Re: New Member/Grammiekins/

[Guest guest]

Hello there and WELCOME!

Another Grammy here! What an interesting history you and share.

We are delighted to have you and wish you well. Come on out of the

shadows I promise we won't bite!

Kathy

>

> Hey all - Let's give a big scoli welcome to a new member who

joined

> today! You will see her on here as grammiekins (could that be

> because she has 3 beautiful grandchildren and one on the way?)but

her

> name is . We have a very unusual background together in

that

> we were good friends from about 7th grade on. We both had

Idiopathic

> Scoliosis but didn't know it really. While I advertised mine with

> the wearing of the Milwaukee Brace back then, her parents chose to

go

> the denial route at first. Anyhow, to make a long story short, we

> both married and had sons practically at the same time. We were

also

> seeing the same scoliosis doctors. When our boys were 2 years old

we

> both gave up the ship and had our original surgeries scheduled at

the

> same hospital as close together as we could (about 2 weeks

apart).

> Our favorite memory is we had surgery sometime in September. Come

> halloween we dressed our boys alike as ghosts and we figured us

both

> being in Milwaukee braces was good enough costumes for us, and

we've

> never forgotten walking the streets holding each other up while

our

> sone trick-or-treated. We've still got pictures after all these

> years.

> Anyhow life went on and we fell out of touch over the years. Then

> came our 30 year high school reunion back in 2000. I was preparing

> for my first revision surgery, and I found that you didn't even

> mention the word 'surgery' around her. She was terrified at the

> thought of more back surgery (even though she so obviously needed

it.)

> Over the ensuing years I kept at her until she began calling me

her

> cheerleader. When she and her husband came to visit me at UCSF

this

> last time she even brought me a small pair of pom poms as a gift!

> And lo and behold, they were both so very impressed with actually

> seeing my progress 3 days after surgery........that she actually

set

> the ball in motion with her insurance! And joined our little

group

> here to learn what she could learn. She may be more of a lurker

at

> first, but , you won't meet a more knowledgeable, caring

group

> than this who will be here for you basically 24/7 to answer what

> questions they can and give you the support you need as you begin

> your long, treacherous journey down this incredibley long and

bumpy

> road. Welcome aboard Girlfriend!!

> Much love -

> ~~

>