I feel so naked!
I promised x-rays, and I'm finally delivering. Funny story--when the doctor showed them to me in his office, my first thought wasn't about the curves in my spine but about my goods on display. I don't remember them being there before in my x-rays growing up! It was a little bit embarrassing to see, which may make some wonder why I would then decide to put them up on the internet for EVERYONE to see. I want to be honest here about my experience. So boobs, schmoobs. Let's get on with the show.
1. "PA Scoli" This x-ray shows my whole spine. It was taken with me standing up against a wall.
2. "LAT Scoli" This shows my right side, the side where you can see my curve (my hump-back) best. It was taken with me standing up with my left side against a wall. UPDATE: After some confusion, let me clarify--my right arm is draped down and across my chest in this x-ray, so that is my arm you can see so prominently from the side.
3 & 4. "T Bend R" and "T Bend L" These show movement in my upper curve when I bend my upper body to the left and right.
5 & 6. "L Bend LT" and "L Bend R" These were taken with me lying face down and bent every which way by the x-ray tech to get a good shot of what happens to the bottom curve when I move. If you notice, my bottom curve seems to move around to compensate for the top curve. In #6, it almost seems to go away, which is why the doctor thinks that the bottom curve isn't a real curve but a compensation my body made for the top, real curve. That's why he is only going to fix the top curve, and let the bottom curve work itself out on its own.
So the doctor will fuse a rod to the vertebrae in the top part of my back. The next time I post x-rays, you'll see the rod and screws in my back. I keep looking at that first x-ray and imaging what I will look like in my x-ray and in person when those curves get pulled straight. It will make me look so much better, I just know it.
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8 comments:
I am entirely speechless. I had no idea.
I'm glad you had no idea, Cheyne! That means you don't see it when you look at me; although in my eyes, it's all I see when I walk by a mirror. The x-rays are pretty eye-opening.
xoxo
Just wanted to let you know that I am reading and that you are going to be okay.
XOXO
Mom
Wow! I didn't realize it was that bad Meg... Whoa! Your going to look so great after surgery... you know, I saw a Baylor commercial the other day with a girl talking about her scoliosis surgery, I thought of you. BTW, nice cha cha :)
Let me try this again. Look at it this way...you're STILL taller than me.
Rae, I saw that commercial, too. I plan on posting it on here sometime. She says that she grew FOUR inches after surgery! Wow! I don't want to be THAT much taller. Although, taller is skinnier....hmmmmm...let me think about this.
Kim, sorry to say it, but most people are taller than you. :)
Ha! Okay...mean...but oh so true. :)
wow. ditto on the speechless. i never knew the severity of the curve, this totally shows the intensity of it...yay for medical breakthroughs..love and prayers.
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