BACK Talk:

Hello my lovely blog followers (mom, dad, and Rachel)! I cannot believe it, but my surgery is just around the corner! I had my pre-op appointment on Friday, and it's crazy how real this is all becoming. Upon arriving at the hospital for my pre-op, I was directed to fill out some paperwork with my father. Within no time, that was completed, and I was sent into the pre-op suits for blood and urine testing. The nurse who took my blood was pretty funny; she poked at one vein for about 3 minutes murmuring, "squishy vein" over and over again. When I was asked to do the urine sample, I sort of panicked because I had used the bathroom immediately before my appointment (oops!). Instead, I was handed a bottle of water and instructed to drink it all. The appointment was rather short, and not too exciting to write about.

So, in addition to writing about my hospital stay, I put together a list of things I packed for the surgery for all of you who are having spinal fusion.

THINGS I PACKED:

Clothing:
-TWO pairs of pajamas (with buttons down the front, since I heard its hard to lift your arms)
-ONE bathrobe
-ONE pair of fuzzy socks

Toiletries (separated into different ziplock):
-Toothbrush, toothpaste, and retainer (oral hygiene)
-Vaseline[for dry lips] and moist face wipes (facial hygiene)
-Hair-ties and a comb (for hair)

Comfort:
-A body pillow (everyone I've talked to said they're amazing to hold on to)
-Regular pillows (I feel more comfortable bringing my own from home)
-My favorite blanket (to keep me warm in the already 109* weather)

Entertainment:
-My iPad
-Headphones
-Movies (the "Lego Movie," "the Breakfast Club," and "Easy A" were among my choices)
-My laptop
-Homework
-A DVD player to hook up to the TV in my room
-A power strip to charge all my devices at once

I hope my list helped all of you getting the surgery soon, and I wish you the best of luck! Additionally, I thank you all for supporting me on this "curvy" journey, and I will wrote again soon!

NO WORRIES: MORE BACK TALK WITH BE AVAILABLE SOON :))

⚓️Alaine⚓️

BACK to the future: (these puns just get better and better)

Hello everyone! Like I said in my last blog post, I am hoping to write more frequently as my surgery is a mere 6 days away (the last few months have flown by). After touring the hospital yesterday, I felt like I had some new information to share. (By the way, I sincerely thank you all for listening to me complain for so long! If I had to listen to me complain all of this time, I would have likely thrown myself out the window). 

So moving on to review my hospital tour:

I must admit, the experience was interesting. We arrived at the hospital lobby with two other families. We then talked to the physical therapist who informed us when they would begin teaching us to function again (considering I can barely function now, it will be interesting to see how I am after surgery). 

I got the biggest kick out of the PT explaining "log rolls" where, because of my limited ability to twist, I must resort to imitating a block of wood to begin my daily functions. But, sarcasm aside, I feel ready for this surgery. 

After we finished talking to the physical therapist, the nurse led us around the hospital to the pre-op, OR, ICU, and recovery suites. My hospital is extremely nice, and I am glad I don't have to share a room with anyone. 

The most interesting part of the tour was the explanation of what machinery I will be hooked up to. I have a heart monitor, an IV, and (god-forbid) a catheter. 

I actually have a funny little story about the catheter. Once the nurse explained the catheter's purpose, another girl from the tour who already had the surgery said she had thought the catheter would be great until she actually had to use it. When I asked her why, she simply replied with "who doesn't wanna pee in a bag at least once in their life"

My family got to ask questions of the girls who already had the surgery, and they were so expressive of how happy they were to get the operation. I feel even more confident about the surgery, and I cannot wait to have a great last weekend before surgery. 

FYI, I have declared this week ALW (Alaine's Last Week), so spread the word! #ALW

I will be BACK to post more soon,

⚓️Alaine⚓️

Watch Your Back:

Hello everyone! Some pretty exciting things have occurred since my last blog post. Last week I had to miss school because I had a severe ear infection that caused my ear drum to rupture (yes, I am currently deaf in my right ear). I feel I honestly have the worst luck when it comes to  medical problems :(. Well, over the past week, my ear has slowly begun the healing process, which is great!  Now moving on to the "back talk"

I HAD MY MEETING WITH THE DOCTOR TODAY :)🎉

I took some extra x-rays, and my family had an opportunity to ask the doctor questions about the surgery and recovery. Some of my parent's questions included:

1. How long after surgery can Alaine return to school?
2. How soon after the surgery can she shower?
3. How does the surgery work?

