this time...
i think you sound much more mature...i am sorry you got here with so much pain
and grief, but you sound like you are in such a good place! i do not think the gym
was to blame for your problems after your first surgery...i kinda think you would
not have fused no matter what....
i know you will get back to the gym in good time, but this time you will stay pain
free, and look forward to living a full life, without pain and suffering!

wishing you a wonderful holiday, and a happy, healthy, pain free New Year!

jess

[JDM555]

Thank you. I hope you and everyone else also has a wonderful time during these upcoming holidays and has a great new year as well.


Here are some pics.


http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...n148/scar1.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...n148/scar2.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...n148/scar3.jpg

[leahdragonfly]

Hey John, your scars look SO good already--those should heal up very nicely. Are you putting anything on them? I was appalled to find out I had staples down my back, but all those little Frankenstein holes fade away over time. Thanks for sharing.

[rohrer01]

Hey, your scars don't look bad at all! AND your back looks very symmetrical. I'm sure you are very happy about this. I know I would be, especially with all you've been through. I'm glad you're feeling better. Take care!

[JDM555]

Hey John, your scars look SO good already--those should heal up very nicely. Are you putting anything on them? I was appalled to find out I had staples down my back, but all those little Frankenstein holes fade away over time. Thanks for sharing.

Yeah. I have the pictures of my scar from my first surgeries, and seriously I don't even want to show anyone of how disgusting they are. Nasty scar I've ever seen lol. But this one isn't bad. What do you mean exactly by are you putting anything on them? Do you mean like dressings? If so, no, at my 2 week post op doctors appointment when I got the staples out, surgeon said I should let the area "breathe". So far, no pain when I sit back on things unless it's like a hard chair that is poorly designed lol. Yes, those holes are the only things, they definitely stick out this early in recovery, when they fade and the scars heal up, it'll be great.

Hey, your scars don't look bad at all! AND your back looks very symmetrical. I'm sure you are very happy about this. I know I would be, especially with all you've been through. I'm glad you're feeling better. Take care!

Thanks. I agree on my back. Perfectly symmetrical from all views. Both obliques and rib humps are completely even. I just hope it stays like that for the next few months so it can fuse and be solid. I'm happy for sure.


Today, I got out a little and walked around the mall to shop a bit, and noticed even though there was some discomfort here and there, that I would be smiling a lot or just happy. I haven't felt like that in a long time lol. When I had that daily chronic severe pain that just wouldn't quit, I was miserable. I feel like I have more energy too.

[mabeckoff]

Today, I got out a little and walked around the mall to shop a bit, and noticed even though there was some discomfort here and there, that I would be smiling a lot or just happy. I haven't felt like that in a long time lol. When I had that daily chronic severe pain that just wouldn't quit, I was miserable. I feel like I have more energy too.

Glad to hear that you are doing so well . Have a Merry Christmas

[JenniferG]

Your incisions look healthy and neat. You sound happy and optimistic. After all you've been through, this is such good news.

[leahdragonfly]

Hi John,

I was wondering if you were putting vitamin E or anything else like that on them. The scars really look so good for how young they are! They will be very thin and light over time I'm sure. Nice work. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed getting out to do some shopping.

[JDM555]

Glad to hear that you are doing so well . Have a Merry Christmas

Thanks. Happy Holidays to you as well!

Your incisions look healthy and neat. You sound happy and optimistic. After all you've been through, this is such good news.

Thank you. I like the way they look this early in my recovery, in a year or two they will be pretty much gone. That side incision is tiny, there is some coloring around it (that brown), but the incision itself is tiny and already healing crazy good, so that in a year will be gone.

Hi John,

I was wondering if you were putting vitamin E or anything else like that on them. The scars really look so good for how young they are! They will be very thin and light over time I'm sure. Nice work. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed getting out to do some shopping.

I don't put vitamin E on them. I remember some people putting E on them, but quick google search a lot of sites are saying it's ineffective or it doesn't improve the scar? I don't know. It's nice to get out of the house though, it's been a few boring weeks just sitting around.

[jrnyc]

hey John
the scars do look great...
i agree with your doctor....let them breathe...
i know that some people swear by vitamin E, but research says it is not efffective, as you mentioned....

i am so glad to hear that you walk around with a smile on your face....
i know what you mean about living with chronic pain, as i am sure many people here on
forum know and have expereinced....
i think sometimes, when in chronic pain, some of us may look angry or something. and we aren't....
it is just the pain putting a frown on our faces....
happy to hear that is no longer true for you......hope the healing continues, and your smile just gets bigger!

jess

[rohrer01]

I tried Mederma scar gel for one of my surgeries. It didn't make any difference. Just as long as the scars don't get pulled on, they should be just fine. I had one doctor take the suture string out at only three days after a pretty big surgery and the skin wasn't fully fused. It pulled apart a little and left a nasty keloid that looked like a big, red worm sitting on my belly. It took YEARS to finally flatten and now it's just a wide scar that is normal skin color. I had another surgery through that same incision and the surgeon used disolvable sutures under the skin and I can barely even see the scar line if I look really, really close. I think your scars are going to be like very thin lines when the discoloration fades. I would be happy with results like that.

[JDM555]

hey John
the scars do look great...
i agree with your doctor....let them breathe...
i know that some people swear by vitamin E, but research says it is not efffective, as you mentioned....

i am so glad to hear that you walk around with a smile on your face....
i know what you mean about living with chronic pain, as i am sure many people here on
forum know and have expereinced....
i think sometimes, when in chronic pain, some of us may look angry or something. and we aren't....
it is just the pain putting a frown on our faces....
happy to hear that is no longer true for you......hope the healing continues, and your smile just gets bigger!

jess

Thanks Jess. I hope everything improves this time around as well and I can finally get my life back. I'll just let them heal like my first scar.

I tried Mederma scar gel for one of my surgeries. It didn't make any difference. Just as long as the scars don't get pulled on, they should be just fine. I had one doctor take the suture string out at only three days after a pretty big surgery and the skin wasn't fully fused. It pulled apart a little and left a nasty keloid that looked like a big, red worm sitting on my belly. It took YEARS to finally flatten and now it's just a wide scar that is normal skin color. I had another surgery through that same incision and the surgeon used disolvable sutures under the skin and I can barely even see the scar line if I look really, really close. I think your scars are going to be like very thin lines when the discoloration fades. I would be happy with results like that.

Yeh, I didn't do anything for my first surgeries scars. My first scar looked like crap, but after 1 year, it looked good. Not very noticeable. Looked real nice and smooth. This side incision is going to heal much nicer though. He said he would of done the same laser incision in my back but since it was already scarred, it wasn't going to do much. I think if it was first time operating, the incision would be as thin as my side incision, which would be crazy. I don't care about scars though.

[titaniumed]

John

Its great news that you are all fixed up!

You know the ladies like a little scar on their men....gives us that rough look. I’ve been looking pretty rough here the last few years. lol

I can hardly see my scars anymore.

Ed