One of my best friends is going to have three surgurys this year, all pretty close together. She has very bad scoliosis (sp?), to the point where she can stand up straight and rest three school books on her hip without slouching. The surgeon wants to get this surgury done before the end of november.
Also, she has very bad knee problems. She had surgury once to fix it, but the surgeons popped it out of place while doing the surgury and for the past few months she has been grinding it in the wrong spot. So they have to fix that after the back surgury. They want all this done aroudn christmas time.
And then there is her chest. She has a deep indentation in her chest that has been causing her breathing problems. The docs want to get it back to its normal place so that she doesnt have any more problems. My friend and I are only 15, i hate that she has to go through all this, so could you all help me understand what will be done with her? and tell me when i can expect to be able to visit her after the back surgury. Thank you all!

Your friend is facing some tough times, and will need your support more than ever. I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you what the procedures will be, but I believe that where these things are concerned the earlier done the better. My 21 year old granddaughter just went through 14 operations to fix the leg she smashed in the mountains but did come through it, and is on the upside now. These hard times will pass, and I'm betting yout friend will be so happy she had it done and got it over with. Good luck to you and to her and we will be keeping you both in our thoughts and prayers.

Catty (who not only believes in prayer, but depends on it heavily)

I'm sorry bluejewel for your friend and you having to go through this. I can't really tell you what to expect because I don't know exactly what surgury they will do. If they are putting a rod in her back she could be in body cast afterwards. But that just depends on what they do. I would be glad to help you with answers if you have any questions when you do go and see her. I work in the intensive care unit as a nurse. Let me know what you see and I can tell you what it is. She will probably have IV's in her arms which might be connected to a pump. It is a box on a pole. This box controls how fast her IV is going in her arm. She might have a oxygen on so she can breath easier. If she has a clip or a piece of tape like looking thing wrapped around her finger and it appears to be lit up reddish. That tells the nurses how her oxygent level is. Let me know if I can help with any thing else. Good luck!

The info that nursey63 gave you was very good. I also nurse and used to work in ICU/CCU and then an open heart step down unit. The other advice I'd have is, if you are a believer, put all your faith and trust in the good Lord above. He will see you through. You & she must have much faith and trust in the surgeons who are going to do her surgeries and pray that God guides their hands to do the best they can do with her. After the surgeries, the emotional support you and her friends and family give her is very important. Good luck to you both.........