Hello my name is Shannon and I'm 13 now I had surgery about 5 weeks ago.

I've known I've had scoliosis for about 2 years when we had sixth grade routine scoliosis checks, all the girls went in a room took our shirts and wore them like a necklace they told us if they give us a number it means absolutely nothing -- well I got the number 14. Well I went home and there was a message on the phone it was the district nurse this is how it went: "Hello? Judy this is Nurse Hall and today we did scoliosis checks and we have reason to believe that you daughter had scoliosis." That scared me half to death.

We went to my family doctor just to see if it was true and he said it was. He gave us the name of a specialist, figures it would be three hours away to see him. So we drove three hours for him to say "Your x-rays say you have a 36 degree curve right between your shoulder blades and you should have surgery." Well right at this point my mom and I were both pretty freaked out about surgery and no other options so we asked him to give us some more options, because surgery wasn't an option at that point. He told us our only other option would be to be put in a boston brace. Well at the point we didn't care what it was as long as it wasn’t surgery.

We decided to try the one thing the doctor told us would never work, we went to the chiropractor. For about 1 year, I went to the chiropractor he told me my curve was down to 24 degrees. We went for my 6 month check up with the doctor he told us that my curve was actually 45 degrees. We found out the supposedly respectable chiropractor was indeed a very large liar. We scheduled my surgery for May 25th 2005. Now I was scared surgery? I never expected it to get that far. So I acted like nothing had happened till May 1st when my mom went to the office to tell the attendance clerk I wouldn’t be in school from Monday the 23rd till next year. Well some office helpers were there and they looked at me so weird I was so embarassed. I decided I wasn’t telling anyone besides my best friends and anyone I had to tell. So the 20th came and everyone was asking why I was leaving. Well they treated me like they were going to break me that day I hated it.

I had a posterior spinal fusion surgery the 25th and I was sent home the 28th, just 3 days later. They sent me home on this drug that my stomach didn't agree with so I stopped taking it the 29th. Now only 5 weeks post op I feel basicly normal. I can almost touch my toes. and I am kinda glad I had the surgery.

You can find Shannon on the SpineKIDS message boards, username starchild_81212.

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