20 weeks(5months)post op- not all plain sailing!

Some things have been kind of bothering me lately and it's annoying me because of course I'm extremely happy with my new very straight back in fact I'm over the moon with it...it's just that after the operation I developed a big numb/hyper sensitive patch on my left thigh and a smaller patch on my right thigh  I can't stand anything knocking it or touching it even clothes sometimes! I told my surgeon and he said it could either have been caused by lying in the same position for 11/12hours like I did in theatre or them knocking a nerve, he said the 'normal' feeling that I should have may or may not come back.. I really hope it does as the feelings horrible! I also have very sore ribs and a few ribs that stick out on the front of my body this is because of the type of curve I had and my ribs grew deformed when I hit a growth spurt probably no surgeon will touch them as if they do it will have w massive affect of my breathing, I had problems with shortness of breath and my breathing in gerenal do I don't want to have that again.
Another thing is that again because of my operation I have not much feeling in my back at the moment and I can't stand people,clothes and water touching any of back, I come out the shower in tears because of the strange/weird/nasty feeling of the water touching my back and because of it I'm really struggling to wash my hair that and the fact I'm so used to bending my back while washing it and I can't now. My surgeon is saying you can get a type of cream that helps with the numbness in my back but if I get it I really don't know how I'm supposed to put it on as I said I can't stand ANYTHING touching my back:( like the patches of my thighs the feel may or may not fully come back:'(.
This past few weeks I have been getting some pain in my lower neck and lower back I have been taking paracetamols to try and help but it's something I'm going to ask my surgeon about it as it the pain in my lower back is below my fusion where the 3vertebrae I have left are, I maybe just worrying to much but the pain I had before my operation started out the same way I really don't want to be in that much pain again.
I'm not saying all this too scare anyone out of surgery because its the best thing I've don't but I guess I've just hit a bit of a bump on this bendy road...
Kirsty xxxx

19weeks post op-

I am 19 weeks post op yesterday! Every week is getting better I am starting to be able to do more for my self also I am starting to feel better but I am still unable to walk far or do much outside I can't wait to be able to get everything back to the way it was even though it's going to take a while. I do miss being around my friends and just going on a hack on the ponies, I hate just sitting in the house all day I get so frustrated and bored because before even though my bad hurt so much and i got out of breath easily I still did everything as I wasn't going to let it beat me!
Hopefully if I keep trying to go for little walks and trying to do a little more each day I won't get so tired and by the time I'm 6months post op I should be able to go shopping or something with my friends.
Kirsty xxxx

Photo's of my back and my recovery in hospital.

As i have mentioned my back alot in the past posts i thought put a few photos of what my back looked like and now looks like, Before my operation it was so hard to hide my back and to find nice clothes that went over my curves, i couldn't wear dresses because all of them wouldn't go over my back or do up or jeans because i had very odd hips and it would rub. I have also added a few pics from when i was in hospital recovering...

Kirsty :)

YouTube

I made a YouTube video of my experience and my journey so far (before and after) and I'd though I would share as it may come in handy for someone:)
I know for me watching videos of people who had surgery helped me when I had it so hope this helps!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EUEWNFKq2oo&feature=c4-feed-u

Kirsty:) x

Third post

So a year ago today I made the massive decision to have surgery by all means it wasn't easy I was petrified, I went to the appointment with a list of questions to ask my consultant which included 'will my back continue to get worse?'  'will I always be in constant pain?' and my most important one 'will I be able to ride my horses again?'. I also had lots of fears and worries ' what can go wrong?' 'howwill I be able to bend?' 'will i look like a robot?'and a another big one 'what's the risk of paralysis?'. I am quite lucky in ways as my consultant says it how it is and doesn't sugar coat anything so basically you know he is being truthful.  After my consultant when through everything and the procedure I spoke with my family for a few minutes, for me being 17 at the time I wanted the biggest say on what the decision was, taking everything in account I agree to have the operation,  even after how scary it sounded. I left that appointment questioning if I made the right choice and now 4 months post the surgery I feel that I did, it wasn't easy and yes there are a few things I would love to forget but my back looks so much nicer than my 95degree kyphosis curve ever did. This year has been full of different hospital appointments for my back and I hope In the future that I wont have to go that much.
Kirsty:)

My Scoliosis and Scheuermanns Kyphosis

I have always been a very quiet and shy person but i guess my back has a big part to pay in why i used to shut my self out from every thing and everyone.
Since my family noticed my back in 09 i felt kind of different from everyone else, i mean if being a 14 year old girl wasn't hard enough with  your body changing and that, but for me having Scoliosis and Kyphosis was hard and upsetting i had everything from the 'Why me's' to Shutting my self out from everything and hiding in my bedroom,
it didn't really help at school since late year 9 i was bullied because the other kids saw what my back looked like in PE before it got the way it did, even though i was too ashamed to tell them why i looked the way it did. I was constantly called a hunch back and being laughed at because i was different, i felt like a deformed freak, when i picked up the courage to go tell my head of year at school he told me to grow up Most days i came home from school and cried the bullying actually carried on until i left school in 2011.
I suppose i'm writing this now because i don't want others to do what i did and shut my self off from family and friends or to feel the way i did. and to know that there is people and places that help you. It wasn't until December 2012 when i found SAUK and started to feel alot better about the way i looked and i then knew i wasn't alone and since joining i have even made the decision to have the surgery to correct my back which i have had in August 2013 I am fused from T1-L2 and my kyphosis went from 95degrees to 50degrees and my scoliosis is now less than 9 degrees but my back will always be a part of who i am. So far ive made some really great friends who i hope to stay in touch withnand now i hope i can help people that have the same conditions i do.
Kirsty:) xxx

First Post :)

Id thought id kick the blog off with abit about me. I am now 18 years old and i have been a very keen horse rider for longer than i can remember, i have a horse called Jimbo who is just great and helped me through so much he has been there done that and used to be a cracking jumping pony, then there is Max a horse i look after for a lady at our yard he is a very cheeky pony but when he knows who is boss jumps lovely! Due to me having a massive interest in horses i decided  to go to college and study them which i have recently finished and loved! When I was 14 years old in2009 my parents noticed my back looked abit different so after a lot of GP appts,physio,X-rays and 2 consultations I was  diagnosed with scoliosis it was april 2010by that time and after being referred to The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham For a check up for my scoliosis i was diagnosed with scheuermanns kyphosis at the age of 15 in feb 2011, it was too late for bracing so they decided to 'watch and wait' for a year in april 2012 my kyphoisis curve was at 95degrees and thankfully my scoliosis was still classed as mild because there is no cure for the 2 conditions surgery was the best and only option I had to stop it getting any worse which I finally said yes too in December 2012. On the 6th August 2013 I had the surgery it's wasn't easy believe me , the hardest thing I've ever had too do but if I was given the chance again I wouldn't change a thing.

Kirsty:)