When I was 8, we found out I had scoliosis (a curviture of the spine), though it was unnoticable from the outside. We tried and tried to deal with it, without surgery, for I was young and my spine was going to be growing for a while. There were 2 curves, and they were to the side, so not like a hunchback or anything. Only x-rays showed how serious this was.
By the time I was 10, my wonderful doctor said surgery was necessary, and we could only correct the one curve. To correct both curves would stunt my growth, and look disproportionate. So, at 10, I had a small herrington rod put in, and it was a serious surgery, but very successfull. Nine months later, my brace came off, and you still couldn't tell anything had happened from the outside.
The HOPE, was that the other curve, would somehow straighten itself out, and if not, it needed the same surgery later. We held out hope, and when I was getting ready to go to high school, as a freshmen, I went to the doctor to make sure I didn't need another surgery. I did. The curve needed to be dealt with, and I was very upset, for I was sure I didn't need to go through this again. Younger is one thing, high school, a totally other thing.
My mom took me one day, after asking if I wanted to go see a pastor at our church to pray. He talked to us and decided we would pray for complete healing, for my bone to become straight, and that NO surgery would be necessary. We told him, oh.. um, we have an appointment and everything, it IS needed, etc. He said, lets pray anyway. He prayed, we left. Later, we went to my pre op visit, to talk about everything, etc. My mom asked if we could have one last xray, and my doctor said sure we could. He came back, and was confused, and left the room, said he was sorry they gave him the wrong one, etc. He came back, and my mom said, "we prayed it would be healed.." and my doctor said, "it must have worked". I never needed it, never have, and my back is still straight.
One week it was crooked ,the next it was straight. No surgery EVER needed on it, all these years later.
Ocean
:)
