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Hello, My name is Courtney and i am 13 years old at the time of writing this. I am just a normal teen except for the fact that i have scoliosis. I have a 54 degree curve on the top and a 20 degree on the bottom. It all started out when i was in 5th grade and I went to the doctor for my check-up. This is the day i will never forget. Everything was looking good until he asked me to bend over so he could look at my back. He told me that something did not look right and I might have scoliosis which was a fansy name for "crooked spine," he said. The doctor set up an appointment for me to go in and get some x-rays. He also said that i would have to see an orthopedic specialist. Later that day we went down to the Methodist hospital to get the x-rays and meet my doctor, Dr. T. After looking at the x-ray, Dr. T diagnosed me with scoliosis and said it was probably congenital, which means i was born with it. He explained that my curve wasn't very big, but would keep getting bigger and he would have to watch it and see what we should do about it. After that i kept going back to the hospital every few months to see what the doctor had to say about it.
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~Getting My Brace~
Just about a year ago when i went for my check-up with Dr. T, he said that my curve seemed to be getting progressively worse and he was afraid that if we didn't do something right away it might get too bad. He discussed the possibilities with mymom and I, and said that he would like to have me fitted for a brace. This sounded kind of scary because i didn't know what it was going to be like. The date that I would come in was set for the following week. The day came and I was nervously waiting in the room for someone to come get me. I watched a video about how to take care of your brace and wear it properly. Then, after that, this guy asked me to take off all of my clothes and put on two layers of this weird thing that looked like a giant sock. Then he had me stand still and he wrapped this plaster stuff around me. I laughed and jumped because it was really cold!! I had to wait for a little bit for the plaster to dry (it was really odd because it was getting stiff and i couldn't move.) He marked some spots and then took it off of me. They took it back to their factory and had it made into a plastic brace with metal buckles and velcro straps. It took about a month for it to be made and then i had to go back again to try it on and make sure it fit right. The dude had me try it on and asked me how it felt. I told him where it was uncomfortable and then he went out of the room to try to fix it. He kept having me try it on until it felt just right to me. We walked outside for a while so i could get used to it. I felt a little uncomfortable because I felt like people were looking at me funny. If any of you are getting a brace i suggest you wear really comfy pants (not jeans) and a XXL shirt to wear over the top of your brace!:) The doctor said i had to wear it 16 hours a day so i wouldn't have to wear it to school (that was a relief). It was kind of a pain and i knew it was for my own good, but i never wore it as much i as should have! I know that braces are really annoying, i am with you all, but you have to do what you have to do! Just some advice, please dont feel self concoius about wearing a brace but seriously just be you and most people wont notice you have it. I thought that people would notice but nobody did! I told my friends that I was wearing a brace, and they didn't believe me. Then they tried hitting me and wished they wouldn't have. The funnest thing about having a brace, is that you can tell people to punch you, and they won't know what they are getting themselves into!
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    One day when i went for my check-up with Dr. T. He said that my curve had gotten a lot worse since last time, and he thought that it might need surgery. He said he was going to talk to some other doctors to get some other opinions before he decided for sure. So later that week he called and said that he wanted to talk to us on friday. I was really nervous... could this be the time he says that i need surgery? Sure enough, when we got there, he said that the decision was up to me but he thought it would be necessay because he didn't want to wait too long and have a chance that it was going to get worse. My parents and i talked it over and we decided that I would go for it. The doctor talked to us about what they were going to do and everything. He said that they would make an incision on my back and put in two titanium rods, they would also do fusion and remove an extra vertebrae that I had. We called the office every day to try and set up the surgery day but they kept saying that they didn't know yet. Finally one day they said the date would be December 18. When we were almost sure the date was set, they called back and said that it would be changed to December 12, 2002. The date was coming closer and closer and I was getting more scared. December 10th came and i went down to the Twin Cities Spine Center in the Abbot Northwestern hospital which is where the surgery would be done! On this day, two days before my surgery, it was the Pre-op which is where they tell you about all of the stuff you need to do the night before and the morning of your surgery and they tell you about all of the stuff you will be hooked up to! Also they gave me a tour of the hospital they showed me where the operating room is and where my room would be. This was really helpful (i suggest you ask if you are having surgery). The appointment was really long but helpful. They go through EVERYTHING and answer every question you have, so you shouldn't worry. They also give you a book to read through with everything that you should expect. I didn't have to give any blood because i didn't weigh enough, so my mom and dad gave some!
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              ~The Actual Surgery Day~
