At 14 (which I was doing in 1980), I had scoliosis surgery to correct my spinal curvature. I had two Harrington rods placed on my spine and I was happy that I "grew" an inch taller. Unfortunately at that time (I'm guessing things are better now) I had to wear a brace--it ended at my shoulders but covered my whole back so I looked pretty sturdy and could be considered for the football team though running was definitely not allowed at the time. But that wasn't the unfortunate part. I couldn't shower so had to deal with sponge bathing and washing my hair (80s long, curly hair mind you) in the sink for what seemed like an interminable amount of time.
But that time passed and things have been pretty good since then. I shower regularly; delivered two babies--had to use general anesthesia because after 13 hours of glorious labor with my first guy, found out an epidural was not a possibility due to the rod blocking my epidural sack and it was time to do a C-section--; ran or did aerobics frequently, danced as much as I could (some friends and family may have a different definition of my dancing--mine is good music, good libations, good crowd and I'm moving!).
Then, in 2014, the day after St. Patrick's Day (it sticks in my mind because my husband who is a cook and not Irish made a wonderful feast for my family (Irish/Scottish/English) and his family (Slavic, Italian). The next morning, I skipped my usual morning workout due to still cleaning up in the morning after the festivities. As I was getting ready for work, I bent down to pick up my slippers to throw them in the closet. And that's all she wrote. I could barely walk by the time I drove my hour and 15 minutes to work. Details to follow but I have been pretty much incapacitated three times within the past six months and have been diagnosed with flat back. I'll share my journey on this quest to be pain-free; please share yours and whatever tips you've found along the way. Here's to standing straight, tall and comfortably!
