I started this blog because I wanted to help people get through what I went through.  I did get to a few people and was able to coach them through the horrible ride of the big decision of whether or not to get the surgery.  I am very glad I was able to do this.

Scolosis is something I have and need to live with.  The surgery is also something I went through and am very thankful for.  Neither Scolosis or the corrective surgery is who I am.  It's not who are either.  It may have helped shaped you mentally and physically, but it does NOT define you.  I created a new blog that reflects who I am, not just what I have or had to deal with.

I would love to continue to help people and I will continue to address any speedbump I overcome with this disease and surgery.  I urge everyone to continue to come to me with questions or guidance.  My new contact information is as follows:

E-mail:  jmv8288@aol.com
Blog: http://littlemsfun.blogspot.com/

Reach me through either of those two avenues and I promise to respond right away.

For everyone who has, thank you for following and reaching out to me.

Big Moves !!!

Yesterday I made a very significant step towards a full recovery.  I did my first sit up !!  This might sound small, but to me it's a huge deal !! I still feel very stiff compared to before the surgery, but everyday that feeling gets less and less.  I am still swollen in two spots.  I am starting physical therapy on Wednesday so that should hopefully help with the swelling.  I also gain a significant amount of weight after the surgery from now moving around at all.  I'm having a hard time getting rid of it.  This is making me a little upset, but weight is always something that can be resolved if I put my mind to it.  The physical therapy might help with this as well.

Work is going great.  I love my job and the people that I work with.  I feel like my time is being used much more productively now.  Depression is something that came with the surgery.  No one can feel good about themselves just laying down all day unable to move and do basic daily functions.  Starting to work was a huge turn around for me.  Within two weeks all my depressed feelings went away and I began to feel useful again.

My next follow up appointment is in September.  The last one (2 weeks ago about) resulted in PT.  Hopefully the next one will result in something even better, like a full recovery :) :) :)

Nite everyone xoxo

Blame it on ah ah alcohol babyy

Since I have off from work tomorrow for Good Friday, my friend asked me to go to a club with him.  I haven't been to a club since the surgery.  I still feel a little stiff and awkward, so I've been shying away from places like that.  Well, my friend finally convinced me to go.  We didn't stay too long, but I DANCED !!!!! For the first time in 3 months, I finally got back on the dance floor.  Granted, I was by no means able to do half of what I used to, but I was still able to get down lol...

Once again, I felt stiff and VERY awkward on the dance floor, but my friends assured me that I did fine.  After about a half hour of trying to get back into rythym, I realized how much better I felt.  After moving my body into different directions I felt a hell of a lot less stiff than when I first started.  This makes me think that maybe I should start dancing a little bit home just to get myself back into the groove of things lol

So there you have it, 3 months = back to work, back to dancing, back to LIFE =D

Have a Happy Easter everyone xoxoxox

Guess Who's Employed ?! woo hooo

As of last week, I am currently employed.  I got a prestigious position at a washer company. LMAO.  You know those little round things with a hole in the middle...  Washers are a lot more complicated then they sound. lol  On a more serious note, the job is more than decent.  It's a reasonable salary, great benefits, and the people are wonderful.  With 5 out of every 6 people unemployed, I consider myself VERY fortunate.

The big question is:  Three months post op and back to work.  How is it?

It's not bad at all !  While I still feel very stiff and awkward, the more I do the better that I feel.  It was also very reassuring when I told co-workers about the surgery and their reaction was a look of surprise.  No one had any idea.  This makes me think that feeling awkward and stiff is half in my head.

May 6th is my follow up appointment with the surgeon.  Hopefully everything is healing as well as it feels.

It's A Boy !!

