Tag: scoliosis

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In last weeks post I gave you some basic information on Scoliosis.  Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person’s spine has a sideways curve. Scoliosis is something I feel strongly about because I have Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis.  This means I have a ‘C’ curvature in the lumbar region (lower area) of my spine and it is causing my spine to deteriorate.  The deterioration is causing my discs to wear out and is causing the bones of my spine to rub together.  All of these things cause pain.  I have been suffering with Chronic Pain for over 25 years.

I also said last week that I would add to ‘My Story’, the telling of my tale with Scoliosis.  If you didn’t get a chance to read it that’s alright, you can go to my post here and read it when you have time.

My Story Continues …….

Not long after the birth of my son I was in a car accident in the winter and hit a patch of ice on a bridge; slammed into a concrete divider;  was hit in the rear end of my car by a dump truck;  was then thrown across 2 lanes of traffic and came to rest with my front end stopped by the rail of the bridge facing oncoming traffic. While driving I was not wearing my seat belt, so I was thrown around the car pretty good.  My head hit the windshield; I was thrown to the right and broke the gear shift beside my seat; and hit the driver’s side door before the car came to rest.  I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and released a couple of hours later.  I had a cut over my left eye; I was banged up and bruised; and I hurt all over, but other than that I was fine or so I thought.

Not long after my car accident I was seeing doctors because I was in so much pain; going to physical therapy; getting shots for pain; and doing everything I could to get back to my normal self, but it wasn’t working.  I finally ended up going to an Orthopedic Surgeon who specialized in Scoliosis.  After months of pain with no relief the surgeon suggested surgery.  He told me he could operate and give me a 90% chance of never having pain again or face problems from my Scoliosis.  After many sleepless nights and debates with my husband and family members I decided to have the surgery.  I mean who wouldn’t jump at the 90% chance of no more pain and problems from their Scoliosis??

I had the surgery in October of 1992, I was 19 years old.  I had a Spinal Fusion and a partial correction of my Scoliosis.  During the Spinal Fusion they scraped bone off of my rear left hip, ground it up and attached it to the weak spot my spine where the worst part of the curve was.  During this procedure they straightened out part of the deformity of my spine.  Once the surgery was done I spent 5 days in the hospital for recovery aqnd complications.  I even spent my 20th birthday there.  Finally they sent me home in a back brace with an attachment that went around my left leg because my left hip was weakened from the scraping off of bone.

Needless to say the upcoming weeks and months were difficult and pain filled.  I had never experienced this type of pain before.  I was weak.  I was a young mother and a new wife.  I had to rely on my husband to bathe me and take care of me.  My cousin and in-laws were helping us take care of our son.  There were so many challenges ahead of me that I didn’t even think about or plan through.  After many months and struggles, I did get through the challenges.  We got through the challenges.  It wasn’t just me that was affected by having surgery, it was everyone I was close to that went through the battles and struggles of my Scoliosis with me.

By January of 1994 my braces were off.  I was getting my life back on track.  I had went back to work, I was able to take care of my son, I was learning more and more about being a wife and raising a family.  I found out at the end of 1993 I was pregnant again.  Things were looking good!  I was feeling great!  But things didn’t stay that way.  In the late winter I was getting out of our car in our driveway and I slipped and fell on the ice.  Weeks later I found out that I broke the Spinal Fusion, the bone that was attached to my spine during surgery had broken loose from my spine.  The worst part?  How could breaking bone not be the worst part you ask?  The worst part was there was nothing they could do, I was pregnant.

Being pregnant meant that I couldn’t have surgery to fix the broken bone.  Being pregnant meant many more days and weeks of pain because if anyone knows during pregnancy a women’s hips and sacroiliac joints constantly shift as our body undergo changes.  The shifting of the hips and joints can cause pain during a normal pregnancy and I was anything but normal.  I faced months of pain, bed rest, not being able to interact with my husband and son, and many other problems.  At the end of my pregnancy I even faced problems with the birth of my daughter.

Well I think this is a good place to stop, writing about my Scoliosis is a struggle even now, 23 years after the birth of my daughter.  I thought my writing about my life would go another way, but as all of us know it doesn’t always come out the way we planned.

So!  Stay tuned!  I promise I will finish ‘My Story’!  Awe you say?  I will be writing more, I just want to keep you coming back again and again! lol

Seriously, I will be adding more to ‘My Story’ and I will be sharing more information about Scoliosis.  Please stay tuned!

If you would like further reading on Scoliosis check out the book below

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June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month.

As the month of June progresses I will be posting information about Scoliosis, what it is, who is affected, treatment options and more.  Most of all during the month of June I will be sharing my story and my life with Scoliosis.  Yes, I have Scoliosis and I am a Survivor!

Scoliosis affects 7 million people in the U.S. alone.  Of the 7 million people affected 85% of those are young girls and women.  85%!  It is unknown why young girls and women are affected more, but if young boys or men have it it is less severe for them.

“Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown.”

Most cases of scoliosis are mild, but some children develop spine deformities that continue to get more severe as they grow. Severe scoliosis can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest, making it difficult for the lungs to function properly.

Children who have mild scoliosis are monitored closely, usually with X-rays, to see if the curve is getting worse. In many cases, no treatment is necessary. Some children will need to wear a brace to stop the curve from worsening. Others may need surgery to keep the scoliosis from worsening and to straighten severe cases of scoliosis.

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My Story

My name is Joey (Jo) Lea Baird and I have Scoliosis.  I was diagnosed with Congenital Lumbar Scoliosis when I was 13 years old.  Congenital means my Scoliosis is hereditary, that someone else in my family has it.  I was taken to see many doctors with a year of my diagnoses.  I went to a number of specialists and they all pretty much said the same thing, that with staying active, with special exercises, and staying healthy I would be fine.  During my high school years I was able to perform the regular activities in Gym class; I played on an all girls’ Softball teams; I was asked to join Track; basically I stayed active.  I seen a Chiropractor for 3 years and would get routine treatments and adjustments.

I never had any back aches or pain associated with my Scoliosis until I was 18.  When I was 18 I got pregnant and had a son, after that I started having back aches, leg cramps, and muscle spasms.  I never had any noticeable signs in my body until I gave birth and my Sacroiliac Joints shifted causing my spinal deformity to show.  My right hip shifted out, my left hip twisted in, and my left shoulder started curving forward.  The image below shows a pretty good adaptation of what I looked like after the birth of my son, except my Scoliosis curves to the right, not the left.

This should be enough information to get you thinking about Scoliosis and who is affected by it.  Be sure to stop back by for another addition to My Story and more on Scoliosis.

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