Tina is a 46 yo woman who had adolescent idiopathic scoliosis which progressed as an adult, with severe pain and deformity. She had he surgery with us at Hey Clinic / Duke Raleigh Hospital a little over a week ago.
She shares her thoughts below about her decision to have surgery, and the emotional side of the decision and the support she got that helped her through. Thanks for Sharing Tina!!
Dr. Hey
Hello Dr. Hey,
I just wanted to thank you so much for all you and your staff have done for me and my family. Im sorry I was so emotional that last two times youcame by to check on me . I dont know if you remember me just sitting there crying. This whole process has been so stressful on me but your clinic and the hospital have made it so much easier and Im so thankful I went through it. Im still having some pain of course but Im doing so much better. I wish I could have found you sooner ! I dont understand why so many doctors have pushed me off ? Im guessing because its such a complex surgery ? I dont feel like a twisted pretzel any more. Im so ever in your debt. The Lord has guided your hands to help so many people and I know he will continue to. Now I think of my huge pillow that my Mom has given me as a a great comfort . It use to be my grandmothers pillow(shes no longer with us now nor is my too loving grandfathers )and whenever i lay on It I think of it as there arms comforting me as i sleep assuring me its ok now and things are only going to get even better.My daddy laughs that Im much taller than I use to be and I laugh that now I can reach Tony easier now if i want to smack him . “just joking of course “
He has helped me so much also especially with quite smoking again this time with me, I hope I never start back up ever again. I have a family i love so much and life was getting too hard to do anything just to take care of the little things around the house I always tried to do .Scoliosis is a dreadful disease that so many people dont understand and dont know about. A lot of unknowledgeful people was thinking I am going to regret the surgery in the long run but I dont think so, I had the best on my side ! Thank you again !
One More Thing:
I have two grown children also who have support me non stop . Daniel , 19 who has stood behind me even when he was scared for my life to have so a major surgery he never l left my side. He has been so supported of me making sure his mama was taken care everyday. he helped me learn how to get in and out of bed and reassured me it was going to be ok when I cried I couldnt handle it that i didnt have the strength like I thought I did. Calling his daddy when he saw new things he
was under assure if it was nornal or not making sure I had everything i needed, Hes reassurance as my son let me know we raised him right, and he surely loved me every morning checking on me and waking me up smiling/kissing my forehead asking me if I thought I was going to have a better day. Knowing he loved me enough to check on me helped me out a lot . My oldest daughter is going to school to be a nurse but surprisingly she let her younger brother take care of me while she cleaned the house.We did a good job raising our two children, and the Lord has Blessed Tony and me and letting us see this as a family each day as we go through this.
— Tina
Tina S and Family.
Hello Dr. Hey,