Surprise!

Well, well, well.

I do LOVE surprises

and I got a BIG one!

My New York trip was aborted at the 11th hour!

Here's the scoop . . .

Last week, Dr. Boachie, my most distinguished surgeon, was HERE in UTAH for a conference where he was coronated as the incoming president of the international Scoliosis Research Society.

After four days of conferencing, Dr. B called my cell and suggested that we get together for breakfast in the morning.

I said, "Breakfast? I have a plane to catch early in the morning so I can see YOU in New York City!"

" Well," he responded, "Forget THAT!"

So, there I was, having just zipped up my suitcase, all prepared to LEAVE in a few hours, and SERENDIPITY came my way! Within fifteen minutes, I . . .

1. Cancelled the way-too-expensive hotel room.

2. Obtained a $359 "credit" for my flight purchase.

3. Pulled out my blueberry muffin recipe to start breakfast preparation.

(NOTE: Adaptability and speed are my forte, due to twenty years of running a childcare center where everything CAN and DOES happen . . . and you'd better take care of it QUICKLY!)

Early the next morning, I packed up a mostly-prepared breakfast, picked up Dr. B along with two research assistants from their hotel and we headed over to my brother's place.*

*My bro lives closer to downtown Salt Lake City
and it's far more desirable than my humble abode for entertaining.

When we arrived, I put the doctor in charge of figuring out why the stove wasn't working while the research assistants and I cut up the fruit. Eventually, the eggs were scrambled in the microwave and breakfast was served at the bar.
(Dr. B's diagnosis of the stove was that the gas had been turned off while my bro and wife were in Europe. Thus, the microwave.)

After devouring too much good food,
I got my appointment with
the traveling physician who
answered my 1,00,000 questions.

Of course, he needs to review some current x-rays, but everything looked GREAT.

We then took a tour of the gardens around the home, which got these city slickers OOHING and AHHING.


















Since the urbanites seemed to crave NATURE, I suggested a little excursion up into the nearby mountains which was met with GREAT ENTHUSIASM all around.

It only took about ten minutes to be right up in the pines.

Dr. B hiked to some waterfalls not far from the road. His non-gripping shoes were slipping on the wet rocks, but he eventually got the

UP-CLOSE EXPERIENCE

with the elements which he desired.

Soon we reached Snowbird Resort where we boarded the ski tram
that carried us up, UP, UP
to 'Hidden Peak'

. . . over 11,000 ft. altitude.

That was a real TRIP for these flat-landers!
Dr. B and his research assistants

Dr. B and myself with the Salt Lake Valley behind us.

My dear surgeon REALLY wanted to 'HOOF IT' back down to the lodge. He had NO IDEA how challenging that would be!

"I know you specialize in spines, but you gotta think about KNEES here!" I said.

As I was driving my guests back the hotel, we discussed the work in Ghana where my surgeon and sixty other physicians are doing pro-bono orthopedic surgeries on children.

FOCOS is the foundation established by Dr. Boachie to address complex spinal issues on the African continent.

If you would be interested in helping pay for a child's surgery, go here to see the children who need sponsorship. Since the surgeons' time and the medical hardware are donated, these surgeries are performed at a fraction of the 1st World pricetag. A twisted spine is not just a horrible deformity, it's a life of tormenting pain.

Dr. B. encouraged me to come to Ghana and be a part of the support team for the surgeons, when I fully recover. Now, THAT would be such incredibly meaningful service for this little Utah gal who finally . . .

STRAIGHTENED UP!

I'm Off to New York City

In two short days, I will be hopping onto a plane and flying

from the Rockies . . .
NOTICE MOUNT TIMPANOGOS
which I can see from my bedroom window. I can even see it from my bed,
if I twist my spine, which I'm not allowed to do.



to the Big Apple
for a little "check-up" with my surgeon.

NOTICE MANHATTAN:
My doctor's office is located right next to the East River, featured on this map. However, there is NO BEACH, which should lower the real estate, but DOESN'T. It's obscene what I'm paying for a room.

