Dx: Scoliosis with Spinal Fusion

This is nearly where my story starts. I was diagnosed (Dx) with scoliosis when I was eight or nine years old. I believe I had a 30 - 40 ° curve, plus my right posterior ribs were starting to move noticeably outward. I had to start wearing a thick white plastic brace for ten hours at night. It was wicked uncomfortable, and because of it's thickness brace retained so much heat it gave me severe dermatitis.

So in 1994 my parents and I made the decision to have a spinal fusion (rods and pins placed to straighten me spine) at Hinsdale Hospital. It was by far the most excruciating surgery I've had thus far. In addition to the fusion, my surgeon also, excised a few ribs that sticking out on my right side and placed sleeves so they would grow back normally. I came out of surgery with multiple drains, bilateral chest tubes, on oxygen and in excruciating pain. And, new to opiates, I was not tolerating them. Puking after spinal surgery made the pain even worse.

Because I was actually skinny back then, the rods on the lower thoracic that were poking out of my back, and became so extremely painful, that we made the decision to remove the lowest bit of the fusion four years later. While not quite as painful, still it wasn't anywhere near pleasant.

Looking back, I wouldn't have the surgery, I would have chosen chiropractic and acupuncture instead. I have a lot of upper and lower back pain (above and below the fusion). And I'm pretty sure that my odd musculature, and immobilization contributes to my migraines.

Thank you for letting me share this part of me with you. I really hope to help people learn more about some of my medical conditions. Please feel free to ask me any questions. I am a total open book! Also, just curious: how many of you have scoliosis? Spinal fusion?

#scoliosis #spinalfusion #surgery #chiropractic