My cousin had her baby a few days ago, and it's a boy !!  He is absolutely gorgeous.  I was proud to accept the title of god mother.  God bless Isaiah Anthony =D

Getting Back to Life

I am now a little more than two months post operation, and things are going very well.  I am almost back to normal life.  Although I can do everything I used to, I say almost because I feel awkward doing these everyday tasks.  I am very stiff, so simple things such as getting in and out of a car make me feel like I'm made of metal.  Hopefully, this horrible feeling passes soon.

The recuperation was not that bad at all.  The pain medications keep the pain at bay.  The hardest parts of the recovery in my opinion were not being able to do much, the massive amount of hair that fell out, and the stabbing sensation in my leg.  The surgeon accidentally hit a nerve during the surgery which resulted in this stabbing pain in my left leg.  This passed after about a month, but it was more painful and annoying than any back pain I encountered.  My abdomen is swollen, which isn't that terrible of a side effect, but definitely annoying!  I can't wait for that go away for bikini season. lol

Well now that I am back in action, I am trying to find a job and get back into a routine.  I'm finding it very easy to get depressed laying in bed all day without much to do.  Thank god for the good news I'll put in my next post, otherwise I might have fallen to depression...

Surgery and then some =D

Exactly a week ago, I was just waking up in the recovery room in the Hospital for Joint Diseases.  Everything went very well.  I don't think I could have gotten much luckier with my experience.

Sunday:  My grandparents and I spent the night a couple of blocks from the hospital in the Union Inn.  This was so I could be at the hospital for the 6am report time and not be late.  I was surprisingly calm and slept very well.  My nerves never altered.  I came to terms with my decision and realized that I was in God's hands.

Monday:  I woke up bright and early.  I checked in at the hospital at 6am.  Next thing I know, I am being sent downstairs and changed into some funky blue, paper clothes.  My family was very supportive.  My nanny and papa never left my side, my father, and my Aunt Fran were also there to say good bye.  The rest of my family didn't make it until I was already under the knife.  I was put under anesthesia around 8am.  Everything went very well and I could not be happier with my results.  I don't remember much of this night, but I was told that I was in the recovery room until about 10pm waiting for a regular room.

Tuesday:  I had a morphine pump that I was able to push every 6 minutes to alleviate the pain.  I was not able to stay awake for very long.  I don't remember much of Tuesday, but I do remember having a blood transfusion.  My Aunt Chris and brother spent the day with me.  I was having a bad reaction to the morphine, so they took me off of the pump and started me with oral pain meds.  The physical therapist also came for the first time on Tuesday and this is when I took my first two steps.

Wednesday:  I was moved to a new room on Wednesday that was VIP status.  (still don't know how I got that room...lol)  This day was full of oral pain meds, a lot of sleeping, and me being VERY sore.  Wednesday has been the most painful day since the surgery.  This day was the only day that I regretted the surgery.  The PT came in and forced me to sit up.  I was in so much pain that I could not do this.  She held me up and I sat there, but I was dry-heeving.  Once again, Wednesday was a horrible day.

Thursday:  This day went very well.  I was taken off of the foley bag and WALKED myself to the bathroom to pee.  I was still very sore, but was making a rapid recovery.  I was told that I would be able to go home on Friday.

Friday:  I went home on Friday about 12pm.  My heart rate was high so they kept me until the afternoon to try and figure out why it was so high.  The oxygen level in my blood was also very low.  After more tests, I went to my grandmothers house.

I have been at my grandmother's house ever since.  Each day gets much easier.  I have no regrets so far.  I am able to walk around on my own and every day I can do a little more.  I even showered myself today !!  The only issue we had was the bed I would be spending my days in.  We thought I would use the guest bedroom, but that mattress was not good for my back.  We had to go out and purchase memory foam to put on top of the bed to make it more bearable.  Tonight will be my first night on the memory foam.  I will let you all know how that goes.  It's an easy enough fix!!

January 24 I will find out how much height I gained, my new degrees of curvature, and my surgeon's opinion.

Sorry that it took me so long to let you know what was going on.  I have been so tired from the medication that I couldn't keep my head up.  I will talk to you all soon.  It's time for another nap.

