Scoliosis Journey & Pics - Week 15

Almost 5 months post-op. Finally getting to the point I am counting in months lol! I am only posting these pictures for people who are really considering surgery, know someone else who is/has, and my family and friends who genuinely want to know what it looks like. They said everyone loses 10-15 pounds after surgery. I had luckily managed to avoid weight loss up until the beginning of May and thought it wouldn't happen to me. I fell in our living room on our wood floors and it set me back a lot. It could have been worse. I am very lucky I didn't need another surgery or adjustment.

The pain is still pretty intense. It never stops. There is literally not a moment in the day that I am not in pain. I am SO uncomfortable regardless of how I sit, lay, recline, etc. I am feeling a significant improvement and I am getting stronger, it's just a slow process. I know that this was the right decision. Even though there are some moments when I wish I could just make it go away and go back to the way it was, I know that's unrealistic. I couldn't have continued to live in constant pain knowing it was only getting worse and that I was postponing the inevitable. I am approaching a half a year post operative and a lot has changed from the day I came home until now. Yes, I have torn many muscles. I have had three rounds of painful trigger point injections into my torn muscles. Physical therapy is exhausting and feels like something babies do in Gymboree, but I can almost brush my teeth without using my hand to hold myself up over the sink.   

Being a couple inches taller makes me look even thinner. You can see the instrumentation when you look at my back, but that will go away as I gain more weight and my muscles grow back. The pictures below this are from week 15 after surgery.

All things considered, I am very lucky. Listen to your surgeon and physical therapists advice, don't over-do it and vacuum, clean your bathroom, drive your kids to and from school, etc and exhaust and strain yourself because it only slows your healing process. Ice packs are your best friend. My boyfriend has been the most amazing nurse and friend I could have ever dreamed of. Neither of us realized how much I would be reliant upon him, and he has been my saving grace. With a good surgeon, a positive attitude, and the support of family, friends, and preferably someone with fusion experience it will make the process much easier.

The scar looks very good. The bumps are the instrumentation and bone because I lost 10 pounds in the last four weeks. That is very normal after spinal surgery, especially since I was pretty thin before.

The way I was standing makes my right shoulder blade and the side of my torso stick out a little but it is much straighter than this picture makes it look.

I was compensating a little due to pain. My shoulders are very even now.

Stego Spine

Photos from my Scoliosis Journey

Recent photo from 02/29/2012 Kevin and I went down to the concrete boardwalk near Pier 60 at Clearwater Beach (just 4.5 miles from our home =) for my walk! Felt amazing to get in the sun and feel and smell the Gulf breeze. Everyone around was so relaxed and happy, and big plus I bought a gorgeous sun dress at a little shop before we left! Amazing day <3

I was very deformed pre surgery

This is a photo of my Spinal Stim or Bone Graft Stimulator

Holy moly, this is what I looked like in the ICU with my NGT Tube, or as I call it the "Nose Hose" = miserable

Bandage over the small hole where they inserted the IVC Filter through my groin around my leg into my lower back (through my veins and arteries) and into my renal gland. Poor quality pic but you can see a little green tint. I had terrible bruising all over my thigh and hip.

They used a giant needle to insert a wire into an artery and then move it around through my hip into my lower back near my kidneys and into my renal gland. I was not aware this was what I was signing up for. If I had, I possibly wouldn't have been able to go through with it. Now it's just a tiny red bump slightly raised. A waste since I had it removed 6 days later. 

Again a poor quality photo my upper thigh was terribly bruised all the up into my hip.

A pic of my bandage after my IVC Filter removal when my body rejected the device only 6 days after having it implanted

This was SO uncomfortable. I couldn't turn or bend my head or neck AT ALL. They put this very tight compression bandage because they removed the filter through my jugular.

Once I removed the bandage. Small incision, but major irritation from my allergy to latex, natural rubbers, and adhesives.

You can see the indentation in my neck from how much pressure they applied on top of the removal site above my jugular vein.

Scary Sherry lol! This is why they did not allow children under the age of 12 onto this floor. My stomach was so swollen from the meds I look like I am in the maternity ward.