Scoliosis: Life, Support & Friends

I'm still counting down - 75 days left. Things to look forward to after surgery, other than pain relief: 1. Having a bra that fits properly. 2. Wearing any pair of shoes I want, without having to get an expensive lift put on. 3. Not having my legs fall asleep all the time (hopefully). 4. Sleeping better! 5. No more limping! 6. No backaches from doing the laundry or dishes, showering, or anything else that requires standing for long periods. 7. Better posture. Things to dread: 1. The insane medical bills. 2. Changes in my ability to bathe, dress, and move. Other than the money ($50,000 and up), everything else I can deal with. At least, I think so. I'm currently fused from T10-L3. It's going to be revised and continued, from T4-S1. Does anyone out there have a fusion this complex? I really want to know what it's like to be fused this much, so I know what to expect. Comment me here or hit me up on Twitter, @oddcupcake.

The Cobra coverage was cheaper than I thought, and my mom said she'll help pay for it. We decided it's worth it to see what Dr. STL has to say, so we're flying up there on Tuesday. My appointment is Wednesday, we're flying back Thursday. If we could stay longer, we would, but it would cost extra to change our tickets. Ugh, the whole quick trip idea was so I wouldn't miss work. I wish I could see my relatives while I'm there. Anyway, I'll post when I get home, probably Friday. I really have no idea what to expect, or even what to hope for. I think I can stop praying for flexibility and symmetry. I think the most realistic thing to hope for is pain relief, and the rest is just icing. I'm pretty pissed off, actually. Why is this happening to me? My x-rays don't look so bad, compared to some others I've seen online. Why am I in so much pain? I look fine from the outside, except for my limp and rib hump. Life sucks sometimes.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Not much to talk about. I've been loving the Flexeril, although I've never had dry mouth this strong before. I got new electrodes for my TENS unit, but haven't had to use them yet. I've had quite a bit of free time on my hands - I lost my job. The pain seems to all but disappear when I don't have to work! I doubt I'll be able to afford Cobra coverage, but I'm gonna try my best to find the money somehow. Otherwise I have no way to take care of myself until I get a new job with insurance. The surgery is off. I found out today it's way more expensive than my mom or I had imagined. Six figures. I doubt that even includes the hospital stay, rehab, plus all the assorted "little" fees, like medication and the staff's fees - radiologists, ahoy! I have no idea what the doctor would even do, so I kinda resent the lady there telling me that. It really took the wind out of my sails. Her saying that killed the onl...

I have been seeing pòsts around and about on the web about Medtronic's Infuse Bone Graft. They are facing a lawsuit from a woman in Texas who is blaming them for off label use and for the injuries she has suffered after her cervical spine surgery! Mary Selke who is the claimant has saud that she suffered from breathing problems and was unable to swallow due to bone that formed in her neck! Mark Selke has also got her physician on side who will provide testimony about Medtronic and the promotion of their product. We would love to hear from any InFuse Bone Graft patients, have you had problems similar to Mary? There is an estimated half a million people each year that undergo spinal surgery to repair/correct/fuse patients who experience damage to discs or to stablise Scoliosis. The InFuse Bone Graft is a device to help fuse vertebrae in the lower spine in order to treat degenerative disc disease. It differs from other, similar devices in that it uses genetically engineered protein to...

I have been approached via my website from someone in India who needs help finding a surgeon. I do not have much knowledge on surgeons for Scoliosis in India and would really like to help this person, I decided to write a blog post and see if I can attract the attention of anyone who would have good advice on surgeons in India, where she should go for surgery in India and who would be recommended in India to perform the surgery. Personally, I would have thought that Deli would have a good selection of top spine surgeons who could help this lady who has a 59º curve, surgery is considered when a spinal curvature peaks over 50º, I do know that many Indian back specialists train in the UK, some stay and work in the UK and others go back to India and work there. Perhaps there is a surgeon in the USA that is doing pro bono work, I have heard of many top USA surgeons going to other countries and performing surgeries on people who desperately need help. If anyone has any advice or suggestions,...