Did you ever get a second opinion about your medical condition?

Did you ever get a second opinion about your medical condition?

My second opinion changed my life.

When I was 14, I was having horrible back pain. People kept pointing out to me that I needed to, “stand up straight.”

I started getting bullied for my appearance and “hunchback”, which seemed to appear over the course of a year. I went to a few doctors, who never x-rayed my back. They said I had weak muscles and poor posture.

However, the chiropractic/physical therapy sessions weren’t working. I was stretching and exercising, but I still couldn’t stand up straight. My solution was to grow my hair long enough to cover my back and always be aware to stand as straight as I could… even though it hurt. My biggest nightmare was having it become worse.

When I turned 26, I was working with a spinal surgeon who was fixing the back of a young girl.

“You think this girl’s back is bad enough to need surgery?” I asked the surgeon.

This doctor was amazing. He was kind, smart, and funny. The nurses would fight over who would work with him the days he operated.

“Of course!” He said. “That is a pretty bad back! And she’s in a lot of pain. Why do you ask?”

“Because my back is just like her back. But every doctor I’ve talked to says it’s not a big deal.”

“Why don’t you come in to my office next week and I’ll take a look. Couldn’t hurt!”

He took images, and came back into the exam room. He was speechless.

“I had no idea! You hide your back really well. Your muscles are so overdeveloped from all those years you tried so hard to stand up straight. I doubt anyone had a clue! You have kyphoscoliosis, a rare condition where the spine starts to curve when you hit puberty. A normal forward curve is 20–40 degrees. Your curve is 90 degrees... Twice as bad as the patient we operated on last week.”

This is a side view of the x-ray he showed me that day:

For reference, this is a picture of a spine with normal forward curvature:

I was so emotional. This was the first time in my life anyone had acknowledged my pain and condition.

I was recommended to have a 10-level spinal fusion to straighten my spine. And I had to hurry. After the age of 30, most surgeons will refuse to do this surgery. The spine becomes fixed and stiff as we age. The bones in my back could be broken in an attempt to straighten, and there was a risk of neurological damage. I was running out of time.

Even though I was terrified, I agreed to the operation. He was a pediatric spinal surgeon. I was the oldest patient he ever agreed to operate on.

The operation was a complete success. Recovery was excruciating. But after 3 months I was pain-free, compared to being in pain everyday for the last 12 years. I had a new life.

The best part? I gained 3 inches in height and a ton of confidence. There isn’t a day that goes by I am not thankful for that doctor and my new body. One reason I love surgery and healthcare. I was basically given a second chance at a healthy, pain-free body.

Here is my back today:

Doctors are human. They can overlook something. If you have a serious condition or ever question that something isn’t right, always seek a second opinion.

Image source Google

Thanks for Reading