Kickas.org Forums Treatments, Drugs and Alternatives Surgery I'm having surgery in 7 weeks.....

Hi Molly,

Thanks for your kind words of encouragement....I'll keep you posted of my progress.

Anthony:)

Hi Everyone,
Had my spinal surgery last Thursday, 12 hours in total. The surgeon & his amazing team were able to get my head up and I now have titanium screws & rods in my upper spine & neck. I was released after 6 days & I'm now back home. I will be seeing my surgeon again in 6 weeks where we will discuss a lower back surgery which will correct my posture even further. It's already an amazing transformation and the second surgery is more of a tweak. It's amazing to lay flat, sit upright and of course walk about with my head up so I can see where I'm going. It's now just a daily rehab routine and I just have to give myself time to recover from such an extreme surgery....dealing with pain, fatigue, lack of strength and I've got a few areas of my body that have some level of numbness. I just need to give my body time to adjust and recover.

I'll keep you updated on my progress or go check out my Instagram page. I posted a video right after surgery + a before and after pic and a video today 1 week later back at home. My Instagram is thesteelcomplex

Thanks,
AJ:)

Hi Everyone,
Had my spinal surgery last Thursday, 12 hours in total. The surgeon & his amazing team were able to get my head up and I now have titanium screws & rods in my upper spine & neck. I was released after 6 days & I'm now back home. I will be seeing my surgeon again in 6 weeks where we will discuss a lower back surgery which will correct my posture even further. It's already an amazing transformation and the second surgery is more of a tweak. It's amazing to lay flat, sit upright and of course walk about with my head up so I can see where I'm going. It's now just a daily rehab routine and I just have to give myself time to recover from such an extreme surgery....dealing with pain, fatigue, lack of strength and I've got a few areas of my body that have some level of numbness. I just need to give my body time to adjust and recover.

I'll keep you updated on my progress or go check out my Instagram page. I posted a video right after surgery + a before and after pic and a video today 1 week later back at home. My Instagram is thesteelcomplex

Thanks,
AJ:)

Well done AJ. I checked yr site, amazing photographs, can see the success of the op. Congrats all round. BTW - you must post to the surgery site, with yr photos.

Keep us posted as to progress. Take care now. Hope the pain is under control.

Careful as you go -

Molly C -Keeping on,Keeping on(as we do)

Hi Anthony,

It is so good of you to write again to let us know that your surgery was such a tremendous success. I'm so happy for you!!!

I just viewed your before and after photos on Instagram - wow, that is a stunning transformation, I can't even begin to imagine how you must be feeling to have your posture restored like this.

In Alan's book about his surgery, I was so moved by his descriptions of looking in the mirror for the first time post op, what it was like to shave... his whole outlook. I can only imagine you must be experiencing a similar sense of joy.

I hope your recovery goes as quickly and smoothly as possible and that things continue to improve each day as you adjust to this huge change.

Your sheer determination and will to find a way to battle back is seriously inspiring. Thank goodness that you had such a great surgeon and team, and such a positive outcome. I hope your next surgery proves to be every bit as successful!

Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Take very good care,
mig

I loved reading this thread. I am glad your surgery went so well.
How are you doing now?
When you can, would you update?

Blessings.

Hello Everyone - As some of you know I had spine surgery 13wks ago to lift my head up....I had numbness in my thighs, lower middle chest & forearms + half my left hand including my little finger. I also had a droopy right side of my face & my eye looked different. I lost a great deal of dexterity & grip strength in my hands + overall strength was lost.
The 1st 4wks were very painful & the numbness in my left forearm & hand turned to extreme pain (I had to wear a compression bandage to help with the pain)......progress over those 1st few weeks was very slow, however once the 5th week started I began to heal at an accelerated rate. At the beginning of week 7 I began to exercise again (just using my exercise bike) & by week 9 I was back to lifting weights again.
For the last 4 weeks I've been back to full training again & my strength has returned to 95% where I was at before surgery...my dexterity has returned & also my grip strength. My left little finger is still numb but improving, however the other areas have really improved & the numbness is much less & continues to dissipate, my face has gotten better & my eye continues to improve but it's all about nerves so I need to give it time & continue my face exercises....Obviously the healing process will take over a year to really settle down & nobody expected me to be training again so soon but I was determined to get on with it....amazingly I can even get on the floor again,sit on my knees or even on my bum with crossed legs. I can even do pushup again or situps on the floor....I'm feeling fantastic and that's just from my head going back up.
The reason for my determination is that although having my head up is fantastic & has really changed my life....it wasn't the revelation I was hoping for. When I'm sat down I look pretty much normal & I can move my head in all directions again (obviously not like a normal person) but actually not bad at all. However when I stand up everything changes because my upper spine is so curved. I simply can't stand up straight.....when I'm sat down my head is on top of my shoulders but when I stand up the upper spine engages & it pushes my head forward (not down) & it makes me look not right again. When I stand with my back against a wall with my feet against the wall the full extent of the curve becomes apparent.......
From the moment I stood up after the 1st surgery I knew I wanted to have the 2nd surgery & I've been pushing & begging to have it done as soon as possible......I saw the spinal team a couple of weeks ago & they were amazed at my progress....I continued to push & finally it paid off.
My 2nd surgery had been scheduled for Thursday 2nd November, exactly 16wks after the 1st.......Hopefully my spine will be straightened & I'll be able to stand up nice & straight, lay down nice & flat & sit in a seat at a proper right angle. The combination of the 2 surgeries will hopefully be enough to make me look normal again & having that posture will give me a much better quality of life. I was amazed how just having my head corrected really affected other areas of my body....My legs felt stretched out, so did my chest & stomach......I really can't imagine what it's going to be like when my actual spine is corrected......
I'm feeling strong & fit......I'm training twice a day & prepping my body to go through it all over again. I might be crazy to put myself through major spinal surgery again so soon but I feel so close to normality I just want to get it done & then spend the next few months rehabbing from both surgeries.
I'm extremely excited about reclaiming my life & I'm ready to rock & roll.
On the day of my surgery the BBC will be following my surgeon (as part of a tv show/documentary) & I've been asked if it's OK if they interview me both before & after my surgery.....crazy times.

So I'm going to take the next 3wks to continue training & then it's showtime.....

Anthony:)

My spinal surgery very similar in some ways to what Anthony see above had done was performed in 1983. It took two attempts to get the job done and ended up with my being in hosp. for about six months. Three months of this was spent on a plaster-bed.

All in all it was the best thing re. my A.S. that I ever had done. I had a benefit from it that lasted me over twenty years. I would still have the same surgery done but at over seventy years old I can't find a surgeon willing to take the job on. Too risky they tell me.

The reason why I now have problems is due to the radiotherapy they used on me way back before the surgery. This has caused even more nerve damage etc. Radiotherapy would not be used today as a treatment for A.S. The cancer risk alone is too great.
So give yourself time Anthony I am sure you still have more room for improvement and remember to let us know how you get on.

Anthony - are a hero!
What a good example you are!
It did me good to hear of your struggles and of your victory!

Well done!