My name is Samantha, and I am in Grade 11. I had scoliosis surgery three months ago.
How did you feel when you learned you had scoliosis?
When I first found out I had scoliosis, I thought it was kind of cool. I had to get a brace, and I had never known anyone who had a brace.
How did you feel when you found out about the surgery?
When I found out I might have to have the surgery, I thought it was just more of an option. But my curve got worse and it became something that I had to do. I didn't want to have to deal with it when I was older when it would be harder to recover from the surgery.
If you had a "do over", would you still have the surgery?
I don't regret the decision to have surgery at all because the results are so much better. I'm so much happier with my body - I'm a lot taller and a lot straighter. My flexibility is really limited, but now I don't have to worry about my curve being a problem for the rest of my life.
What was the toughest part of the whole experience?
When you're in the hospital, the nurses kind of push you every day. After the surgery, all you feel like doing is lying in bed. But they encourage you to get up and to walk. Each day I would have to walk down the hall, and I would go further and further each time. You want to do it because you're really dizzy, and you don't feel well, and you're sore.
How much pain did you feel after surgery?
Right when I woke up from the surgery, I remember the pain was actually only like a two or three (out of ten). I was really happy when I woke up. The pain didn't start to hit me until like two days later. The pills worked a lot better for me than the pain pump. I liked them because I could feel them working and you alway knew how much medicine you'd need. Whereas with the pain pump, you don't really know how much medicine you were getting.
What was it like to recuperate at home?
It was really weird when I got home, and I had to depend on my mom for everything. My mom stayed in the house with me the whole summer because she couldn't leave me alone. She had to help me get up - I couldn't go to the bathroom; I couldn't walk anywhere; I couldn't get things or change by myself; I couldn't do anything. I was also really nervous to take a shower because I thought it would hurt my scar.
At first, you can't do anything for like two or three weeks. But then all of a sudden, one day you're like, "You know, I feel like I can do this by myself." Every day you make more progress.
When you're in the hospital, there are all these people taking care of you; and when you go back to your house, it's an adjustment.
