My Pre-Operation Appointment
On Wednesday I went to my pre-operation appointment in Vancouver. I have to admit, it was a very, very long day filled with tons of information and at some points became a little overwhelming. That being said, every single health practitioner I met with gave me incredibly specific and individualized information pertaining to my surgery and helped ease some of my anxieties regarding the procedure.
At the hospital I had the pleasure of meeting the head spinal nurse, my surgeon (I've met him many times before too), my anesthesiologist (as well as his medical anesthesiologist fellow), as well as two researchers wondering if I would want to participate in some longitudinal studies. One of the longitudinal studies focused on the quality of life and physical health of Idiopathic Scoliosis patients who elect to have spinal fusion surgery in comparison to those who are eligible, yet decided to not get surgery. The other study was focused on using an infrared light in order to monitor the saturation and amount of fluid in tissues in my brain and forearms - this would be done during my actual surgery. I figured participating in these studies could help the general public and future Scoliosis patients and could hopefully lead to potential improvements for Scoliosis treatment and spinal fusion surgery.
All of the health practitioners that I met were very nice and understanding. It was really comforting knowing that my individual case had been carefully studied, and their goal was to optimize the care I receive after and before my spinal fusion.
I then watched a short video detailing what exercises my physiotherapist will be helping me with during recovery, and at what days I'll be trying to walk and sit-up by myself. After going through the plan for the whole day of surgery (and hospital recovery) and what to expect, I had to do a Pulmonary Function Test, blood tests, urine tests, and was required to take X-rays that showed my spine's range of motion in order to solidify what vertebras my surgeon wanted to fuse. He realized that I'm actually missing a pair of ribs (my 12th and lowest pair), so I essentially have six lumbar vertebrae instead of the typical five! This is a beneficial 'mutation' because vertebrae that do not have ribs attached to them will have greater range of motion! We don't quite know why my ribs didn't fully form, but there are two little nubs in place of what should be normal-length ribs. This moment created a new nickname for me: nubs!
We also learned more about the actual procedure itself, and we got to see a model of what my spinal fusion surgery would look like!
Pictures of a model spine with the fusion screws and rods. I will most likely be fused from my T-4 vertebrae to my L-3 vertebrae.
My simple summary, or take-away, from the whole pre-operation day was this: I go in to the hospital early in the morning, get changed, get wheeled into the operation room, get an IV, then wake up around eight to ten hours later (and then I start the long recovery process). I'm trying not to over-think or stress too much about what actually happens during the surgery, as I feel like the more information that dances in my head the more anxious I'll become.
My surgery is next week, on May 23rd, and updates of my condition will be posted on my instagram (also can be seen on the instagram feed section on my blog's homepage).
I will try my best to continue writing during recovery; however, posts may be a bit sporadic and uploaded at random times! I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who's contacted me offering their help and experiences, and I appreciate the overwhelming amount of love and support from the many messages I've received on instagram from people awaiting to get spinal fusion surgery. Let's all continue to support each other and raise awareness for Scoliosis!
This blog is my own personal experience and journey with Scoliosis. It is not a medical blog, and if anyone has concerns about their own health, they should see a physician.