Posted by whiterabbit on April 22, 2003, at 9:42:25
In reply to Re: Worried {{{{{{{{{NOA}}}}}}}} » tina, posted by noa on April 22, 2003, at 8:55:25
It sounds like your mom knows what she is doing. I've been in the orthopedic profession for many years (I'm not really familiar with the procedure she's having although I've seen it on x-rays...I believe it's a fairly new procedure, but DON'T think of it as "new", think of it as state-of-the-art) and in my unexpert opinion, surgery is the way to go.
Your mom has a painful condition where the thoracic vertabrae start to crumble and collapse.
She is almost certainly past the point where she can be helped by medication to stimulate bone growth. Orthopedists recommend surgery when a patient's quality of life has deteriorated because of frequent or constant pain, and this may be the reason that her friend thinks your mom has been kindy of surly. Who wouldn't be?This operation will help relieve her pain and make it possible for her to function without such strong pain medication. It's a good thing.
I know it's hard not to be anxious. The night before my son went in for a relatively simply knee operation to repair a torn meniscus, I sat up all night frozen with fear even though I knew it was dumb. You can't help it.
She'll be fine, Noa. She'll be more than fine...once she heals from the surgery, her quality of life will be greatly improved.
God bless-
Gracie
poster:whiterabbit
thread:220984
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030421/msgs/221427.html