Adolescent Scoliosis

    I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Scoliosis at age seven. When you are in first grade, you cannot possibly know how this diagnosis will influence your future. It was to be a start of a long, long journey which to date has been very successful. In my initial diagnosis of double curvature of the spine, my degrees were fairly low. Nevertheless, I was immediately placed into a bracing program by Dr. John Emans. My program consisted of wearing a brace full time and completing a series of daily exercises given to me by a physical therapist. I wore my back brace and did my morning exercises for six years. For many patients, this treatment is effective. Unfortunately, the bracing was not successful for me. At the end of those six years, Dr. Emans informed me that my curvature had progressively gotten worse and that I would need to have spinal fusion in the near future. I had never had major surgery before so I was apprehensive about my situation. The surgery lasted approximately seven hours and I spent two weeks in the hospital post op. The instrumentation consisted of two rods and several bolts. I was fused from T1 to L5. I had bandages over my incision until the sutures healed. After my initial stay at Childrens Hospital, I went home and there I recovered for approximately eight weeks. A visiting nurse came to assist us for the first couple of weeks while I was at home. I had to change my bandages every six hours and eventually my sterile strips along my incision fell off. I also was given material from my school to keep up with my studies and I slowly regained my strength.  I eventually returned to my school with restrictions. I could not lift anything over ten pounds for six months and contact sports were eliminated.

     Unfortunately, a year later, I had to have the surgery again due to complications concerning the fusion and to my body rejecting the apparatus. The odds of this occurring are a zillion to one. I think having the second surgery was harder because I knew what was going to happen and how it would feel. After my second surgery everything went according to plan and I made a full recovery. I now participate in my school dance program, play concert violin, and I am on the golf team. My restrictions are few but include contact sports and sky diving.

      I do not feel limited in what I can achieve in the world because of my scoliosis. On the contrary, I feel empowered because I can use this part of my life to help others and maybe inspire them to do the same.

Helpful things to bring to the hospital

your own pajamas

your own socks with grips on the bottoms

Bose head set

Shampoo/ conditioner

a good robe( you will be walking up and down the halls with total strangers)

If you have long hair, put it in a tight french braid. You will not want to deal with it while you are at the hospital.

At Home

get a full sized body pillow for home(it helps to support your back when lying down)

Sit down shower stool/chair with hand held shower wand

Plasic toilet chair to fit on top of your toilet with arms

Books on tape