Guest guest Posted January 8, 2003 Report Share Posted January 8, 2003 Hi, Thank you Sharon for providing that link. Not only was the lady's story very interesting and informative, but as I went through the site I learned a lot about both flatback and the problems associated with scoliosis in general. I had also been under the impression this site was a " happy story " site. But this was very good. " Spinal fatigue pain " ----never heard the term before and it's exactly what I have. Most scoliosis sites tend to steer away from dealing with the realities of pain and most don't want to discuss the pitfalls of surgery. How many are willing to admit that some of the old techniques didn't work? I thought the explanation of how flatback happens post-surgery was very informative. I can also see why they said it still cannot always be avoided. And I saw a reference to the non-surgical problems that cause " flatback " --that is degeneraton causing a loss of lordosis in the lumbar spine or the loss of kyphosis in the thoracic. Which made me think. If one is already having a problem from the degeneration, how can they fix you surgically to restore the lordosis in the lumbar spine? I can get the lordosis if I strain and pull myself up. That's it. And post-surgical people surely cannot do that. If I did have the surgery and was trying to avoid flatback, how could I avoid it when I'm already having a type of it from the degeneration? It's as though they would have to fix ahead of time what is a realistic bad outcome of the surgery anyway. I'd have to be straightened from the scoliosis and then put upright. Sounds like a lot to do. I suppose all of these things are going to be of great importance to me as I try to decide whether to take the chance on surgery. That website certainly helped a lot. Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 8, 2003 Report Share Posted January 8, 2003 Gloria, now I'm going to have to look again for the additional information you found. There seems to be more here than we thought at first. Even the controversial nature of this type of site draws attention to it. As long as they publish solid, accurate, and helpful information, how can we condemn it? It's the best kind of marketing strategy. And realistically, all those helpful sites from physicians and their medical practices, and even their published articles serve to promote the businesses of the doctors involved. I don't see a huge difference. The capitalistic nature of US medicine is surely fraught with dangers, but as long as I have a good health insurance policy I'd never in a million years trade it for the socialist systems our British and Canadian friends have to deal with. Gloria, I hadn't heard the term " spinal fatigue pain " either. There are a number of helpful web pages about flatback (and Suzy's site probably has links to all of them), but your situation seems even more unusual. ly I'm amazed you've avoided surgery this long. I believe you're absolutely right about the complexity of your case. In some ways any surgery you may undergo would resemble revision surgery, and probably should be handled by one of the top revision surgeons. Whatever you do, don't go to someone whose work is almost entirely pediatric scoliosis fusions. You're another type of patient entirely. Sharon in southern New Hampshire :^) Congenital scoliosis w/ spina bifida and other vertebral anomalies 1971 fusion T5 to L4 w/ single Harrington rod Flatback, congenital thoracolumbar kyphosis, L5-S1 degeneration, etc. > Hi, > > Thank you Sharon for providing that link. Not only was the lady's > story very interesting and informative, > but as I went through the site I learned a lot about both flatback and the > problems associated with scoliosis > in general. I had also been under the impression this site was a " happy > story " site. But this was very > good. > > " Spinal fatigue pain " ----never heard the term before and it's exactly > what I have. Most scoliosis sites > tend to steer away from dealing with the realities of pain and most don't > want to discuss the pitfalls of > surgery. How many are willing to admit that some of the old techniques > didn't work? > > I thought the explanation of how flatback happens post-surgery was very > informative. I can also see why > they said it still cannot always be avoided. And I saw a reference to > the non-surgical problems that cause > " flatback " --that is degeneraton causing a loss of lordosis in the lumbar > spine or the loss of kyphosis in the thoracic. > > Which made me think. If one is already having a problem from the > degeneration, how can they fix > you surgically to restore the lordosis in the lumbar spine? I can get the > lordosis if I strain and pull myself up. > That's it. And post-surgical people surely cannot do that. If I did have > the surgery and was trying to avoid > flatback, how could I avoid it when I'm already having a type of it from the > degeneration? It's as though they > would have to fix ahead of time what is a realistic bad outcome of the > surgery anyway. I'd have to be straightened > from the scoliosis and then put upright. Sounds like a lot to do. > > I suppose all of these things are going to be of great importance to me > as I try to decide whether to take the > chance on surgery. That website certainly helped a lot. > > Gloria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 8, 2003 Report Share Posted January 8, 2003 OK, here we are. You're right, Gloria, this is a good article. http://www.iscoliosis.com/symptoms-flat.html Sharon in southern New Hampshire :^) Congenital scoliosis w/ spina bifida and other vertebral anomalies 1971 fusion T5 to L4 w/ single Harrington rod Flatback, congenital thoracolumbar kyphosis, L5-S1 degeneration, etc. > Hi, > > Thank you Sharon for providing that link. Not only was the lady's > story very interesting and informative, > but as I went through the site I learned a lot about both flatback and the > problems associated with scoliosis > in general. I had also been under the impression this site was a " happy > story " site. But this was very > good. