My Two Week Check Up and Current Update!
After recovering at home for about a week, on June 7th, I travelled back to Vancouver for my two week post-operation check-up. This check-up was essentially to look at my incision and to see how well it was healing! Since you're not allowed to shower after surgery until you're cleared by a health practitioner, so I had not been able to shower for 16 days (disgusting, I know)! At this point my hair was as hard as a rock due to the amount of dry shampoo in my hair, and I wouldn't even dare to take it out of the bun I put it in when I left the hospital.
The actual appointment at the hospital only took about 30 minutes! The spine nurse removed my bandages and looked closely at my incision! My incision was different than most spinal surgeries, as I was 'closed up' with a new technique. Instead of staples or sutures, the surgeon basically glued my skin together and reinforced it with a mesh-like tape. This is beneficial as it doesn't require staples or sutures to be removed at this point, and it will be more cosmetically healing (it will look nicer than staples once fully healed). My scar is about two millimetres wide, and it's 36 centimetres long (1.18 feet long)!
Pictures of my scar! The darkness around the incision is bruising, and it looks extra red because it's only been healing for two weeks at this point!
After my incision was looked at, I was cleared to shower, and I almost felt like I had more spinal mobility! The first time I showered since surgery, I had to wash my hair three separate times. Once I got out of the shower, I felt more like myself and feeling clean made me feel almost as though I had recovered more in the shower!
This is what my scar looks like at five weeks post-operation! The musculature of my back has still not completely adjusted, so one side still looks a bit more pronounced than the other. As time goes on, it will become more even looking!
Now I'm five weeks post-operation, and I have my next check up on July 10th! I haven't been in any pain for about 3 weeks now, and I don't find sitting or lying down uncomfortable! Looking back, I'd definitely say that the first two weeks are the hardest, but based on my experience so far, I can say with complete certainty that my spinal fusion surgery was absolutely worth it. Since the swelling around my core and abdomen has gone down, my body looks a lot more symmetrical, and I can breathe a lot easier! Recovery at home is very nice, but I think one of the hardest parts is boredom. Since I have to be medically cleared to drive and go back to work, I've just been sitting at home studying and watching movies! The break has been nice, but I'm definitely excited to start going out more and having my life return more to what it was before surgery.
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.