Hi everyone,
I just happened upon this forum and it's been so educational. I'm feeling so vulnerable right now and I hope to receive some advice or encouragement. I've been in a lot of pain the last couple of weeks. I've been in pain on and off for the past two years, depending on what I do, but this time's been worse than usual. Something as minor as stretching for a few minutes can set it off, which is what happened this most recent time. Yesterday, I went shopping for a couple of hours and I was in so much pain as I left that I was in tears as I drove home. If a girl can't even go shopping, then there's a problem!
I've limited my activities in the last two years because I'm afraid of the pain (and I'll be honest - I don't really like exercising much anyway). But as a result, I've gained about 20 pounds. Along with having crooked hips, extra weight certainly doesn't help my body image.![]()
These past two weeks, I've visited two orthopedic surgeons (one was Dr. Pashman at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles - found his name here). I have a 30 degree scoliosis curve due to a hemivertebra between L1 & L2. These two doctor visits been so eye-opening! For the first time in my life, I've learned that something can be done to fix me! They can take out the hemivertebra and straighten me out! I thought this was something that I'd just have to learn to accept and live with. It sounds crazy, but I'm actually a little excited and hopeful, not just to be without pain, but to have a straight back/hips. I almost feel guilty about being excited about the cosmetic benefits, but having this condition has made me feel so self-conscious over the years. The thought that I could wear cute curve-hugging dresses or not have to pull up one side of my pants so they'll fall evenly - /sigh/ it would be so nice!
But then I think about the surgery itself and it terrifies me. I'm such a baby that I have to take anti-anxiety medication just to get my teeth cleaned. I'm questioning how much pain I'm in regularly and rationalizing that maybe I'd feel better if I just walked more. I'm not good at knowing where my limits are, even when it comes to pain. I don't know what to do. It all just sounds so scary.
Any advice/encouragement/experiences would be much appreciated! Thanks.![]()