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  • A POSITIVE post

    Hey everyone I have been reading all the posts and most lately have been not quite positive. It's sad to hear how much pain there is out there and unsuccessful surgeries and I pray that my successful surgery continues to just get better. I only take a small painkiller on occasion I'm saving them for September when I go back to teaching 5th grade. The only thing that really bothers me is my neck a little bit above the fusion on occasion only, and if I sit for too long. Otherwise I'm doing pretty well considering it's only four months. Tonight I am back to my disco dance band, my first performance since April 2. We are playing from 9 PM To 1 AM at a local disco club. My lung capacity is not quite what it was before but it's still pretty good. There are two other singers thank goodness so I won't have to do all the sets by myself. I'm pretty excited I've missed it it's what I've been doing since I'm 18 years old so I figured I'd share it with you guys. Some of the post I read on this forum scare me and I get the feeling that someday I'm might have to stop doing this which would be horrible because singing and performing is so important to me.

    I wish you all lived locally so you could come down I'll buy you a drink!

    Wish me luck!
    🎶🎤
    Cathy
    2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
    54 years old March 5
    AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
    Surgery April 8 2015
    Presurgical curves T77 L66
    Post surgical T27 L22
    Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

  • #2
    Great to hear! If I lived near you, I'd stop by for the disco festivities!
    44 years old at time of surgery, Atlanta GA

    Pre-Surgery Thorasic: 70 degrees, Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 68 degrees, lost 4 inches of height in 2011
    Post-Surgery curves ~10 degrees, regained 4 inches of height

    Posterior T3-sacrum & TLIF surgeries on Nov 28, 2011 with Dr. Lenke, St. Louis
    2 rods, 33 screws, 2 cages, 2 connectors, living a new life I never dreamed of!

    http://thebionicachronicles.blogspot.com/

    Comment


    • #3
      What great news!

      Where are you on Long island?

      I am from Long Island
      Melissa

      Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

      April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by mabeckoff View Post
        What great news!

        Where are you on Long island?

        I am from Long Island

        I'm in Oakdale Melissa, where are you from?
        Cathy
        2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
        54 years old March 5
        AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
        Surgery April 8 2015
        Presurgical curves T77 L66
        Post surgical T27 L22
        Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

        Comment


        • #5
          Congratulations for getting back to what you love so early in your recovery! You must be so happy!
          Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
          Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
          T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
          Osteotomies and Laminectomies
          Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

          Comment


          • #6
            Cathy

            Your not singing “Muskrat love” are you? Oh, Man.... I’m convinced that number exasperates scoliosis. LOL

            You should be able to sing just fine.....keep it up

            One of the saddest things I have ever read was about Linda Ronstadt not being able to sing due to her Parkinson disease.....

            She is a National arts advocate and stated before Congress....

            “In the United States, we spend millions of dollars on sports because it promotes teamwork, discipline, and the experience of learning to make great progress in small increments. Learning to play music does all this, and more”.


            Ed
            49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
            Pre surgery curves T70,L70
            ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
            Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

            Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

            My x-rays
            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

            http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

            Comment


            • #7
              I am from Massapequa Park, Long Island....but live near Portland, OR so if you are ever in this neck of the woods or I am in New York, we could drink together!

              Congrats on your increased activity and return to singing!

              Suggestion for pain relief when returning to work: Bring heat or ice....what ever works, take breaks and lay down, when you go home, lay down for 20 minutes before tackling your easy or take out dinner, be good to yourself and delegate [like hiring a house cleaner].

              Re: the posts of "good, bad and ugly"...yes, the tone has shifted and I believe that it is because those of us with continuing challenges feel safe to post with company. I post a little bit more infrequently anyway now, but my continuing saga is in the ugly category [spinal cord injury and spinal infection over one year after first surgery] but I am improving. I am glad that a spectrum of outcomes to surgery are posted to present a spectrum of outcomes and to offer support/suggestions to those of us posting.

              Susan
              Last edited by susancook; 08-08-2015, 02:25 PM. Reason: typing faster than my brain can operate!
              Adult Onset Degen Scoliosis @65, 25* T & 36* L w/ 11.2 cm coronal balance; T kyphosis 90*; Sev disc degen T & L stenosis

              2013: T3- S1 Fusion w/ ALIF L4-S1/XLIF L2-4, PSF T4-S1 2 surgeries
              2014: Hernia @ ALIF repaired; Emergency screw removal SCI T4,5 sec to PJK
              2015: Rev Broken Bil T & L rods and no fusion: 2 revision surgeries; hardware P. Acnes infection
              2016: Ant/Lat Lumbar diskectomy w/ 4 cages + BMP + harvested bone
              2018: Removal L4,5 screw
              2021: Removal T1 screw & rod

              Comment


              • #8
                Wow... we could have a Long Island Group. I am from Oceanside many years ago. I now live in Southern CA but but will always consider Long Island home


                Glad that you are doing what you want .

