Renee's Journey With Scoliosis

Having spine surgery can sound scary, so finding someone in the scoliosis community to relate to can make your experience much easier. In May 2019, I became a mentor to scoliosis patients at CHOC Children’s Hospital. I noticed everyone’s recovery is different so I thought it was a great idea to share another patients perspective of scoliosis surgery. I conducted an interview with a patient I mentored named Renee. I asked her some questions about her recovery experience and she had some words of advice and encouragement to share.

When were you diagnosed with scoliosis? 

 “I was diagnosed back in 7th grade, around 2014 when my family pediatrician noticed how I was standing a little slanted and ran a measurement in my spine.”—Renee

Did you wear a back brace? If so, how long?

“I wore a back brace for roughly two years and 13 hours a day. Wearing it over the summer was insane. Turns out it didn’t really help much with my condition.”—Renee

How did you feel when you found out you needed surgery?

“I had mixed opinions about the surgery; I thought it was exciting, that I finally could have a better posture with long-term benefits, and be happy about my appearance, but I was also nervous since it’s been so long since being under anesthesia. I didn’t know what to do with my emotions and thought that I’ll worry about it once the time comes.”—Renee

What modifications did you make after surgery?

“In terms of modifications, being back to my bedroom was so nice, but I took melatonin at times to fall asleep because it was difficult to sleep with the pain. I always had to make sure that I had 3 pillows with me for comfort. But I got to have bed and breakfast everyday so that was a plus. My family wouldn’t let me do chores because they’re somewhat overprotective because of how clumsy I am and wanted me to relax as much as possible.”—Renee

Is there any advice or encouragement you would like to give someone before their own surgery?

“Don’t be afraid of the surgery! And the pain will slowly go away, but it’s going to take progress. Appreciate the little things that you never got to do or neglected, such as spending quality time with your family and friends and taking a step back away from the hustle (especially if you’re still a student). As for the anesthesia and surgery itself, I knocked out as soon as the injection kicked in and don’t know what happened, but I love spending my time with the nurses and working with physical therapy. They’re so nice! I even got pictures with all of them. In the long run, your health is top priority, so the surgery can be thought of something as a long-term benefit towards your health. Now I’m working my way back towards running again and pursue track, so all the things that you’ll miss for a couple of months will be back eventually!”—Renee