The day of my surgery, December 12, 2002, I had to arrive at the hospital 2 hours early. My surgery was supposed to be at 1:00 so they said i should get there at 11:00! I got a phone call at my house at about 10:00 and they wanted to know if we could be there even earlier, so we left right away. I got there and signed in and the nurse took me back to a little room and had me change into a gown. She talked to me a little bit and then after that, the anethesiologist came in and put in the IVs. Everybody was really nice to me! A lot of different people came in and talked to me and got me all ready. I was all ready, all i had to do was wait for the doctor to come in. Finally at 12:00 he came in and the anethesiologist started the anethetic and a few minutes later i felt all funny and giggley and weird! They told me it was supposed to do that. Then they wheeled me off on the bed and I said good bye to my parents (they were in tears) The doctors took me to the O.R. There were a lot of people and a big bright light. To tell you the truth, I wasn't even scared at that point. I felt so good like i was floating on a cloud and i was in a dream or something. They started connecting the electrodes to my arms and head it was just sticky and cold like they were putting tape on me. I dont really remember much after that because i fell asleep. I didn't even feel a thing. I know if your having surgery your probably afraid that youre going to feel it or your going to wake up, but you really dont. You don't even know what theyre doing. The next thing I knew, I was in the recovery room and my parents were there too. I was so happy to see them. I really wanted a drink, but they said I could only eat ice chips because my stomach wasn't awake yet. Every two seconds I was asking my mom for ice chips :)I asked what time it was and my mom said it was 8:30 and I had been in surgery for eight hours. I also told my mom that I still had my contacts in, but she thought that I was crazy or something and she thought that I was just out of it and drowzy from the medicine. I really had them in though so she took them out. I was in such a habit of putting them in that I forgot to wear my glasses instead (not such a bright idea). I was only in the recovery room for a few hours, they needed to make sure that i woke up and everything was ok. Then they took me up to my room. I slept a lot. The next day I was allowed to drink and only have liquids. I ate a lot of popsicles :) That day they had me sit up for a few minutes and brush my teeth. It was really hard because it made me really dizzy. The pain wasn't really that bad because I was on so many pain killers, and when it hurt a lot I could press my morphine button. My IV kept getting empty and it beeped and it scared me because I thought something was wrong. They just needed to refill it. My mom stayed in the room with me overnight and I was really glad she did because I kept waking up and wanting to roll over. It is really hard to roll over because you have to make sure you dont twist or anything. The nurses put pillows under your back to support it.
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December 14: Two days after my surgery. At 8:30 they brought me breakfast which was only jello and soup and other liquid things. I had a lot of visitors, but i didn't really want to talk because I was so tired. The nurse also had me sit up again, for a little longer this time. She washed me off with a washcloth and had me brush my teeth. Also, she helped me to stand up. After two seconds, I had to sit back down because I was dizzy. Later that night she had me walk a few steps but i couldn't even get to the door. I just walked a few steps and then turned around again. It exhausted me; I was so tired. They gave my a special breathing thing called a spirometer. I had to let all of my air out and then suck in through the tube. It told me how hard i was breathing and i tried to beat my top scores. I had to do this every so often because my lungs were really weak.
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December 15: They got me up really early and had me walk around.  This time, I actually got out the door and went a little farther (really really really REALLY slow though). Then I decided I couldn't go any further so they helped me get back to my room and get in my bed. It was really hard to sit up and lay down because it hurts your back if you do it the wrong way. I was still only having liquids but they told me I would be eating again soon. They just needed to wait until I was passing gas (i know this sounds gross, but the anethetic puts your whole body asleep and you can't pass gas). I really couldn't wait until they took the catheter out because it was bugging me. The doctor came in and checked my incision and made sure it was doing ok. I still had the bandage on my incision. The nurses got me up to walk every few hours. Sometimes i just wanted them to go away because I was really tired. They took the catheter out of me and I managed to get to the bathroom for the first time. Even if you just walk to the bathroom you get so tired. They also gave me a transfusion which is where they give you blood through your iv if you lose too much during surgery.
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December 16: I was feeling really great today. They took me off the morphine and I started taking pills through my mouth. It was kind of a relief to know that I was really getting better and they could take me off some of the machines. They still were taking me for walks very often and I was going much farther than before. Finally they said I could start eating solid meals. The doctor came in and asked me if I would be ready to go home the next day. I almost said no, but I felt like I had to say yes because my mom really wanted me to be home! I was kind of scared though because i\I didn't want to leave. I was afriad that I would be in too much pain and I wouldn't have the nurses there to help me. The nurse came and brought me to the shower. I rinsed off a little bit and it felt so good to get clean. The nurse had to wash my hair and everything because I couldn't even lift my arms because it hurt my shoulders. I just sat on a bench and she did everything for me. After i got out of the shower and rested a little bit, they took me down in a wheelchair to get some x-rays taken. They just needed to make sure everything was in place. They took out the draining tube that was in my incision. I didn't even know that i had one because i couldn't event feel it. I was surprised when he said that I had one in; I couldn't feel it there.
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December 17: Today would be my last day at the hospital. They showed me a video about everything you should know. Such as how to get in and out of bed, and what you should be doing at home and stuff like that. The physcical theripist also came and had me climb a few stairs, which was really hard. And he taught me how to do all of the basics. They took the bandage off of my back and told me I could leave around 1:00 p.m. I was really excited to leave and I was just waiting for them to tell me I could leave. I took another shower and my mom packed up all of my stuff. Finally someone came up with a wheelchair to get me and wheeled me downstairs. My mom pulled up the car and they helped me to get into the car. It felt so good to actually be on my way home. It kind of hurt though whenever we went over a bump. It felt like my whole spine was going to crack open and I just wanted to cry. When we got home, my sisters and everybody were waiting for me. There was also a big banner that said welcome home Courtney! I ate dinner and went to bed right away, it felt so good to be in my own bed. I woke up a million times though and wanted to turn over. My mom slept of my floor on an air mattress.
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    ~Post Op~