                At this point, even though I have pain I still consider myself a success. Pain does not define me. I am more than my pain. I am hoping that my spinal cord stimulator will work . If it does not, then I will have to figure out how to go on with my pain, but I will go on. Life is always changing. I am finally getting a divorce . I am getting another grandchild in December. I am considering restarting an at home baking business I started before pain was a partner in my life. For those of you who know, you know that not much stops me .

                Melissa
                Melissa

                Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

                April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yeah, Cathy! It's great to get back to 'normal' things!
                  My 'new normal' is soooo much better than my old normal!

                  I want to address neck pain from above the fusion. I think this is where my scapula pain is coming from & I've finally diagnosed myself, as to why. I often sit with my head looking down: ipad on pillow on lap or paperwork at the kitchen table. The neck/head position is what seems to trigger the burning scapula pain. Ice packs help. At first, it was 'bear claw' & most of the time. With lessening frequency & duration, I was able to pinpoint what I'm doing to aggravate the issue. So . . . Bottom line . . . Check your head/neck position!

                  Have fun singing!
                  Peg
                  61 yrs old
                  75 degree lumbar curve with thoracic kyphosis
                  T3 - S1 surgery with Dr. Buchowski in St. Louis, on 10/27/14
                  Working on healing in Columbus, Ohio!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by titaniumed View Post
                    Cathy

                    Your not singing “Muskrat love” are you? Oh, Man.... I’m convinced that number exasperates scoliosis. LOL

                    You should be able to sing just fine.....keep it up

                    One of the saddest things I have ever read was about Linda Ronstadt not being able to sing due to her Parkinson disease.....

                    She is a National arts advocate and stated before Congress....

                    “In the United States, we spend millions of dollars on sports because it promotes teamwork, discipline, and the experience of learning to make great progress in small increments. Learning to play music does all this, and more”.


                    Ed
                    Ha! Ed I'm pretty sure it was "Puppy Love" that sent me to surgery..... By the way the evening went well, was pretty exhausted next day but soooo glad I'm back. Next show, next Friday at the beach!
                    Attached Files
                    Cathy
                    2 sons, one Syracuse University graduate (working for the Mets now), one college sophomore, one great husband and two fabulous cats
                    54 years old March 5
                    AIS 45 degrees Thoracic at 14, Milwaukee brace for one year in 1977 then in 2012 I found Dr. Baron Lonner ❤️
                    Surgery April 8 2015
                    Presurgical curves T77 L66
                    Post surgical T27 L22
                    Fused T3-S1 pelvic fixation, osteotomies and all the other stuff but you know what? It's done...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Fabulous news that you're back to singing. My own experience as a choral singer is that I can sing much better since my surgery because of better breathing capacity, no pain when standing and everything in the diaphragm/vocal mechanism, etc. is much better aligned. Sounds like you're really healing well and will be ready to go back to teaching. Doing the happy dance for you!


                      Anne in PA
                      Age 58
                      Diagnosed at age 14, untreated, no problem until age 50
                      T4 to sacrum fusion
                      63 thoracic now 35, 92 lumbar now 53
                      Dr. Baron Lonner, 2/2/10
                      Am pain-free, balanced, happy & an inch taller !

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        So happy for you!

                        So absolutely thrilled for you! I feel sad when I read the not so happy comments, but I see why this would be the place to do it.

                        Like you, I have recently gone back to work on limited basis since the Dr doesn't want me driving for long periods of time. Still wearing the brace (Ninja turtle shell!) which helps but I am beginning to notice some dependence on it. Other than an occasional pain med I am meds free... and that by itself makes me a happy girl.

                        Best thoughts for all of you dealing with scoli issues. We all know first hand how debilitating it can be.

                        Loretta
                        39 years old, 2 children, suffering from scoliosis since the age of 12.
                        Lumbar curve 55 degrees, 4 herniated disks and 2 small fractures - after surgery only 20 degree curve - Fusion T10-L4
                        Surgery on 4/21/15 with Dr. Gjolaj @ (UM) Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL

                        Comment

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