Jaclyn xo

Pre-Op Testing

I went on December 22 for my pre-operation testing.  Everything went well and as scheduled minus one set back.  It turns out that I have a heart murmur that I didn't know about.  This wasn't such a big deal, but I was forced to substitute my blood bank appointment with an electrocardiogram.  I got my clearance a couple of days later.  I'm all set to go.

I had to fill a persciption of some antibiotic goo that I need to shove up my nose twice a day.  I also have to shower with these special wipes.  It looks like they take EVERY possible precaution against getting an infection.  That makes me feel a little better :)

January 4, Monday, will be the big day at 6am !!  I'm a little bit nervous but I'm very confident with my surgeon.  Prayer for me and I will post again soon letting you all know how it turned out.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and that a very happy new year is in store.

Fever

I am officially obsessed with this new song.  It makes me dance =D

your welcomeeeee lol <3

Finals

Sorry that I haven't been posting.  There isn't much going on around here other then my brother and I frantically studying for our finals.  My last final is December 21 and then December 22 is my pre-operation testing!!  Talk about not getting a break in between.  LOL

now back to studying... :(

Decorating

I'm trying to get into the Christmas spirit so I did some decorating.  I could only fit a mini Christmas tree in my apartment, but it's definitely putting me in the holiday spirit !!

Thanksgiving

Happy be-lated thanksgiving day everyone!!  Hope that everyone had a good one and enjoyed there little vacation from work and school =D

I partied pretty hard this long weekend.  You gotta live it up while you still can, and that's my plan for my last month as pre-operation.  My grandmother cooked a delicious Sicilian dinner for the holiday.  We had anitopasto, gabbanadine, lasanga, turkey, potatoes, vegetables, corn bread and so many other things.  We all ate too much !!

But for my two good news of the week:

My mommy is home from the nursing home and is finally getting her life on track.  We almost lost her this time and last year and it feels so good to have her in a stable condition while she's constantly progressing physically.

My cousin asked me to be the god mother to her baby!  It's such an honor and I'm so excited.  I don't take this responsibility lightly, but I can't wait to spoil my god baby :)

For Your Entertainment

Adam Lambert's new music video is finally here !! I've loved him from the beginning and this seals the deal. He has the voice and he's deff got the looks, and now he's got the music videos :) Enjoy !!

Nightmares !!!

Last night I had this horrible dream and I can't get it out of my head.

My dream:  I was in a room with my brother.  He had a bunch of silverware that he was using to predict the future.  At the end of whatever he was doing with the silverware, he threw the knife and I had to slap it.  Once my hand hit the knife, it broke.  He said that meant I was going to die.  I then started following him around screaming "Is it true?  Am I going to die?".  He wouldn't answer me, but, right before I woke up he did say something to me.  I don't remember what it is that he said, but I do know that it was not a yes or no answer.

I automatically thought of my surgery when I woke up.  I was at peace with the surgery, but now I am officially frightened.  Any dream interpreters out there that can give some advice ???

Back Photos

I got a couple of requests to post pictures of my back as before pictures for my surgery.  Here they are.  Like I said, it really isn't that noticeable, but I know it's there.  I'll post one with a striped shirt so you can see how the shirt pulls.

Rib Hump

A rib hump is one of the results of scoliosis.  Since the victim's spine is curved and twisted, it results in pushing the rib cage and making it protrude on one side of the victim's back.  I do have a rib hump.  It is not noticeable, but I know that it's there.  I also have to be more conscious about what clothes I decide to wear.  Stripes and really tight clothes without an under shirt make my rib hump a lot more noticeable.  The largest cosmetic perk of the spinal fusion was the elimination of this rib hump which I have HATED my whole life.  It makes me very self consious and upset that I can't wear a lot of clothes that I would really like to wear.  It's also very uncomfortable to not be able to lean up against a chair b/c ur rib hump hits the flat surface first.

