Sorry, I had to put that title cause it was so funny!! Anyways, sorry. So as you can hopefully tell, I have now been to my pre-op appointment. It was over a week ago now but I was just so tired and have been really busy, so I hadn't written a new post. So, my pre op went well I suppose. I did a lot, beginning with a LOT of x-rays. The worst one was where i had to lie across a polystyrene bump on the bed. It was SO SORE because it was pushing so hard on my ribs which in turn straightened the curve. I had other ones too like bending and traction where they pull on you "gently" (NOT!).
Anyway, then i got an EKG, and i seriously can't explain it cause it was so quick and i just lay on the bed for like 30 seconds. I think there were stickers or something on my chest, which i was a bit self conscious because i had to take my bra off and have a gown barely covering me, but oh well. After that i got blood work and i used to hate needles, but it was just painless, and so easy. That is just as well because when we went to hand the sheet back into the nurse she was like :Oh, you missed one!" So i had to go have another blood test, which I wasn't even bothered by. I am so happy that blood tests aren't an issue anymore. After that I had about a bite of a sandwich which they gave us, and it was cold so it was nice, despite the fact that it had egg and ham in which i usually dont like haha. This was also at one o clock so i guess i was hungry enough too! Anyway, as I said, after a bite I was rushed off to get photography of my "before" back. I did have to take everything off and just use my arms to cover up, but the photos were only for me as a reference so I wasn't even that freaked about that. I also had my height and weight measured, and peed in a cup, an experience i had never had before! It was weird.
Then we finally got to have some down time and relax while my nurse explained lots of things about what it's like in the hospital, and went extensively through my medical history which literally has nothing! Then I had a physical by the house surgeon who was really cool and nice, and a 3 minute talk with physio which basically consisted of giving me the incentive spirometer which is a device you blow into to help open your lungs. We then waited 2 HOURS for the surgeon to come, as he was really late. As it turned out he had to do an emergency surgery, so it was okay. He basically talked through my x-rays which were awesome! He said my curve is really flexible, and as a result of this, he can offer me the endoscopic approach. This basically making a few inch cuts down my side. He will go in, using a camera and take out all the disc stuff. After that he will somehow put in screws and rods down from about T4 to T12, and attach a rod so he can straighten the curve. I have no idea how he gets a rod through a few small cuts, but that's fine by me! The endoscopic is the best option in terms of recovery, pain, and complications. The only con is that I have to be a bit more careful before the bone is fused, as breakage or failure to fuse is higher. He went through all the risks such as paralysis, nerve damage ect. That was more scary, even though I already knew it, him saying these things just make it seem startlingly real. I had decided at the end of this, I would prefer the endoscopic approach, as he still offered me the posterior, but he would fuse more levels, it would be a longer recovery more pain and higher chance of complications.
I'm glad I didn't agree to endoscopic right then and there though, because next i had a meeting with the anesthesiologist. He talked about how he will be giving me an injection to put me to sleep, and that one of my lungs would need to be deflated, which he controls. He also said I'll have a tube down my throat, and a really big one if i choose the endoscopic surgery. He jokingly said "You won't be singing for a few months!" And I thought okay, i can handle not singing for a few months, i guess i'm going to have to anyway. Mum asked him about it, she said "Well, she does like her singing, so it will affect her being able to sing?" This was an understatement. I think I sing my way through most of the day, but I was prepared to give it up for a few months to fix my back. He then told us that because of how large the tube is for the endoscopic approach, that it can damage your throat and vocal chords. He said that after a while it will heal, but not all the way, and I will possibly loose the pitch at the end of a note. That freaked me out SO MUCH. Honestly, I was so upset, and I just thought, okay, there's no way I am having the endoscopic surgery, I will just have to deal with the posterior. Its not worth it. He moved on, and clearly didn't see that as a problem at all. That was the end of an extremely loooong day, and i was happy to go and play touch rugby with my school team afterwards, which was great to just make me relax and take my mind off the whole thing.
If you are going to a pre-op soon, I really recommend you to do some exercise after it, even just going for a walk on the beach or something. It also gave me a chance to think, and I decided that it is the right decision to go with the endoscopic fusion anyway. It's a small price to pay to get back into my life again. I am an activew person, and I can't sit still for long. I wanted to preserve flexibility i would lose by doing the posterior, i will have a much smaller scar, less pain, less complications. It's just not worth the gamble in case I lose pitch at the end of my voice, but it has been nice to have time to think it over.Sorry this was such a long post, there was just so much to tell. Someday soon I will upload my x-rays :)