It is very hard to explain the pains and emotions after surgery to someone that hasn't been through it! I try to explain it to people but they don't understand. Thats why I really suggest you meet the person that is your roomate in the hospital or someone that has gone through this stuff before. It really helps me to have someone to talk to that understands me, it is such a relief. There are also many support groups you can join.

I was kind of getting bored of laying around every day and was kind of ready to get back to school. I stayed home for about 5 weeks and then went back to see the doctor. He said that everything was doing great and that I was recovering nicely. He said I would be ready to go back to school. So the next day I went back to school, but only for a few hours. My friends were all excited and everyone was being really nice to me and giving me a lot of attention. I didn't really like so many people looking at me though. I went part time for about a week, and then I started going full days. I was always exhausted when I got home. I am very lucky that it went so well and today I feel just fine! I barely have any pain anymore. Soon I will be able to do sports like soccer, but I will have to wait about a year to do gymnastics. I dont know if I will really be able to do gymnastics, but I guess I'll just have to see! I am glad that everything is back to normal! I cant bend over to pick things up, I just squat with my knees. Just some advice I have for any people who are having sugery, you might want to bring a diary or a journal to keep track of what you do, or have a parent do it for you because you'll really want to know some day! Also, don't be scared. Just remember that once it's all over, you will be feeling better than ever. Sure youll have some icky days, but it will get better! My life after the surgery is a lot different then I thought it would be. I never really thought twice that my life would never be the same again. I am starting to get used to it though, and I know it will take a lot of adjusting. It is really weird looking at your x-rays and seeing all the screws and clips. You dont really know that they're there! It really bugs me when my parents talk about how much THEIR back hurts, I just want to scream and say you think your back hurts? It is just hard at first to deal with all of the problems you realize you have to face, but it does get better!
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July 30th, 2004 (Year and a half post op)

Hey,
I went to see my spine surgeon at 1:30. I got there and they sent me down to get x-rays. Then I went to wait in the boring old doctors room. They put the x-rays up on the light thing and I took one look at them and was like "Oh my gosh." I could tell it had gotten a lot worse. The curves had gone from 16, 34 and 20� to now 16, 40 and 33� My surgeon came in and told me that I would need a brace again!

Great... just what I wanted to hear! He said that I would need to wear it 18 hours a day (whicht means I will need to wear it to school) for a year or a year and a half! He also explained that if the brace didn't help the curves from progressing I might need another surgery. But he said we don't need to worry about that yet. He called the 'brace guy' (Merv) and he said he was on his way. I waited for him to get there and then he molded me for the brace. Same old same old thing I went through 2 years ago. I had to put on the two sock looking things and then Merv wrapped the plaster strips around me. (thankfully this time he used warm water). As it started to set I felt like it was getting tight and it was hard to breathe. He then cut it off and gave me a wet washcloth to wipe the plaster off of me. Then he left and let me get back into my clothes. Merv set up an appointment for me to go for the brace fitting next friday. It takes a few hours and then they take me for x-rays in the brace to make sure it is doing its job. I currently only have 140 and a half hours until I get my brace

I know this will make me a stronger person, so I am trying to have a positive attitude about it all. I will post my experiences with the brace next week.

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August 6th, 2004

Brace fitting and appointment

Hey guys,
I just got back from getting my brace. I got there at 10 this morning. The brace guy took me back to a room and then he gave me a t-shirt to put on. Then a few minutes later he came back and introduced me to my new best friend (lol yeah right

) He had me put the brace on and marked some spots that were a little uncomfortable. There was a T.V. in the room so I brought a movie to watch while he was working on it. I watched "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" He brought the brace back again, had me put it on and asked me if there were any places that were still bothering me. He also had me sit down to see if it needed to be a little shorter. He said that he would have me wear it for 5 or 10 minutes to see if anything was uncomfortable. He fixed one last thing and then I got to leave at about 11:30. I had an appointment with my doctor at 1:00 so I went to mcdonalds to eat lunch and then went to the appointment. First they had me get x-rays in the brace to see if it was working like it is supposed to. I waited for my doctor to get there for a long time. When he finally got there he looked at the x-rays and measured the curve. The bottom one went from 33� out of the brace, to 19� in it!!!! He said that he was very happy with that. He told me that I needed to wear the brace for 18 hours a day and told me how important it is to wear it and all that stuff. He told me that it probably would be only a year. As my doctor told me, just a short time of hardship with the brace is much better than having to go through more surgeries and back pain! He told me that I am investing in my future by wearing the brace. He also told me that he couldn't believe how nice and sweet I was about the whole thing. He said 'I haven't seen you without that big smile on your face!' It was really neat to hear the good things he said about me

Anyways, It went pretty well. It is really uncomfortable now just because i still am getting used to it. It won't be long though before it feels better. Talk to you all later