Scoliosis - Spine Straightening
Donation protected
----UPDATE----
I have completed the surgery - most difficult experience of my life. It will take 3 months for the bones to fuse and up to 12 months of physio to recover, so I unfortunately won't be getting properly back into work until next year, any and all help is greatly appreciated. Here are the results!
If you would like to read more about my journey, head on over to my blog
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I currently have a progressively deteriorating curve of 52 degrees and am due for surgery in a few months, as I have been putting it off for years. I still manage to keep fit, active, hike, swim, do yoga and eat healthy as maintaining muscles helps my spine so much.⠀
I couldn't be more terrified going into surgery alone and trusting doctors to fix me but I'm more scared that if I don't do it, the pain will incrementally increase (as it has been, I am on a chronic pain management program and regular opiod doses) until it is too twisted to fix and recover within a reasonable time frame. They say recovery will take 3 to 12 months to fully recover.
I am on this platform to ask people to help me pay for the surgery and associated costs as I have no family support here in Australia. Should I have returned to the US (I am a dual citizen) it would cost around $110,000. Here it costs $13,000 plus associated costs, on-going health insurance plus the $500 excess, physio, an at-home nurse, post-op care, surgeon appointments, plus an inability to work means that my rent, bills, food and cat will need to be taken care of. I have about $6000 to go towards the surgery but after a recent and unfortunate redundancy I won't be able to work straight after several months of receovery. I'm lucky to have such amazing friends over here that I'm certain I'll feel very supported. I live with friends that will undoubtedly help me outside of work hours with food and personal hygiene so minimise at-home nursing costs. The costs are estimated for a 3 month recovery but it can take up to 12 months.
All contributions make a difference to my life and will help aid my recovery. I hope to blog through the surgery (when coherent after about a week) and touch anyone that is going through pain and hardship physcially and emotionally and help people feel confident within their bodies as well.
Growing up with scoliosis meant a lot of pain, bullying and insecurity for me. I wore a full (from underarms to bottom of bum) scoliosis brace from age 3 to 16. The boys used to knock on my back and call me turtle - my insecurity was so awful that it made me shy and closed off to everyone.
It also made me angry to see how people treated me differently for no reason aside from my disability. In gym class, every year, they performed "scoliosis checks" on the students in front of the entire classroom, each teacher, each year thinking they had detected it in me would exclaim in from of everyone "I think you have a bit of scoliosis" and send me to the nurse (I was allowed to remove the brace for showering and gym class).⠀
⠀
I've worked extra hard for everything I have acheived and I am so proud; having grown into myself, travelled the world, moved countries, switched careers and obtained multiple citizenships, I still have moments of insecurity but I am also so proud of myself and how far I have come.
⠀
Looking back to adolescent and teenage me, I wish I could tell that girl that one day you'll realise that your strife does't define you but it builds your character and it won't matter when you are older because you will slowly build confidence in yourself, your abilities and meet people that accept and love you for who you are as a person.⠀
⠀
I am proud of my hard work - physically, mentally and emotionally - and who I am as a person and I want people to identify with my struggle and coming out the other end - and to have faith that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am in constant pain and I'm looking forward to when I can sit in a chair comfortably, or walk without a limp, or not get so tired just from holding my body upright.
You only get one body. Please help me ensure that mine works to it's maximum capacity.
Love to all. xxxx
I have completed the surgery - most difficult experience of my life. It will take 3 months for the bones to fuse and up to 12 months of physio to recover, so I unfortunately won't be getting properly back into work until next year, any and all help is greatly appreciated. Here are the results!
If you would like to read more about my journey, head on over to my blog
----------------------------------------
I currently have a progressively deteriorating curve of 52 degrees and am due for surgery in a few months, as I have been putting it off for years. I still manage to keep fit, active, hike, swim, do yoga and eat healthy as maintaining muscles helps my spine so much.⠀
I couldn't be more terrified going into surgery alone and trusting doctors to fix me but I'm more scared that if I don't do it, the pain will incrementally increase (as it has been, I am on a chronic pain management program and regular opiod doses) until it is too twisted to fix and recover within a reasonable time frame. They say recovery will take 3 to 12 months to fully recover.
I am on this platform to ask people to help me pay for the surgery and associated costs as I have no family support here in Australia. Should I have returned to the US (I am a dual citizen) it would cost around $110,000. Here it costs $13,000 plus associated costs, on-going health insurance plus the $500 excess, physio, an at-home nurse, post-op care, surgeon appointments, plus an inability to work means that my rent, bills, food and cat will need to be taken care of. I have about $6000 to go towards the surgery but after a recent and unfortunate redundancy I won't be able to work straight after several months of receovery. I'm lucky to have such amazing friends over here that I'm certain I'll feel very supported. I live with friends that will undoubtedly help me outside of work hours with food and personal hygiene so minimise at-home nursing costs. The costs are estimated for a 3 month recovery but it can take up to 12 months.
All contributions make a difference to my life and will help aid my recovery. I hope to blog through the surgery (when coherent after about a week) and touch anyone that is going through pain and hardship physcially and emotionally and help people feel confident within their bodies as well.
Growing up with scoliosis meant a lot of pain, bullying and insecurity for me. I wore a full (from underarms to bottom of bum) scoliosis brace from age 3 to 16. The boys used to knock on my back and call me turtle - my insecurity was so awful that it made me shy and closed off to everyone.
It also made me angry to see how people treated me differently for no reason aside from my disability. In gym class, every year, they performed "scoliosis checks" on the students in front of the entire classroom, each teacher, each year thinking they had detected it in me would exclaim in from of everyone "I think you have a bit of scoliosis" and send me to the nurse (I was allowed to remove the brace for showering and gym class).⠀
⠀
I've worked extra hard for everything I have acheived and I am so proud; having grown into myself, travelled the world, moved countries, switched careers and obtained multiple citizenships, I still have moments of insecurity but I am also so proud of myself and how far I have come.
⠀
Looking back to adolescent and teenage me, I wish I could tell that girl that one day you'll realise that your strife does't define you but it builds your character and it won't matter when you are older because you will slowly build confidence in yourself, your abilities and meet people that accept and love you for who you are as a person.⠀
⠀
I am proud of my hard work - physically, mentally and emotionally - and who I am as a person and I want people to identify with my struggle and coming out the other end - and to have faith that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am in constant pain and I'm looking forward to when I can sit in a chair comfortably, or walk without a limp, or not get so tired just from holding my body upright.
You only get one body. Please help me ensure that mine works to it's maximum capacity.
Love to all. xxxx
Organiser
Elyse Elmer
Organiser
Haymarket NSW
