Comments on: What Will I Need Help With After My Scoliosis Surgery?

By: Rafikigi

Rafikigi — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:48:53 +0000

I’m not sure but I need scoliosis surgery and I’m really frightened.
can you answer my question?http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;…

By: neonligh

neonligh — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:49:50 +0000

Well the way surgeries are these days I’m not sure if you’d need anything. Why would you take a book bag to the hospital?
If you were having this same type of surgery years ago, you’d be on your back for a long time..
I’d say take the least stuff with you hence so you don’t have to worry about loosing anything? My thoughts anywayz! You more than likely won’t have to be in the hospital to long, depends on how well your surgery goes I’d say. best of luck keep me updated, when is the surgery?

By: Scott B

Scott B — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:13:23 +0000

You’re having major surgery which takes a long time to fully recover. It take a long time to even partially recover. You need to be realistic that people will be helping you at home for a couple of months. Don’t worry about school and let your body recover.
You won’t be carrying anything for about six months so you’d better plot on a backpack with wheels.
You’ll need to avoid people running into you. If you return to school too soon, you may need a brace, not so much to help you heal but rather to keep you from being injured.
Its really late. If I reckon of more, I’ll edit my answer.

By: Unique Personalized Gift For Sports Fans!

Unique Personalized Gift For Sports Fans! — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:22:36 +0000

You should be talking with your physician about this. He’ll prescribe weight and activity restrictions based on how he is going to the surgery (posterior approach? trans-thoracic approach?) and your lifestyle (do you have to walk a lot at school/work? carry a heavy load? need to dive to work/school? etc?).
On average, you’ll be in the hospital 3-5 days, taking care of yourself in about 7-10, back driving in 2-4 weeks, weight restrictions for 6 mo. It takes about 6-12 mo. to completely recover.
There are risks with every surgery, even minor procedures (I’m an OR nurse now). You’ll to make an informed choice about surgery’s benefits vs. risk. If the curve is severe and not corrected it can affect the ability to breath or carry a pregnancy.
Someone with more recent experience might be better to question about the physical therapy. I never had to do physical therapy when I was wearing the braces or after surgery. I was up walking the first day they said I could.
My pain was well controlled. Really the only time it hurt was one time I was half-asleep and tried to sit up suddenly.
I’m as normally functioning as anyone. Having surgery in summer, I never got off schedule with school. Graduated college at 20 and have been an OR nurse for 16 years, one of the most physically demanding areas of nursing (lots of lifting and lots of standing in one place for long periods). I’ve had 2 children without difficulty (didn’t even use an epidural). I like to travel (I don’t set off metal detectors), yoga (though the fusion prevents some positions), and SCUBA dive. I can pretty much do anything I want…but don’t tell my husband I use the scoliosis to get out of vacuuming My bottom curve aches now and then, I’m supposed to take 1-2 Alleve at bed time, but us nurses are dreadful patients, so I don’t do it regularly.
As a former patient and a health care professional, I reckon Shriner’s Hospital is absolutely the best place for scoliosis patients under 21! You can question the docs/nurses if they can arrange for you to visit/talk with other parents, patients, or people who will be involved in her care. Shriner’s tends to go above and beyond for their kids.

By: touch me not

touch me not — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:13:42 +0000

Hi.
This might not be the answer you’re looking for. Just wondering whether you’ve tried asking your doctor about this (which might just be better; a second opinion from another doctor might help–explore all your options before making a choice ;>)
Spinal Curvature Halted
• Nightly electrical muscle stimulation is proving effective nine out of ten times in halting or reversing mild-to-moderate spinal curvature (scoliosis) in youth, two medical journals report. While the youth sleeps, painless electrical impulses contract muscles and straighten the spine. “Our patients are delighted with stimulation because they can look and act like other youngsters during the day,” says orthopedist John B. Emans of Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston. Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in California uses electrode disks placed on the skin of the back and a portable pulse generator to stimulate muscles, according to Medical World News. And Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto uses an implanted model and a bedside transmitter to evoke muscle contractions, says the Journal of the American Medical Association. It is predicted that this type of treatment may eliminate back braces or possibly surgery.
Will pray for the best outcome for YOU.
One thing you must not forget:
“7 … THROW ALL YOUR ANXIETY UPON HIM, because HE CARES for YOU.” (1 Peter 5:7) [CAPS mine]