That being said, I spent the last week doing a lot of research on rib humps and whether or not it will go away after the surgery.  It looks very promising that my rib hump will dissapear, despite my surgeon saying that it will only improve around 50%.  It seems as if surgeons only say that b/c it is not guaranteed to dissapear.  If there was no rib hump, there is a good chance that I would not choose to have this surgery now.  It really has been the largest motivator in my descion. 

One thing in particular that I learned is that many times patients decide to have parts of their ribs removed in an attempt to make this rib hump completely go away.  The results to this addition to the surgery is EXTREME pain.  Every person that I spoke to that has had this addition to the surgery has said it hurt a million times worse where the ribs were removed than where the fusion took place.  Another food for thought is the negative effect rib removal has on the lungs.

Just a couple of things to think about... Let me know what you guys think :)

Pre-Operation Testing

I was led to believe that I was going to have to be put through some serious pre-operation testing.  I just got note from the doctor and all he will need is some blood tests, bending x-rays, and an examination from the hospital's physician.  This is a serious relief after hearing about the brutal tests most patients have to endure.  Word is the tests were more harsh than the actual surgery.  Apparently my age has spared me from these tests.  Another great reason for getting this done at an earlier age!  My surgeon's assistant already booked the date for the Pre-Operation testing for me.  December 22 is the date.  The time is going by so fast...

I can only hope and pray that everything goes according to plan.  As the time gets closer, I get more nervous.  I'm getting second thoughts and that's not good!  I have to be strong and be confident in my body and my surgeon.  Now, how to stop the nightmares...

Happy Halloween Everyone !!

Tonight I am going to my friend's Halloween party.  It should be a lot of fun.  I'm going as Pocohauntas.  My brother is going as Herbert from Family Guy and I'm not sure what my other friends are going as yet.  I'll make sure to post some pictures.  I feel like a little kid b/c I love playing dress up...  =D

Vegan Vs. Surgery

My grandmother and I got into a little tiff two days ago.  I am a vegan and she feels that this is going to negatively effect the outcomes of my surgery.  Her argument is that I am not getting sufficient amounts of protein and iron which is going to cause complications either during or after my surgery.  While I agree that I do need a healthy amount of protein and iron, I can not bring myself to eat a rotting piece of carcass.  I make up for this by eating a lot of beans, soy products, and green vegetables. Although she recognized that I do eat those things, she said that she would not be convinced until I contacted my surgeon.

I spoke to my surgeon directly and he stated that a vegetarian diet is a GREAT diet if done correctly.  He told me to make sure that I am consuming enough iron b/c vegetarians are commonly deficient in it.  I also found out that the surgical assistant who would be performing my surgery is a vegetarian himself.  (Great Omen =D )

Result:  My grandmother and I compromised.  She understands that I can't and won't eat meat, but she insists that I occassionally have dairy products or eggs.  We also agreed on me eating fish once in a while.  Since she has been there for me through all of this and she is the one who is going to take care of me after the surgery, I was glad to put her at peace of mind.

Micro Pigs

My mom called me bright and early today to let me know about the new pet phenomenom.  They are called Micro Pigs or Tea Cup pigs.  I googled them this morning and they are so adorable!!  They run at about 1100 dollars each and make great pets.  They are smarter and more loving then some dogs.  Since I was little I always wanted a pig (silly dream, I know!! lol).  I have been a vegan for a while now, but before I was a vegan as a young child I NEVER ate pork.  I couldn't bring myself to chow down on such cute animals!!

My after surgery goal:  Get well quickly enough to bring home my very own tea cup piglet.  I already picked out a name, Nai.  Nai is Ian spelled backwards (named for the lovely Ian Somerhalder).  Mac (My gecko) can use some company since the passing of my beloved hedgehog, Mada.  I guess you can say I'm an animal lover..

My Mr. Mac N. Cheese =D