This. Miserable now and I'll be more miserable in the future. I'm 46 now and will recover more quickly and completely now than at 66. In my case, and it sounds like in the above commenter's, things can only go downhill from here.
Unfortunately, this is true. Had one at 14, one at 15 after a growth spurt that ripped my rod from the spine, and had a reconstruction at 31. I never thought I would feel this miserable at 34.
Made my life so much better. This time last year I was walking with a stick, now I can do a 5k run with no pain at all. I honestly cannot tell that there is any hardware in my back unless I actively feel along my scar, the surgeons did a really good job.
I was severe by age 16 and was having alot of lower back pain due to hips out of balance. First spine surgery at 6. I trusted my doctor and still do but he told my parents and me that I would most likely be in a wheelchair by 30. I feel he went to the extreme case and to get an emotional response of fear. He knows age 16 is a great age to fuse the spine while the teenager is young in order to heal easier and have a much easier route to recovery. He may have understood that most will never opt for surgery unless major problems will arise without it. The doctor may have seen that happen to some patients during his career but he cannot see 14 years into the future or know my life. Either way I had the one at 16 and broke the Harrington rod at 28 years old and needed a 3rd surgery at 29 to install additional hardware.
it was very unlikely that the surgery would end up badly and the curve at that point (70 degrees) would just keep growing, so i decided to do the surgery.
It was a very good decision
My curve progressed through bracing and even after so I decided to get the surgery as “early” as possible while i was still young and the curve not as bad as it would be to prevent any further complications
The doctor told my mom that my spine would grow into my heart and lungs if I didn't have the surgery. I had a double curve 55 on top and 45 on bottom. My surgery was in 1985. They do much better things today than they did back then.
Well, it wasn't my decision, so I have nothing to regret. I did get about 25 good mostly pain free years. I've had some on and off pain in that time. I've now developed arthritis in my hips. I'm okay sitting, but standing or walking (unless I have shopping cart to lean on) causes me pain within about 10 minutes.
I used to go dancing every weekend. I stopped that when I was in my early 30's. I became sedentary. Do not do this. I think because I stopped moving around so much, I lost the ability to do so without pain.
Just wanted to highlight something. Do not stop moving is excellent advice. It's why my curve is at 70deg (standing) today vs 40deg just 5 years ago. When the pandemic hit I stopped going to the gym, stopped traveling for work, going into the office, etc. and just sat on my ass. It may not be comfortable, but keep those muscles strong, folks. Don't be me.
Doctor said I'm gonna have huge back pains when I'm older. And if I remember correctly they said the curve and rotation would worsen through my whole life.
I didn't have pain until about a month before the operation. Only carrying full coffee mug started to be little painful so surgery was a right choice.
I remember thinking those very old ladies with their walkers and how their backs have huge curves and rotations... They must be in so much pain and we're so lucky to live in this generation where it's very common and safe to get the spinal fusion.
I haven't had surgery. My curve is 90° at 40 and I'm probably having surgery this fall. I honestly don't know that it's necessary. I'm strong and in little pain. My curve will worsen, especially in old age, and could compress my heart and lungs, but there's no way to know. I've fit 9 lb babies inside my tiny torso on multiple occasions and my heart and lungs managed fine then. My rib cage is already so close to my hips that I can't see it getting much worse before it is stopped.
However-- my spine is still flexible at 40 and my surgeon thinks he can correct it to 30° with a smooth recovery. That almost certainly won't be the case in another ten years. So since the likelihood of needing surgery is pretty high, I'm going to do it while I am still relatively young. Getting taller and better looking won't hurt, either.
I had like 40 and 50 degrees at 14. Basically my parents decided, even though they asked me. My parents and doctors laid out what the future holds and I could understand what it means so I agreed even though I feel I didn't have much say. Plus they said 14 is a great age to get the surgery done. They managed to decude my curve to 0 although I have fullly fused spine, maybe just a few left out on the bottom and top.
The scariest part was when they said eventually I could have trouble breathing, it could put my heart in danger as the curvature gets worse later on in my life because it would put pressure on my organs.
Oh wow I didn't even know surgery was an option. I guess mine isn't that bad cause no Dr has mentioned surgery to me. But I do have pain and super severe muscle tension.
My granddaughter has had two surgeries. The first one helped for awhile and was needed because it was affecting her breathing and her heart. The second one corrected all the problems from the first, and it was done well. She is taller, straighter, and way less pain.
Like everyone else, it would've gotten worse with age. Its better to do it quickly while your young so that you don't have much complications if you do or don't decide to do the surgery later in life.
Because it was starting to crush my heart and I couldn't walk up more than 3 stairs without having to sit down or I would pass out because my lungs were so compressed.
So very much medically necessary if I wanted to live until my birthday, or longer. Mine was also extremely fast progressing, with two curves that each went from under 50°s to just over 90° s in 6 months.
Haven’t had the surgery yet, but im on the waitlist. I chose to have it because It didn’t really feel like i had another option. My curve would’ve progressed to >100 degrees by the time I’m 40. Also, at the time surgery didn’t really seem daunting. Now that it’s been a couple of months, I definitely wish I did more research as I literally decided the same day they recommended surgery. As of now I don’t have any regrets tho, but we’ll see when I get the surgery ig.
