Hey guys! It's Cora. I know my mom is usually the one who writes the posts on this blog, but I just wanted to hop on today to give you all a little update of how my life has been post-surgery!
For those of you who don't know, June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month. I love love love that we have a whole month dedicated to scoliosis and the support of those who are dealing and living with it, but I wish it was more widely known! I encourage all of you guys to share your own journeys and your own experiences with others through social media and other ways. There are so many people in the world; girls, guys, young, and old, who are struggling with their own journey and their own experiences with scoliosis. They need your support! We all need support! Reach out to others who are going through these things and let them know they're not alone. But anyway holy cow, my scoliosis journey has been a crazy one. Just a brief recap: I had my spinal fusion surgery in November of 2016. Unfortunately, my at-home recovery took a little longer than anticipated and I was out of school for almost 8 weeks. Following those two months was four more of recovery where I was unable to dance, which was something I missed like crazy! I started being more active when the summer started and even picked up a Zumba class at my city rec center. However, as I got more active and as my dance team picked up again in the fall, I found myself in a lot of pain and discomfort, which I had been told was not supposed to happen at this point post-surgery. After some thought and some conversations with my mom, I decided to try physical therapy. I was super nervous to start physical therapy, but I loved it! To be honest, everyone at the facility thought I was some sort of superstar! They had never seen a patient who had had spinal fusion surgery and everyone was so curious about my surgery and everything about my back. The most important thing I learned with this physical therapist was that my body had been reconstructed during my surgery and that meant that I had to treat it differently. My physical therapist even taught me how to mop floors in a way that retrained the muscles in my back. However, after a few weeks of therapy, I felt like I had plateaued in my process. Although my physical therapist had taught me some useful things about how my body worked post-surgery, I was still in pain and not getting any better. Feeling somewhat frustrated, I stopped going to physical therapy. After a few more months of dealing with the pain and frustration that come every day, I once again sought the advice of my mother. This time around, we decided to try our luck with a chiropractor. This was a serious answer to prayers. My very first visit with my chiropractor, he informed me that the current cause of my pain was my ribs and the fact that the joints were inflamed. The moment he said it, I knew he was right. It made sense and the areas he said were the issue truly were the cause of my pain. I started going in for adjustments a few times a week, and immediately started seeing an improvement! I was so thankful. However, much like my first experience with physical therapy, I found myself not improving after a certain amount of treatment. I was going to the chiropractor about weekly for a few months, but I was not improving. I only felt good when I went in and for a few days after. (not to mention the copay bills were adding up). My mom and I decided we needed a permanent solution, because I didn't want to have to go in to a chiropractor every week for the rest of my life! We asked my chiropractor and he recommended using a lacrosse ball at home to massage the inflamed joints to try and prolong the amount of time between my visits, but honestly, that remedy was so painful that it wasn't worth it. Once again, feeling frustrated, my mother and I tried to think of another solution. This time we decided to go back to the beginning and meet with my surgeon. Although all previous post-surgery visits with my surgeon have been very surface, in-and-out, visits/checkups, we were hoping we might be able to get some serious answers from this visit. However, that was not the case. My surgeon and his team were just as stumped as my mother and I. They told me that no one was ever in pain over 2 years post-surgery and that they didn't even know where to start. We brainstormed for a while, trying to decide which route we should take in order to find a solution for my pain. After a while, we only had one lead: a new physical therapist, one who specialized in scoliosis patients. Feeling lost, and borderline hopeless, my mother and I went home and contacted this new doctor. Thankfully, he was very close to home and seemed eager to meet with us. My mother and I went in to our first appointment trying not to have high hopes. But. Can. I. Just. Say. Wow. Going to this new physical therapist was one of the best decisions I've ever made regarding my scoliosis. My doctor was so incredibly knowledgeable about my back and everything about scoliosis, pre-surgery, and post-surgery. He made me feel so understood and for the first time in a long time, I finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel that was my long struggle with back pain. My therapist introduced me to a method called the Schroth Method, which is a method that was developed in the 1950's that is used to treat scoliosis patients. I've now been going to this new facility for a little over 2 months now and I have seen so many positive changes in my body. I feel stronger, and more confident and hope to get to a point one day where I don't require weekly physical therapy appointments. So this is the point I am at in my life. I'm still trying to stay very active. I enjoy running and going to the gym and the occasional dance party ;) I go to physical therapy about once or twice a week, but still do daily strengthening exercises at home. I also am advocating for better support for those dealing with scoliosis and the trials that come with living with it. I just want to say to anyone who might be going through things similar to what I've gone through; It does get better! There is help, there is hope, there is healing. Everyone's journey is different, and some take longer than others. But persistence, courage, and a good support system are the keys to finding relief. You are so strong, don't give up. You got this!!! Love, Cora
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AuthorMy name is Kirsty. I am the mom of an amazingly courageous daugher with scoliosis. This is our story. Archives
June 2019
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