I'm new to the forum today. I need some help please. I'm a 66 year old female who had thoracic scoliosis, probably before age 10. I don't believe that my parents understood the severity of my condition.to. They finally took my to a local Phila. ortho when I was 14 who put me in a Milwaukee brace. I wore it for a year as my curvatures worsened. My mom heard about a chiropractor who had a great reputation. I saw him 3 times a week. After 3 months, my X-rays showed actual improvement. I continued with the awful brace and chiropractic treatments until I was 15, when my chiropractor suddenly died. At that point, I put my brace in the closet and nothing more was done. I graduated high school, started working, had a great insurance plan, and decided to pursue surgery. I don't recall the exact degrees of curvature, but they were significantly over 70. I saw Dr. Anthony DePalma at Jefferson Hospital in Phila. in the Spring of 1969. I was scheduled and had surgery in Aug. 1969. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks, in a body cast in a hospital bed in my mom's living room for six months, the back to the hospital to learn how to walk again. I wore a walking cast for another six months. A year later I returned to work. Despite some occasional discomfort, and getting used to my fusion/rod, I was fine. Fast forward 13 years, my husband and I had one beautiful daughter (natural childbirth, no scoliosis & getting married this year), I got my real estate license in NJ, and life was great. Fast forward another 22years, I began having significant lower back pain in 2004. By Feb 2005, I made an appointment to see a local orthopedic surgeon. After X-rays, he said "it's not a matter of if you need surgery, but when." I was devastated. After much deliberation, I chose to go back to Jefferson Univ Hosp in Phila, and saw Dr. Alexander Vaccaro. We scheduled my adult scoliosis revision surgery for July 17, 2006. The initial prep surgery was performed on Monday, then the major surgery was performed on 7/19/06. That's where the problem began. Somewhere after 6 or 7 hours into the surgery, my blood pressure dropped, and Dr. Cohen and the trauma team brought me back. I don't remember much, was in the NICU on a ventilator for 17 days, then slowly came back. I was admitted to a rehab center near my home in Mercer County, NJ, for another 2 weeks, then went home. There were many months of therapy, physical, neurological, and occupational. I am fused from T-2 to the sacrum. I could never return to work due to my new physical disabilities. I had immediately dipped into a deep depression. I needed narcotic pain management after physical therapy caused (in my opinion) sciatica in my right leg. After six months of "recovery" I began Aqua-therapy. It helped with my physical stamina, and I could eventually walk without a cane. In 2012, we moved to the gulf-coast of Florida. I forgot to say that I have a wonderful husband who does so much for me, and is great support, too. Since moving here, my overall stamina and ability to walk (even a block) has diminished. Then last year, I fell on a ceramic tile floor and fractured T-5, was hospitalized, then to rehab for about 2 months, and in a back-brace for stabilization for 6 months. When you are accustomed to health care in the Northeast, I must say that Florida's care is sub-standard. I do have regular check-ups with my internist, blood work, cardiologist visits & testing, etc. My concern is this - I
have little or no energy, difficulty walking unassisted, difficulty walking very far even with a walker. I have some difficulty with balance, too. I sent myself back to Aqua-therapy, but after 6 weeks or so, I saw no improvement. Where do I go from here? I DONT want further surgery. Where can I go for help? Someone with knowledge, please help me. I'm too young to waste away!
have little or no energy, difficulty walking unassisted, difficulty walking very far even with a walker. I have some difficulty with balance, too. I sent myself back to Aqua-therapy, but after 6 weeks or so, I saw no improvement. Where do I go from here? I DONT want further surgery. Where can I go for help? Someone with knowledge, please help me. I'm too young to waste away!
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