A couple of weeks ago, I wasn't able to hold a book I was reading with my right hand. All of a sudden I dropped it. My thumb lost all strength. I kept trying to bend it but it would't do it all the way. The next morning, it felt weaker but worked better. Well, yesterday I was at my mother's house and the craziest thing happened... I wasn't able to use my right arm very well. Everything was very heavy, I was shaky, and I could not open anything. That is the first time my arm has done that. It began when I was driving to her house. All day long my right arm hurt and was numb at the same time. From my shoulder to the palm of my hand where my thumb meets it. I could not open a juice bottle. I was also attempting to cut a pork chop at dinner and I couldn't. I honestly could not grip my right hand around the knife and apply pressure/weight to cut it up! My mother had to cut my food up for me. I am going to be 29 years old in August and my mother had to cut my food up for me to eat. Do you have any idea what that feels like? How scary that is? My mom didn't know what to think. It scared her. It scared me. It must be a pinched nerve from the contorting and twisting that my spine has done. With my spine pulling more to the right, it was just a matter of time before more numbness and other pains began. But temporary atrophy/pain in my dominant arm? If it gets more frequent, it will effect my life in every imaginable way. I'm to young to feel this way. Like I said on my homepage of this site, "Your spine is like an aging dock......Two choices then become present: either leave it alone and eventually it will rot away or rebuild". My remodeling date is set for October 3rd.
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Breathe...Relax....Yoga.... To be honest with you, I never thought Yoga would be able to relax me or be beneficial to my health. With this Spinal Fusion surgery coming up though, it has me thinking about my life. The tension and negativity that I have carried throughout my life not only made the muscles in my back tight and hurt more, my mind was hardly ever clear. Let me tell you, I have only been doing yoga for a couple of weeks and I can already feel a difference in my muscles when I do the poses. My attitude is changing as well. I have noticed that I let negativity just roll off me, unlike in the past. I got to say....I am liking it. I can see myself doing this for possibly my whole life. Yoga has positive effects on your body's systems too. Muscles, skeletal system, circulation, glands, immune system, nervous system, and mind. It teaches you to stay grounded, to breathe, and relax. I am mad at myself for not trying Yoga sooner. It doesn't hurt my back; it stretches it really well. I am still a newbie but hopefully one day I'll be a pro. I really enjoy Yoga and would recommend to to anyone. You know the song from Grease where Frenchy sings about being a Beauty School drop out? Well, that tune is stuck in my head like a broken record. The only difference, I dropped out of college. I had too. I went to the school and the Advisers suggested that it would be best not chance failing any classes even though I was going to take them online. One of my classes' tests would be at the college 3 times that semester but, my surgery would be hitting at mid-term time. Bad combination. Especially when you can't walk that great.
So, I guess that means I'll have to try again for the Spring 2014 semester. It's only taken me a decade to enroll and all....... I have been researching ways to make my healing process after the surgery not so painful and long. What I keep finding is that a healthy diet and exercise will make your muscles heal and gain my strength back. It will also give the energy to want to get up and moving around. I even got a blender to blend fruits and vegetables so I can make sure I get the nutrients I need after the Spinal Fusion surgery. Here is what I have discovered: Eating Eat the right foods and drink enough fluids to help you heal and regain strength. Eat foods high in protein, iron and calcium such as peanut butter, eggs, meat, cheese, milk, yogurt and green leafy vegetables. Eat high fiber foods and drink plenty of fluids to help prevent constipation. - High fiber foods include whole-grain cereals, bread, fruits and raw vegetables. Sometimes eating 5 or 6 small meals a day will keep you from feeling “too full” after eating. - Drink six 8 ounce glasses of water a day. I have already begun eating differently to give my body a head start. Next, checking out Yoga for Scoliosis. I set the appointment for the MRI that the doctor needed to perform my Spinal Fusion surgery. He requested the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar (basically my entire back) to be the main focus in the image. The doctor wants me to bend over like I am reaching for something in this MRI. Different way of doing it.... maybe it allows the doctor to see where all my nerves run and how my discs lay. Just a hypothesis...
Well, it's official. The date of my Spinal Fusion surgery is October 3, 2013.
My work knows. Everyone knows. Great. People are asking questions especially if they have no idea what Scoliosis is. You know how sometimes you would just like to forget about it and hopefully it will go away well, this is not going away. Everyday I am reminded that I am leaving my job. I am having to prepare and have things in order. My boyfriend and father of our child will be taking over everything in the household for at least 6 weeks. Depends on how I heal. He keeps reminding me that he's here for the long haul and he's willing to take care of me to the fullest. I love him so much. My mother, of course, is being strong for me but I know that when I'm not around, her fears haunt her. She's my rock. We're planning on me staying at her house for at least the first 1-2 weeks. It's the most crucial & painful. She will insist that I don't lay around and make sure I'm positive. Then I will go back to my home and just try to get stronger everyday. I won' t get to be around my son a lot because he is very active and jumpy. He loves to jump and play. We are afraid he might hurt me. But, maybe he will surprise us. 3 months and counting...... Where is the awareness?Did you know that June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month? Did you know that the educational tools to teach about Scoliosis are prehistoric? Did you know that 4 states in the USA have completely omitted the Scoliosis screenings from Public School systems because they thought it was pointless? Did you know that there are hardly any charities or support groups out there for us? Did you know that only approximately 3% of the population have some form of Scoliosis? Did you know that YOU can do something about this? Stand up and make it known that you are a survivor. Embrace your curves! I decided to make an appointment at an Orthopedic office about 2 months ago because the pain started to get intolerable. I can barely make it through a day of work. I'm stuck in ergonomically horrible positions for someone like me. Why couldn't they tell me before I started school for dental assisting, " If you have a bad back, do not pursue this career." Private college be truthful? Ha! Yeah right. Anyway, I arrived at my appointment an hour early. I was so nervous. It poured down rain on the way there and I was yelling at my boyfriend because I thought we'd be late. Poor Yvenson. He just kept calm and kept telling me it would be fine. He keeps me grounded. When I was called to go back to a room I thought I was going to puke. 11 years is too long to keep this waiting.... I changed into my gown and took x-rays. The Physician's Assistant came in and got a run down on what's going on and why I came. She checked my reflexes and any areas that did not feel normal to me. Besides the constant thoracic pain, left shoulder feeling on fire, no feeling in my left arm and hand, right palm numb, and hips hurting to walk.... I felt great. The doctor came in and told me something I never expected. My curve progressed to 62 degrees. My heart fell into the pit of my stomach. It took everything I had not to cry. He said I needed surgery or else it will keep getting worse. It has started to push on my lungs. I will become disabled by the time I am middle aged if I do not do anything. On top of that, my curve has now begun to curve outwards causing my right shoulder blade to protrude. The surgery will last minimum of 6 hours and I would be opened from basically the point right above my shoulder blades to right above my hips. All types of rods and screws will be placed. He says that he should be able to get my curve to at least 22-24 degrees. Fantastic! That would be like a having a brand new back! The doctor gave me the information I need on what to do if I decide to have the surgery. His office staff was really nice and told me I can come back to consult again if need be. No paralysis, impairments, or deaths on this doctor's table either. I have to do it. I have too. My son is counting on me. I do not want to be in a wheelchair or be disabled any worse than what I am. I felt like I got sucked into another dimension. Yvenson drove home. I do not remember anything that was said. I feel like I am in mourning. Like I'm mourning the normal straight spine I never had. I feel like a freak. I have not slept tonight..... New diagnoses: Right Thoracic Kyphoscoliosis |