Scoliosis

Decisions

We ended up combining everyone's opinions. We decided to wait until my next 6-month appointment (around late December, early January) and see what they say.

If my back keeps getting worse over these next six months, then I definitely need surgery. But I probably wouldn't get it done until that next summer, about a year from now.

If for some reason my back decides to call it quits, and stops getting worse, then we can wait yet another six months and see what happens. But the chances of that are less than 5%. My doctor said there's a 92-95% chance that my back will indeed get worse. As I thought.

We're really only waiting the six months to humor my mother, but hey, it gives me time to do some more research. To dance in one last school musical before the life changing operation. To figure out what I'm doing, because really, I have no clue.

I still don't want  the surgery, but I've made peace with the idea of getting it. What I can do in the meantime is work out.

They say the more fit you are before the operation, the quicker you can recover. So bring on the cardio! I've got to start eating healthy too, so that I'm in the best condition possible before surgery.

The downside is that no matter how much research, working out, and healthy eating you do, things can still go wrong. Rods can snap. Screws can come loose. Your scar can become infected. And besides that, people can have major problems regarding the surgery. Some people don't wake up from it. Some people wake up paralyzed. Some people wake up blind. Some people lose all flexibility and can never touch their toes again, no matter how much physical therapy they do.

But if you don't get the surgery, chances are it will just keep getting worse. And you'll eventually be forced to get it anyways, because it will look so bad. My back already looks a little funny, but lucky for me, it isn't noticeable under my clothes. The only time anyone would notice is if I'm in a bikini or something, which isn't often.

I'm just glad to be out of the brace for the meantime. Sleeping is much more comfortable, although sometimes I do still have shooting back pains keeping me up. Every once and a while, if I twist or bend the wrong way without thinking about it, I'll get a pain so bad that I literally have to freeze in whatever position I'm in, because it hurts too much to move back. It's like my back locks up, and doesn't go back to normal for a couple minutes.

But I haven't had that in a little while, only the usual dull aching. So I'm doing pretty good for somebody with a curve in the 50's.

In the meantime, I've got six months of waiting (and working out) to do. I probably won't update again until then, but we'll see. I'm not aiming for any particular number of votes or reads on this book, because I doubt most people will care enough to read it. I mean it's just me ranting about my back, so I dunno.

I'm just posting it because I thought someone else with scoliosis might get something useful out of it.(Let me know in the comments if you do; I'd love to hear from a fellow Scoli :)

Anyway, so long for now :)