As you can see, they were the responsible ones when it came to asking questions. My questions went something along the lines of:

1. How soon after surgery can I ride roller coasters?
2. Is it possible to get a handicap parking sticker?
3. Exactly HOW good is the food in the cafeteria?

The doctor gladly answered both sets of questions, reassuring us the surgery would be fine! I honestly feel great about the surgery and all of my preexisting fears have disappeared. I cannot wait to increase my height by 1 1/2 inches!

With my surgery just a week away, I will be updating my blog more frequently. Until next time!

I will be BACK,
⚓️ Alaine ⚓️

Thank you Caitlin for being my Executive Editor
and Finn as my Marketing Manager

Surgery (Disc)ussion Time {see what I did there}

So, after starting my blog, I felt it was necessary to explain the surgery and recovery process.  I will begin with the surgical procedure :). A spinal fusion surgery varies with every patient according to the severity and needs of their case. In my surgery, the doctor will make an incision down my back (from neck to lower back) and move the skin and muscles aside to achieve access to my spine. He will then attach screws to the individual vertebrae all the way down my spine (isn't that groovy). After the screws are in place, the doctor will secure 1 or 2 titanium rods to the top and bottom vertebrae, pulling my spine straight.  An artificial bone graft will be used to begin the fusion of the vertebrae. The doctor will then use plastic surgeon stitching techniques to create a thinner scar.

After awaking from the surgery, the pain is said to be rather severe, but with everyday, the pain becomes less. The hospital stay is between 5-7 days and the rest of the recovery process will be at home. I will be returning to school after approximately 4 weeks (depending on the manageability of the pain).

Although the surgery sounds intimidating and scary, it will change my life for the better by eliminating back pain in the long run.

The surgery will forever better me, but I will have some limitations due to the spinal fusion.  Basically, my spine will fuse into one bone, so I will not be able to bend at any point in my back. I cannot twist too quickly, or soon, after surgery. Driving will be a challenge, but of course, all of these challenges can be overcome.  I will be BACK ;) soon to share my journey.

⚓️Alaine⚓

I've Got Your Back

Hello! For those of you who do not know me, my name is Alaine. I was diagnosed with double scoliosis (a spinal deformity that causes the vertebrae to twist and curve) in April. So to explain where I am now, I believe a little background info is
necessary :)

So, growing up, I have always been known to be quite the hypochondriac. For those of you who know me, yes I know it is hard to believe. I would constantly claim I had acquired many different illnesses and diseases that would cause me to perish fairly soon. Well, after hearing about scoliosis, I became sure I had it too, although my body showed no signs supporting my definitive claims. I began to complain of my back pain (this was actually present; not just a figment of my imagination) to my parents and friends telling them, "I have scoliosis" in many different variations and sentences. However many different ways I swore it true, all receivers of the news would reply in a similar way-a smile and laugh. 

In February of 2014, a large "muscle mass" became present on my lower left back. It was fairly large, and I immediately began to swear I have cancer (yes, I may STILL be a hypochondriac). My parents did admit it was weird and often traced my seemingly straight spine, concluding amongst themselves I, in fact, did NOT have scoliosis-dismissing me once again with a smile and laugh. As the mass began to become larger and larger, my parents agreed to take me to my pediatrician in mid-April. Upon showing my doctor the bump, he immediately said he thought it was a scoliosis case. From my bent over stance, I looked up at my dad (who stood there in disbelief), and 3 words  escaped from my mouth- "I told you". We were then sent to take x-rays to confirm the doctor's diagnosis. 

Within the end of the day, it was confirmed, I have double scoliosis with two 45 degree curves located in my thoracic and lumbar region.

Within the month, I was sent to a specialist (referred to by everyone my family knew) and the unthinkable was confirmed-scoliosis surgery was the only way to fix my curved spine.

So, with that background information in order, I begin my blog--less than a month before surgery.  I am scheduled for my spinal fusion on September 2nd, the day following Labor Day. I am determined to maintain this blog so my friends and family can monitor my progress. I also hope to be an example for those interested in the surgery, or are  receiving the surgery. So with that, I begin my journey!

⚓️Alaine⚓️