What I found out

It was a very educational visit at the spine center last week!  For those who are interested, this post is the recap of my appointment and new plan of action.

First thing they wanted to do was get a new, updated x-ray.  The last time a doctor has looked at my scoliosis was probably my senior year of high school, which was.... cough cough... 18 years ago!  (Oh my gosh, it actually HURTS to say that.)  In the past, I remember my curve was always measured at about 37 degrees.  I always remembered this number because you become a surgical candidate at 40-45 degrees, or so I was told back then.  I got very close, but the AWFUL back brace that I wore through high school did the trick and halted my curve from getting any worse, and I was able to avoid surgery.  Here is the new x-ray that they just took of me after 18 years:

Don't know if you can see that small measurement written on there of 35.4 degrees.  He chalked up the difference as typical human error... it's normal to expect a degree or two difference between the doctors who look at your pictures.  To quote, the doctor was "shocked" that my curve had not progressed in all that time.  Apparently, it is typical to expect about 5 degrees of worsening for a person my age.  (So YAY!  That was some good news.)  I was still not a candidate in desperate need of heading straight to surgery.

The bad news is, my curve WILL likely progress as I age further.  So the surgery is inevitable.  For now, I get to try to "manage my pain" (yipee, doesn't that sound great?)  The game plan is to start with the least invasive methods first, then build from there.  That way when you have to operate, at least you can say you tried everything else!  So I am starting with step 1:  a prescription strength anti-inflammatory and yoga 3x a week.  The doctor specifically told me YOGA.  Today I'm on 5 days of my pills, and exercised twice.  All I can report so far is WOW I'm very sore!!!  I've never been a regular exerciser... ever.  I am a certified wimp!

One last thing I learned about was the source of my pain.  Just to be clear, it is not a joint pain, not related to a disc in between the joints, a nerve, or even an injury.  It does not bother me to move, bend, or lift.  I do not have arthritis - none of the "parts" are damaged.  My pain comes from the surrounding muscles that hold me up.  You may not realize it, but your torso is "working" just to be upright when you stand and sit.  It's not a difficult task, so you can do it very easily.  Since MY muscles down by that curve are all in twisted, weird, not-normal positions, they have a harder time performing that simple task.  (Making it worse is the fact that they are especially weak from wearing the back brace for 3 years, coupled by my inactive lifestyle ever since then!)

The doctor compared it to holding a bucket of water.  If I handed you a bucket of water and asked you to hold it with your arm straight down by your side, you could probably hold it for a long time before that arm tired out.  That's a pretty natural position for your arm that requires only a little work.  Now, if I gave you the bucket and asked you to hold it with your arm extended out (like you were pretending to be an airplane) then think of how long you could go before that arm got tired.  It has to work a lot harder!  And after a short time, your muscles will be a'hurting.  That is what is being asked of my muscles nearly every minute of the day.  They must perform a simple task, but from a not-so-normal position which makes it instantly become a very difficult task instead!  Therefore, instant fatigue and pain.  That was a great comparison and seemed to describe me perfectly!

Overall, I'm happy that I don't have to get my spine fused and metal rods screwed in there.  (He said this operation should expect a 3 month recovery!!!)  That hardly sounds fun OR convenient for the mother of a young family to be incapacitated that long.  I do need to count my blessings for the present time.  BUT, I'm discouraged to think that this pain is going to be around for a long, long time to some degree.  I'm going to do my best to strengthen and help it, but really, the source of the problem is always there.  I'm tired of how it limits me.  I want to take my kids to Disneyland and be able to walk through the park all day.  I want to go on hikes in the mountains.  I want to shop the streets of NYC (or shop anywhere!) for hours at a time.  I want to be able to sit through a movie, or 3 hours of church without slumping or changing positions a couple dozen times.  I want to stand at my counter and cook dinner at the end of the day, or work on a sewing project without taking breaks to wipe my eyes.  Hopefully all of these things can be in my future once again... someday soon!?