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 8, 2003 Report Share Posted January 8, 2003 This one's good too. http://www.iscoliosis.com/symptoms-pain.html Sharon in southern New Hampshire :^) Congenital scoliosis w/ spina bifida and other vertebral anomalies 1971 fusion T5 to L4 w/ single Harrington rod Flatback, congenital thoracolumbar kyphosis, L5-S1 degeneration, etc. > Hi, > > Thank you Sharon for providing that link. Not only was the lady's > story very interesting and informative, > but as I went through the site I learned a lot about both flatback and the > problems associated with scoliosis > in general. I had also been under the impression this site was a " happy > story " site. But this was very > good. > > " Spinal fatigue pain " ----never heard the term before and it's exactly > what I have. Most scoliosis sites > tend to steer away from dealing with the realities of pain and most don't > want to discuss the pitfalls of > surgery. How many are willing to admit that some of the old techniques > didn't work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 8, 2003 Report Share Posted January 8, 2003 One more comment on this topic... I just went back and checked out the Scoliosis Research Society's site. They have some good pictures, some info I haven't seen elsewhere, but as an educational tool for patients and parents, it doesn't come close to iScoliosis. And they STILL don't say a word about flatback or possible surgical failure. Sharon in southern New Hampshire :^) Congenital scoliosis w/ spina bifida and other vertebral anomalies 1971 fusion T5 to L4 w/ single Harrington rod Flatback, congenital thoracolumbar kyphosis, L5-S1 degeneration, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2003 Report Share Posted January 21, 2003 Belated thanks to Sharon, Gloria, and anyone else who may have written in about the flatback article at the advertiser's site. Either this was a later addition to the commercial website, or else I just did not find it on my first surfing expedition. I consider this an amazing breakthrough. I don't know enough about this sponsor's products to say anything for or agin' 'em, but I think they deserve a sincere thank-you and authentic praise for providing -- at last -- some straightforward facts about fixed sagittal imbalance at a " big-ticket " website. PLEASE NOTE, HOWEVER: I do not necessarily think the U.S. system is the best one that humankind has ever found for delivering equitable and adequate health care services to most or all of a country's population. In fact, I get the sense that a number of other industrialized democratic nations . . . . O.K., enough of that topic. And I might add: On the basis of what I just wrote in the preceding paragraph, I have no doubt that serious websites and Internet forums of a medical nature, such as this one, should outlaw all discussion of politics (in addition to forbidding any reference to the ever-inflammatory topic " Religion: Why You Must Sign Up for Mine " ). Espouse a political opinion at one of these rational, clinically oriented sites and you are just asking to be attacked by an angry horde of outraged medical sophisticates. Who knows, someone might even try hurling an extra-large Risser Jacket in your direction, or might pummel you with the deceptively innocent- appearing but diabolically injurious " Original Harrington " Device. . . On the other hand, barring any dialogue on politics or faith would probably leave us with VERY little to talk about. We might well be reduced to aimless gossip on the subject of (1) all our aches and pains, or (2) who should receive this year's Golden Spine Award for Best O.R. Musical Score. Which reminds me: You'll be relieved to hear that last year's tie was finally broken in the category " Best Use of Horrifying Violence Incorporating Perverse Sadism and Fascistic Nuance in a Feature- Length Gritty Documentary. " That particular Golden Spine Award has now been awarded posthumously to a sparsely budgeted but chilling little indie production entitled " 'Gumption and Hope and Some Powerful Dope'(How A Small Band of Otherwise Ordinary People Survived the Grueling and Heart-Rending Ordeal Known As 'Inpatient PT'). " Eliana In , " sharongreenscoli <sharon.green18@v...> " <sharon.green18@v...> wrote: > OK, here we are. You're right, Gloria, this is a good article. > > http://www.iscoliosis.com/symptoms-flat.html > > > Sharon in southern New Hampshire :^) > > Congenital scoliosis w/ spina bifida and other vertebral anomalies > 1971 fusion T5 to L4 w/ single Harrington rod > Flatback, congenital thoracolumbar kyphosis, L5-S1 degeneration, etc. > > > > > Hi, > > > > Thank you Sharon for providing that link. Not only was the > lady's > > story very interesting and informative, > > but as I went through the site I learned a lot about both flatback > and the > > problems associated with scoliosis > > in general. I had also been under the impression this site was > a " happy > > story " site. But this was very > > good. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2003 Report Share Posted January 21, 2003 Thank YOU, Eliana, for giving me something to chuckle about, even perhaps relieving momentarily the indigestion I seem to have developed after staying up well into the wee hours to type up my husband's blood glucose test numbers, 250 in all, with dates and times, most of which I had already entered on my laptop computer but couldn't access (along with the rest of my life), because my computer needs a new power supply (I hope), and then getting up bright and early to accompany him to a 9:45am visit to his new endocrinologist. (Yes, that is early for me, pitiful, I know.) The good news is that Hubby agrees there's no need to refer to this doctor privately as a " troll " . (This is progress, believe me.) There may even be some actual glycemic control and a reasonably tolerable old age in his future, God willing. To return from my digression, and the principle reason I have yet to actually be examined by a flatback specialist, I'm glad to see some hint of a political opinion from you. If all I ever heard were opinions which are identical to my own, I'd have little basis for revising old and forming new opinions. We are, after all, more than just spines and rods and sore necks and painful memories, are we not? The more depth we see in each other, the more like friends we can be, and the less like hospital roommates. I love how you write, and look forward to each posting. Smiles, Sharon > > PLEASE NOTE, HOWEVER: I do not necessarily think the U.S. system is > the best one that humankind has ever found for delivering equitable > and adequate health care services to most or all of a country's > population. In fact, I get the sense that a number of other > industrialized democratic nations . . . . > > O.K., enough of that topic. And I might add: On the basis of what I > just wrote in the preceding paragraph, I have no doubt that serious > websites and Internet forums of a medical nature, such as this one, > should outlaw all discussion of politics (in addition to forbidding > any reference to the ever-inflammatory topic " Religion: Why You Must > Sign Up for Mine " ). Espouse a political opinion at one of these > rational, clinically oriented sites and you are just asking to be > attacked by an angry horde of outraged medical sophisticates. Who > knows, someone might even try hurling an extra-large Risser Jacket in > your direction, or might pummel you with the deceptively innocent- > appearing but diabolically injurious " Original Harrington " > Device. . . > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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