My Story
I sat quietly on the crinkly white paper at the doctor’s. My hands were sweaty and I kept wiping them on my pants. My parents and I were waiting for the doctor to come in after looking at the x-rays of my spine. I had scoliosis, a condition where the spine is curved. Scoliosis can cause lung and heart problems, an uneven appearance, and back pain. Although I wasn’t experiencing any pain then, I definitely didn’t want to down the road. Finally, the doctor came in and told us that the curve of my spine was about 50 degrees. He said that it was too late for a brace, and that my best bet was surgery. This was what I was dreading to hear.
Surgery can be a very, very scary word. But it doesn’t have to be. My name is Katherine and this is my journey with scoliosis and surgery.
Surgery can be a very, very scary word. But it doesn’t have to be. My name is Katherine and this is my journey with scoliosis and surgery.
After loads of research, questions, and a second opinion, my surgery date was set for July 12, 2017 at the DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan. I remember my stomach churning as my surgery date got closer. I was scared, but my family supported me and told me “everything is going to be just fine”.
July 12th. I remember having to get up super early in the morning. The sky was still dark when my parents and I left the house. As we drove to the hospital, I took deep breaths, looking out the window. I’m not going to lie. I was nervous. I was afraid. We checked in and sat in a room to wait. I still remember that Mickey Mouse was on the TV. Later, I was called into another room. Doctors, nurses, and an anesthesiologist talked to me about what was going to happen, and I got dressed into a hospital gown. Then, I was wheeled into yet another room. There, they gave me anesthesia, which makes patients go to sleep so they don’t feel any pain during the surgery. They asked what scent/flavor I wanted, and I chose strawberry. I remember thinking that it didn’t smell like strawberries at all. I also remember having a strange feeling, as if I was in a pixelated video game, before going to sleep.
July 12th. I remember having to get up super early in the morning. The sky was still dark when my parents and I left the house. As we drove to the hospital, I took deep breaths, looking out the window. I’m not going to lie. I was nervous. I was afraid. We checked in and sat in a room to wait. I still remember that Mickey Mouse was on the TV. Later, I was called into another room. Doctors, nurses, and an anesthesiologist talked to me about what was going to happen, and I got dressed into a hospital gown. Then, I was wheeled into yet another room. There, they gave me anesthesia, which makes patients go to sleep so they don’t feel any pain during the surgery. They asked what scent/flavor I wanted, and I chose strawberry. I remember thinking that it didn’t smell like strawberries at all. I also remember having a strange feeling, as if I was in a pixelated video game, before going to sleep.
The procedure was called a spinal fusion. On each side of my spine, a rod was attached. A piece of bone was then used to fuse the spine and straighten it. I had a long incision that went down my back from where the surgeons cut my back open.
When I woke up 6 hours later, I was wheeled down to my hospital room where my parents were waiting. I was still a little sleepy, so I closed my eyes and rested. My mom ordered Jello and other foods for me to eat, but I didn’t want to eat anything. That night both of my parents stayed the night with me at the hospital. A nurse came in to check on me, helping me turn on to my back and sides. I brought books, games, and coloring books for my days at the hospital, and my friends gave me some things too. However, I didn’t really use that much of what I packed, which was strange to me because I thought that I would use a lot of it. In reality, I rested most of the time. One day, my friend Ainslie stopped by to see me. She gave me a balloon, a book that I wanted, and talked to me. I was so happy to see her! I also got a lot of texts from friends and family while I was in the hospital. All of the support filled me with happiness!
It felt weird to start walking, but the physical therapist who helped me said I did a really good job. The first day of walking I just went around my hospital room and the hallway just outside the door. The next time I did even better. Later on, I walked all the way down the hallway and to a room with a lot of equipment, I walked up and down the stairs a few times, and then walked back. On the fifth day, I got to go home. My friend, who had the same surgery as I did, said to put some pillows behind me in the car. I took her advice, and it made the car ride better. At home, I just relaxed on the couch most of the time. After a few days, I was out and about. I walked around my neighborhood and even went to the store with my mom and sister, which made me feel extremely proud of myself.
In August, school started. I used a rolling backpack because I couldn’t carry more than 10 pounds. My friend helped get it on and off the bus for me. In the beginning of the school year, my back hurt a lot from sitting at a desk all day. Eventually, it got better. Six months after my surgery, I got the “OK” from my doctor to do all of the activities that I love. I could go back to doing softball and dance. The only thing I couldn’t do was rollercoasters. So, in the spring I started softball back up and I had a great time. By then, it didn’t even feel like I had the surgery!
Now, at 15 years old, it has been a whole year since my surgery. My spine is now straight, which means I won’t have as much pain later on in life. Going through surgery and the struggles of scoliosis was tough. In the beginning, I felt scared and nervous. While recovering, restrictions made my life challenging. I immediately wanted to dance in my kitchen, but knew that I shouldn’t. I wanted my back to stop hurting. I wanted to go on rollercoasters with my family. I think that experience has taught me how to be patient. It has also made clear that I have so many people that care about me and support me, and I am very thankful for them.
Now, at 15 years old, it has been a whole year since my surgery. My spine is now straight, which means I won’t have as much pain later on in life. Going through surgery and the struggles of scoliosis was tough. In the beginning, I felt scared and nervous. While recovering, restrictions made my life challenging. I immediately wanted to dance in my kitchen, but knew that I shouldn’t. I wanted my back to stop hurting. I wanted to go on rollercoasters with my family. I think that experience has taught me how to be patient. It has also made clear that I have so many people that care about me and support me, and I am very thankful for them.