Well, I was glad to know that I had some of the best professionals in the world working on my situation. Knowing that, it lifted a great deal of weight off my shoulders. I had enough knowledge about scoliosis to be comfortable with what was happening to me. The doctors, specialists, and nurses were all a huge help throughout this event.
The day of my surgery, I was still able to remain calm about what was in store for me. Meanwhile, both of my parents were terrified and scared for their little girl. As I was saying goodbye to both of my parents, I could see in their eyes that they were terrified and sad to see me go into such an intense operation. Knowing that, I knew I had to make them happy. So I reassured them both and let them know that everything would be okay and that I was in good hands.
I started to walk down the hall to go into the operating room fearlessly. It was just like an ordinary day for me. The second I walked into that room, reality hit me quick. As I started to glance around looking at all the scary equipment that they use during operations, I had a number of thoughts rushing through my head. I was nervous, scared, but anxious for the operation to happen. My body started to sweat all over and became very loose and droopy. I didn’t think the room was going to be that intimidating. The surgeons all knew what I was feeling and were very supportive and helped me remain calm.
The surgery was a few hours long, which felt like a decade for both of my parents. I was later placed in the recovery room, which from my recollection was long, dark, and cold. I do remember that the nurse kept giving me medication and telling me it would help ease the pain. At that moment in time, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t talk, and frankly, I was feeling helpless.
Later, I was placed into my room, where I stayed for a few days. I don’t remember everything about my stay, but I do remember that in the next day or two after my surgery, the nurses made me get up and walk. It was torture! The nurses walked into my room and told me today was the day I was going to walk. At that point, I thought they were nuts. When they started to move the pillows and try to lift me up, I realized yes, they were nuts, but all for good reason. It was hard, but with my positive attitude, I was able to walk after a day. This helped move the recovery along quickly. The frequent visits from various nurses and from my surgeon helped me feel more relaxed with everything.
Some positive advice I can give to someone who may be going through the same experience that I went through is this. Remember, even though for weeks or even months, you may be taking various medications, the dosage will decrease by the amount of progression that you have.
I was able to remain positive throughout the whole experience. Having a positive attitude is the key to having a successful recovery. You need to remain calm and try to keep as comfortable as you can.
Also, if you need something, whether it’s just help adjusting one of the pillows or help going to the washroom, do not to be afraid to ask whom ever. Everyone that was surrounding me at different times was there for me, and only me. Nurses, doctors, and even my parents know the severity of the surgery that had just occurred, and wanted the most comfortable and relaxing position for me.
You need to realize that even though the pain is intense, it will go away with time and that’s where positive attitude comes in. If you have a positive attitude and do everything you are told, it will be a successful surgery.