Herniation, Surprise Adult Scoliosis & humor

[Susan.303]

This is my first post. If your situation is too serious for humor please feel free to laugh at mine as humor is how I handle the stress. Fear of things out of my control is my greatest stressor. It’s caused hives, bleeding gums, high blood pressure, and once caused a V-Tac, and an atrial–Frib. Heading off my fear by seeking out answers, or experienced people to help lasso my vast array of vivid fears into a realistic range of possibility, is why I’m here. I don’t have any questions yet because I’m still in denial but I do hope to hear from people who have been where I’m headed so I can seek their experience in the future. In a nutshell, I’m 51 and 3 years post fall. I’m ready for herniation surgery only to suddenly discover that I suffer from moderate adult degenerative scoliosis. Here are a few things I’ve learned so far in this journey:
Broken Bones vs. Herniation:
2008 I broke my left foot….walking in flat sandals. (It’s a skill) No problem, at least I understand broken bones. They’re like men. Direct cause and effect. Break it, it screams. Touch it, it screams. Apply any pressure and it screams. Cast it, leave it alone and eventually it forgives you and life goes back to normal. Herniations on the other hand are more like devious old nags. It lets me go through the day thinking everything’s OK and then as soon as I sit down or get home it reminds me about everything I did wrong. Now my herniation is on a 5 minute timer. Within 5 minutes of walking or standing it starts screaming causing a straight line burn down the outside of my lower left leg. It took me over a year to recognize it’s less painful tricks like numbness and that tight sock or wet toes feeling. In fact I was so used to that wet toes feeling I once spent an entire weekend trudging around a rain soaked farm in my gummies before I realized there really was a leak in my left boot.

Adult Scoliosis Shock:
If you’re my age or older you might remember that Saturday night sketch where they needed to kill some extra time so they sent John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd out onto an empty stage to improvise and for 10 very funny minutes they ranted on “WHAT THE HE## IS THAT!” Yup. That was me on 5/25/11 when I was finally mentally prepared for the L5-S1 Herniation surgery, and my surgeon had this X-Ray taken just to get ISD placement information…. Yet because I broke my left foot in that same fall in 2008, this was also my first Standing X-ray. My lower lumbers Suddenly sloped down to the left, and at L 4-L5, just above my left side L5-S1 herniation, my back twists a half inch off center to the same left side.
So what is Scoliosis shock?
It’s kinda like a surprise party. You’ve been told for weeks that you’re going to visit relatives on long island and now you just have to stop at this friends house on the way when suddenly people yell “Surprise” and as much fun as the rest of the evening is, you can’t shake the feeling that you’re supposed to be somewhere else. So my mind is still trying to take care of the herniation only now I’m going to see scoliosis Dr.s to help me toward that end. In the meantime I’m studying all I can about the disease and I’ve engaged a chiropractor to help me with the stiffness in my upper back in order to head off similar problems up top. She had me take an upper serious of X-Rays and OMG I have one of those wooden snake toys in my back! I was so concentrated on my herniation I didn’t look higher up my spine. I think I saw 3 curves in the 25-50 degree cob angle range. So I e-mailed some images to my scoliosis Dr. who told me that the additional curves compensate each other which is good. …“Good” is all I heard. Then my stress relieving humor kicked in with this thought:
I guess I suffer from accordion style scoliosis. I can probably give the experts @25 years to come up with a back jack before I collapse to the point where I could use my hips as crutches. (The image of which in my vivid mind’s eye still makes me laugh in spite of myself.)

Thanks for letting me vent/share. I Do hope to find other women who’ve dealt with or are dealing with this herniations and scoliosis combo.

Susan

[Genn]

Susan!

My gosh, I just love your analogies! You are a riot!

I don't have anything to add on the "Surprise Party"!! I know next to nothing about Scoliosis. Mild scoliosis was picked up on one of my imaging I had done a looooong time ago. Then, nothing since. Maybe when the spine finally collapses it took care of that? who knows.. LOL

See you TOMORROW!!! Such a small world. Both of us have surgery with Dr. Bitan on the same day..
(for the readers out there)

I sure hope we get our roommate request honored

If the nerves don't kill me first.. I'll see you bright eyed and bushy tailed Ok.. that may be a stretch but, see you tomorrow!

Us after surgery... ........

(sorry- no wrapped mummies icon draggin' a leg down the hallway)

xoxo

GG

[ouch2]

Susan, Love your sense of humour! Definately feels better to laugh than cry....you cheered me up for sure.

Wanted to wish you all the best with your surgery tomorrow. I am sure with your attitude, you will do fantastic.

Hope you girls can room together, and make the best of the situation. Always great to have someone cheering you on, as you do them.

Will be thinking of you. Look forward to hearing how you are doing post op.

Karen