i appreciate the advice. I live alone and have no one who can help me. No family are close enough geographically or have the ability to take time off to help. My Mom is almost 95 and is in Independent living in a senior living community where I used to work--but, like yours, I take her to doctor appointments and help her shop, set up her pillbox, etc. She's not totally independent. This surgery will present a lot of unique challenges I haven't faced before, including not being able to help my Mom nor take her out weekly. Where did you get that S-shaped pole you mentioned? That sounds great! As long as I've been in the business, i've never seen one of those nor a shower chair with wheels. The shower chair with wheels, I'm afraid, would be seen as dangerous in the senior living industry... I suppose they lock in place, however.

The minimally invasive scoliosis procedure involves two much smaller incisions: one on the back and one on the side. The recovery period is much shorter and it's much less invasive overall, as you can imagine. I so wish I'd known about it and hadn't just left the decision up to my doctor. He really thought he was giving me the correct advice since it's a relationship of about 20 years now. i have images that go back years but I haven't asked for a comparison to see how my curves have progressed over the years. i know now mine are at 68 and 42 degrees. It's definitely in the severe category. I had to quit working because of the pain. My lowest ribs are inside my pelvic girdle and they cause me a huge amount of pain and discomfort when leaning or lifting. I can't wait for them to be lifted out of there in surgery.

I hope to hear from others who are post-op or longer to find out what life is like with rods, pins and screws, basically the length of my spine. I will have several lumbar and thoracic fusions.

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