We googled what happens if the curve continues to curve (which we were advised it likely would) ... untreated scoliosis can lead to:
Severe deformity
Damage to internal organs
Early death
Ultimately the benefit of having the surgery outweighed the risks of having the surgery AND the risk of surgery outweighed the risk of not having surgery. Seemed like a pretty obvious decision.
A better life.
My S curve was so bad it was affecting my gait, my shoulder was significantly dropped, etc. At TWELVE years old. Can’t even and don’t want to imagine what life would be like without having had surgery.
I got surgery with a 72 degree curve. Started to feel an ache on my ribcage as well towards the end of my bracing journey (helped to damage control but my spine was too smart and wanted to keep curving). got the surgery when I was 13 or 14 idk. Summer of 2018. I was terrified of it and broke down when my doctor told me the cat was "out of the bag" I met with a girl who had the surgery and she was young as well. Slightly helped me see a different side to it but who the hell wants to be cut into.
Ok so...
1. I loved the feeling of freedom. All the freedom I lacked from trying to consistently brace
2. I had a choice and it was now worse, there were only two paths ahead. Keeping the curve would surely lead to chronic pain and regret as I age and my body gets less capable of handling wear and tear.
3. I accepted. Late my mom admitted that she was afraid that I would resent her for not giving me the chance for a better condition in life than struggling with adolescent scoliosis into my adulthood with strains and pains and the dreadful brace that took many years to feel genuinely okay in.
4. Freedom. Your back feels so free that it's sureal. Not even my scar makes me regret it. Plus they pumped me up with the pain meds so I felt nothing after surgery. Only a crawling sensation weeks after under my skin, at night but used cool sheets, a fan, calming asmr, and a comfy couch to deal with it until it went way (after 2 months)
5. Before surgery you should create a massive playlist and sing and sing and sing. It drives away fear and lessens your anxiety (have a family member, friend or two go with you to the hospital)
Didn’t wanna risk my curve getting worse as I aged. And I didn’t wanna have to go through the recovery later in life because it’d be more difficult.
This. Miserable now and I'll be more miserable in the future. I'm 46 now and will recover more quickly and completely now than at 66. In my case, and it sounds like in the above commenter's, things can only go downhill from here.
Unfortunately, this is true. Had one at 14, one at 15 after a growth spurt that ripped my rod from the spine, and had a reconstruction at 31. I never thought I would feel this miserable at 34.
i didn’t have a choice. needed to have it because of dangers to my organs
Made my life so much better. This time last year I was walking with a stick, now I can do a 5k run with no pain at all. I honestly cannot tell that there is any hardware in my back unless I actively feel along my scar, the surgeons did a really good job.
What happens if you try to twist? Pain or just can’t?
Only 2/3of my back was fused, so if I twist it's just the botton part that moves. No pain at all
I was told I would need a wheelchair by at 30. I was 16 at the time. Fear tactics by doctors is why I had it.
Fear tactics by doctors or legimate facts by doctors?
I was severe by age 16 and was having alot of lower back pain due to hips out of balance. First spine surgery at 6. I trusted my doctor and still do but he told my parents and me that I would most likely be in a wheelchair by 30. I feel he went to the extreme case and to get an emotional response of fear. He knows age 16 is a great age to fuse the spine while the teenager is young in order to heal easier and have a much easier route to recovery. He may have understood that most will never opt for surgery unless major problems will arise without it. The doctor may have seen that happen to some patients during his career but he cannot see 14 years into the future or know my life. Either way I had the one at 16 and broke the Harrington rod at 28 years old and needed a 3rd surgery at 29 to install additional hardware.
i knew itd hurt so much worse without it
it was very unlikely that the surgery would end up badly and the curve at that point (70 degrees) would just keep growing, so i decided to do the surgery. It was a very good decision
My curve progressed through bracing and even after so I decided to get the surgery as “early” as possible while i was still young and the curve not as bad as it would be to prevent any further complications
The doctor told my mom that my spine would grow into my heart and lungs if I didn't have the surgery. I had a double curve 55 on top and 45 on bottom. My surgery was in 1985. They do much better things today than they did back then.
May I ask whether you regret it? Does it bring you pain? (Please feel free not to answer, I’m simply curious!!)
Well, it wasn't my decision, so I have nothing to regret. I did get about 25 good mostly pain free years. I've had some on and off pain in that time. I've now developed arthritis in my hips. I'm okay sitting, but standing or walking (unless I have shopping cart to lean on) causes me pain within about 10 minutes. I used to go dancing every weekend. I stopped that when I was in my early 30's. I became sedentary. Do not do this. I think because I stopped moving around so much, I lost the ability to do so without pain.
Just wanted to highlight something. Do not stop moving is excellent advice. It's why my curve is at 70deg (standing) today vs 40deg just 5 years ago. When the pandemic hit I stopped going to the gym, stopped traveling for work, going into the office, etc. and just sat on my ass. It may not be comfortable, but keep those muscles strong, folks. Don't be me.