I'm testing my level of recovery with this SOLO jaunt.
Next week, I'll report.

I look forward to walking right by
the Hospital for Special Surgery
and over to Dr. B's office on the next block.
No slippers in an overnight case,
no "Special Surgery",
just a wee little appointment.

Here's a sneak preview of an important message for Dr. Boachie . . .

Even though I'm still "in recovery",

I feel better, better, BETTER
than I did before surgery.
I definitely feel . . .

Specifically, I have less pain. Before surgery, I was popping pain pills quite regularly in order to survive. Now, I take one in the evening IF I overdo during the day.

ONE QUALIFIER: Energy is still an issue, but it's SUPPOSE to be an issue for the first year or two post-surgery, so I shouldn't whine. After all, I'm solidly into middle age, not the best time of life for getting torn apart and put back together. Such shenanagans are definitely long-term ENERGY SUCKERS. Some day, I hope to announce . . .

(No more energy suckers in my life.)

While in New York City, I'll be swapping stories with another post-op patient, Janet, who I met on the on-line scoliosis support forum - see below. We'll share a meal together and a taxi ride back to the JFK airport,
since we are both Dr. Boachie Patients from Afar.

TAKE NOTE: The National Scoliosis Foundation Forum is the BEST resource for anyone with curvature of the spine. That's where Janet and I connected. It's also a place where you can get ANY question answered . . . regarding scoliosis, that is.

An Abbreviated History of My Scoliosis

When I was 13 years old,
I hit a growth spurt.
Instead of my spine growing up,
like a Sierra pine tree,
my spine became
more
expressionistic, like a Bonsai with a 59* curve.

Scoliosis Maxima!

In 1966,
during the Dark Ages
(of spinal fusions),
I was a pioneer patient,
with 8 fusions in my thorasic spine.

Following surgery,
my little 69-pound body was placed into a
plaster of paris body cast
that extended from my head down to my hips.

There was no instrumentation in those days
and so I had to lie very still, week after week,
while the bits of bone taken from my hip
grew into my spinal column.

I was hyperactive, by nature.
It was a hard year, locked up inside that cast.

When all the plaster was removed, I was pronounced healed.
(Sort of.)
The curve had been brought down from 59 to 29 degrees.
That was considered miraculous back in the 1960s.

I skipped away . . .
and went off to do my schooling, marrying, babies, and lots of high-risk sports.
My back was fine, fine, fine.

Until I started squirming in my seat around 1995.

Soooo, I picked up the pace of my fast-paced life to outrun something very much like . . . pain.

You see, at first I couldn't exactly admit
it was pain.

By the time my last child was married in 2004, it was undeniable PAIN.

Surgery wasn't an option.

I'd done that.

My brother began suggesting that I just might want to consider it.

I said absolutely no.

I did Pilates like a MANIAC.

I did Yoga like a Zen Master.

I hung upside down for hours on end,
WILLING my spine to straighten out.

My curve went back up from 29 degrees to 65 degrees.

My brother began borderline harassment.
GET YOUR BACK FIXED.
Find an expert.
Find the best guy in the world.
Your life is worth it.
I told him kindly . . .

But I knew he loved me. And I knew there was a small chance he was right. So, I went to St. Louis (Dr. Lenke). Then to Dallas (Dr. Shelakov). Finally New York City (Dr. Boachie).

The experts agreed.
I needed yet another surgery.

A BIG surgery.
That is, if I wanted A LIFE.
Was that even a question???
Of course I WANTED A LIFE.

I reconsidered my position.

And here I am today.
With massive technical assistance,
I've STRAIGHTENED UP once again.

Down from a 65 degree curve to a 26 degree curve.

Now I only have THIS to say
to my persistent & persuasive brother . . .

And I feel like THIS
as I recount my scoliosis history on this blog
and clearly see where I am now . . .