Many people suffer from scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that can be painful and degenerative. Fortunately, not every scoliosis patient requires corrective surgery or even physical therapy. I used to count myself among that population. I would have occasional back pain, and the doctors kept an eye on that slightly-tilted spine for a few years.
When I was sixteen, my curve changed almost overnight. For those of you who are unfamiliar with scoliosis, a normal spine is about 90 degrees straight. My spine was only 15 degrees off that perfect 90-degree mark and stayed that way until I was 16. Over that year, my unruly spine continued curving to the left, and eventually to the right. By the time I was 17, my largest curvature was 45 degrees and the smallest was 15 degrees. Most insurance companies will not even consider covering corrective surgery until someone's curvature is 50 degrees plus, and rightfully so: spinal fusion surgery is no small endeavor!
After my spine hit that weird territory of not-quite-bad-enough-for-surgery-but-still-incredibly-painful, I actually began to pray that my back would get worse. I wanted to be able to breathe from both lungs and to run, play and goof around with my friends like everyone else did. When we went to a cardiologist my junior year, he did an ultrasound of my heart and told me that my heart was misshapen because of my spine. This scared the crap out of me and I wanted to get surgery right away, but my spine still hadn't bent enough to meet surgical intervention requirements. This time period taught me how to wait, but it wasn't easy.
I grew half an inch before my senior year of high school, and my spine bent right along with it. Finally, my insurance would cover back surgery, and I would be able to breathe correctly again. Maybe I wouldn't have to wait anymore. But I had to continue waiting since my surgery was not scheduled until the summertime.
My senior year ended up being a whole lot more than just waiting to get back surgery. My mother had a major surgery that took her out of work for eight weeks, I had emergency jaw surgery in January just before Spirit Week, and my uncle unexpectedly passed away. It was one of the hardest years I've ever had, but also one of the best; I formed deep friendships and had some of the best teachers at that school who taught me how the world works and not just stuff about the world. These good things also helped the long wait for surgery to pass more easily.
At long last, June 23, 2011 rolled around. My final X-ray before the operation showed that my spine had curved to 53 degrees in the upper shoulder and 25 degrees in the lower back. The radiologist told me he honestly didn't know how I was still upright and breathing, and instead of freaking me out, I was only more eager to get my back fixed.
Nine hours, 23 screws, two titanium rods and a couple quarts of blood later, I woke up on a gurney in the recovery room. The first thing that registered in my brain was how easy a breath was; I didn't have to suck in and wait for my lung to expand anymore. Now, everything worked just like it was supposed to!
My waiting period was finally over, but I had to relearn how to do basic things that a lot of people take for granted. The first day after surgery, I had to get out of bed and walk just a couple of feet. My mom was standing at the end of the room, but I only made it halfway before having to sit down. Sitting down was really challenging since every muscle in my back had just been rearranged to fit with the titanium rods and screws. That entire week in the hospital was probably one of the most frustrating weeks I've ever lived through; physical therapy, walking back and forth down the same boring blue hallway, and eating green jello each meal was exhausting. I wanted real food and I also wanted to magically run, jump and skip again. I wanted to walk without growing weary after ten steps. I didn't want to put the necessary work into recovery, I just wanted it to happen.
When I went home after surgery, I didn't even have enough strength to turn over in bed. My parents woke up four or five times a night to help me turn over. Looking back, I'm incredibly thankful for the time and energy they put into my recovery: it couldn't have been easy!
Over the next six months, I relearned the skills of bending over, running, jumping, climbing stairs, and even skipping. My brain was very confused for a long time and I had to think about what limb to move when I ran. It's amazing how the human body can adapt and adjust to new life situations.
Five years after spinal fusion, I am completely healed and able to do everything I did before I had scoliosis, thankfully. I do not take my healthy body for granted and I am incredibly thankful for insurance and caring parents who helped me recover over the course of a year. I am also thankful that I had scoliosis, because it taught me how to wait well. I am more patient, more calm and I do not freak out over small things because I know it could be worse. My scoliosis experience has been a central part of shaping the woman I am, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
This is a before and after photo of my spine below:
If anyone wants to know the specifics of spinal fusion, check out this video here. There are also plenty of videos on YouTube about it!