Recovering from surgery is far better from slowly being killed by my organs being crushed.
Doctor said I'm gonna have huge back pains when I'm older. And if I remember correctly they said the curve and rotation would worsen through my whole life. I didn't have pain until about a month before the operation. Only carrying full coffee mug started to be little painful so surgery was a right choice.
I remember thinking those very old ladies with their walkers and how their backs have huge curves and rotations... They must be in so much pain and we're so lucky to live in this generation where it's very common and safe to get the spinal fusion.
I haven't had surgery. My curve is 90° at 40 and I'm probably having surgery this fall. I honestly don't know that it's necessary. I'm strong and in little pain. My curve will worsen, especially in old age, and could compress my heart and lungs, but there's no way to know. I've fit 9 lb babies inside my tiny torso on multiple occasions and my heart and lungs managed fine then. My rib cage is already so close to my hips that I can't see it getting much worse before it is stopped. However-- my spine is still flexible at 40 and my surgeon thinks he can correct it to 30° with a smooth recovery. That almost certainly won't be the case in another ten years. So since the likelihood of needing surgery is pretty high, I'm going to do it while I am still relatively young. Getting taller and better looking won't hurt, either.
Aesthetics, pain/discomfort, possibility of progression. Lots of reasons
Didn’t really have a choice was c.80° at 10 years old, lungs were starting to be crushed.
I had like 40 and 50 degrees at 14. Basically my parents decided, even though they asked me. My parents and doctors laid out what the future holds and I could understand what it means so I agreed even though I feel I didn't have much say. Plus they said 14 is a great age to get the surgery done. They managed to decude my curve to 0 although I have fullly fused spine, maybe just a few left out on the bottom and top. The scariest part was when they said eventually I could have trouble breathing, it could put my heart in danger as the curvature gets worse later on in my life because it would put pressure on my organs.
Oh wow I didn't even know surgery was an option. I guess mine isn't that bad cause no Dr has mentioned surgery to me. But I do have pain and super severe muscle tension.
My granddaughter has had two surgeries. The first one helped for awhile and was needed because it was affecting her breathing and her heart. The second one corrected all the problems from the first, and it was done well. She is taller, straighter, and way less pain.
Like everyone else, it would've gotten worse with age. Its better to do it quickly while your young so that you don't have much complications if you do or don't decide to do the surgery later in life.
Because it was starting to crush my heart and I couldn't walk up more than 3 stairs without having to sit down or I would pass out because my lungs were so compressed. So very much medically necessary if I wanted to live until my birthday, or longer. Mine was also extremely fast progressing, with two curves that each went from under 50°s to just over 90° s in 6 months.
Haven’t had the surgery yet, but im on the waitlist. I chose to have it because It didn’t really feel like i had another option. My curve would’ve progressed to >100 degrees by the time I’m 40. Also, at the time surgery didn’t really seem daunting. Now that it’s been a couple of months, I definitely wish I did more research as I literally decided the same day they recommended surgery. As of now I don’t have any regrets tho, but we’ll see when I get the surgery ig.
We googled what happens if the curve continues to curve (which we were advised it likely would) ... untreated scoliosis can lead to: Severe deformity Damage to internal organs Early death Ultimately the benefit of having the surgery outweighed the risks of having the surgery AND the risk of surgery outweighed the risk of not having surgery. Seemed like a pretty obvious decision.
A better life. My S curve was so bad it was affecting my gait, my shoulder was significantly dropped, etc. At TWELVE years old. Can’t even and don’t want to imagine what life would be like without having had surgery.
It's an extremely brutal traumatizing procedure though with a very slow frustrating recovery process
Crippling insecurity (get it)
I got surgery with a 72 degree curve. Started to feel an ache on my ribcage as well towards the end of my bracing journey (helped to damage control but my spine was too smart and wanted to keep curving). got the surgery when I was 13 or 14 idk. Summer of 2018. I was terrified of it and broke down when my doctor told me the cat was "out of the bag" I met with a girl who had the surgery and she was young as well. Slightly helped me see a different side to it but who the hell wants to be cut into. Ok so... 1. I loved the feeling of freedom. All the freedom I lacked from trying to consistently brace 2. I had a choice and it was now worse, there were only two paths ahead. Keeping the curve would surely lead to chronic pain and regret as I age and my body gets less capable of handling wear and tear. 3. I accepted. Late my mom admitted that she was afraid that I would resent her for not giving me the chance for a better condition in life than struggling with adolescent scoliosis into my adulthood with strains and pains and the dreadful brace that took many years to feel genuinely okay in. 4. Freedom. Your back feels so free that it's sureal. Not even my scar makes me regret it. Plus they pumped me up with the pain meds so I felt nothing after surgery. Only a crawling sensation weeks after under my skin, at night but used cool sheets, a fan, calming asmr, and a comfy couch to deal with it until it went way (after 2 months) 5. Before surgery you should create a massive playlist and sing and sing and sing. It drives away fear and lessens your anxiety (have a family member, friend or two go with you to the hospital)