Scoliosis surgery???!
Question: Scoliosis surgery!?!?!?
i have a 40 degree curvature and am recieving surgery this summer and i have a ton of questions!!
recovery time!?
when i can take a shower!?
scar!?
pain!?
total healing time!?
prohibited activities post surgery!?
how tired will i be!?
and anything else you may know!! thanks so much!! and i will be asking my doctors the same questions, i just want answers from people who went through the actual surgery!! thanks!Www@Answer-Health@Com
recovery time!?
when i can take a shower!?
scar!?
pain!?
total healing time!?
prohibited activities post surgery!?
how tired will i be!?
and anything else you may know!! thanks so much!! and i will be asking my doctors the same questions, i just want answers from people who went through the actual surgery!! thanks!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Ok, I had this surgery in December and my curve was 70 degrees!. I can answer all of these questions and any other questions you may have with ease!. Please, I know just how anxious you feel, so if any other questions come up feel free to email me!!!
recovery time - this is kind of a vague question!. As for the hospital stay, for me it was about 8 days but depending on the person, it can be anywhere from 4 - 9 days!. Most people are out in a week!.
shower - at the hospital no showers; only bed baths (the nurses just scrub you down with towels); once you get home, i wasn't allowed to for another week; then two weeks post-op I was allowed to only if I covered my scar with plastic wrap (still can't get the scar wet); you can get the scar wet and not cover it 3 weeks post-op!.
scar - this depends on the extensiveness of the surgery!. My curve was so bad that they could not do minimally invasive surgery; for this reason, I have a 13 inch scar down the center of my back, along with three tiny one-inch scars on my side!. They are all still pretty pink even after six months, but I've heard that after about 2 - 3 years they'll be pretty much skin tone!. You should definitely ask your surgeon if he can do minimally invasive on you becuse then you just have a few tiny holes and pretty much no real scar!.
pain - i'm not gonna lie to you: its not fun!. You are given lots of pain meds and for the most part they help!. The only really painful thing for me was sitting up in a chair!. My back just couldn't handle it I guess, so it took me like 4 weeks to actually sit up like a normal person for a long period of time!. When you're laying down though, the pain doesn't tend to get too bad since you havr the meds, and you can always ask them for higher dosage if its really bad!.
total healing time - right now (today actually :-) ) I am exactly six months post-op!. I am allowed to do everything that I used to do, including sports like tae-kwon-do!. The only things that are different is that I can't really bend down and touch my toes anymore!. I don't feel stiff at all while I'm walking, it's just that if I drop something I can't really bend at my waist, I have to actually bend my knees to get lower!. I'll probably get better after a few months though!.
prohibited activities - for he first 3 months no BLTs! This is a scoliosis joke for no bending, lifting, or twisting!. After this time, you can do some light sports such as running, biking, and swimming!. After six months you can do anything you want!. Some doctors say no gymnastics for a year though!.
tiredness - I don't really get the question!. Pain meds make you pretty drowsy/sleepy!. I never felt that I was tired in the exhausted sense unless I had just tried sitting up for a really long time - that actually was quite exhausting!.
I'm sure your head is teeming with more questions, just like mine was, or it will be soon, so if you think of anything else feel free to ask and I'll be more than glad to answer! And keep me posted on what happens with the surgery! Best of luck!Www@Answer-Health@Com
recovery time - this is kind of a vague question!. As for the hospital stay, for me it was about 8 days but depending on the person, it can be anywhere from 4 - 9 days!. Most people are out in a week!.
shower - at the hospital no showers; only bed baths (the nurses just scrub you down with towels); once you get home, i wasn't allowed to for another week; then two weeks post-op I was allowed to only if I covered my scar with plastic wrap (still can't get the scar wet); you can get the scar wet and not cover it 3 weeks post-op!.
scar - this depends on the extensiveness of the surgery!. My curve was so bad that they could not do minimally invasive surgery; for this reason, I have a 13 inch scar down the center of my back, along with three tiny one-inch scars on my side!. They are all still pretty pink even after six months, but I've heard that after about 2 - 3 years they'll be pretty much skin tone!. You should definitely ask your surgeon if he can do minimally invasive on you becuse then you just have a few tiny holes and pretty much no real scar!.
pain - i'm not gonna lie to you: its not fun!. You are given lots of pain meds and for the most part they help!. The only really painful thing for me was sitting up in a chair!. My back just couldn't handle it I guess, so it took me like 4 weeks to actually sit up like a normal person for a long period of time!. When you're laying down though, the pain doesn't tend to get too bad since you havr the meds, and you can always ask them for higher dosage if its really bad!.
total healing time - right now (today actually :-) ) I am exactly six months post-op!. I am allowed to do everything that I used to do, including sports like tae-kwon-do!. The only things that are different is that I can't really bend down and touch my toes anymore!. I don't feel stiff at all while I'm walking, it's just that if I drop something I can't really bend at my waist, I have to actually bend my knees to get lower!. I'll probably get better after a few months though!.
prohibited activities - for he first 3 months no BLTs! This is a scoliosis joke for no bending, lifting, or twisting!. After this time, you can do some light sports such as running, biking, and swimming!. After six months you can do anything you want!. Some doctors say no gymnastics for a year though!.
tiredness - I don't really get the question!. Pain meds make you pretty drowsy/sleepy!. I never felt that I was tired in the exhausted sense unless I had just tried sitting up for a really long time - that actually was quite exhausting!.
I'm sure your head is teeming with more questions, just like mine was, or it will be soon, so if you think of anything else feel free to ask and I'll be more than glad to answer! And keep me posted on what happens with the surgery! Best of luck!Www@Answer-Health@Com