On March 11, 1992, I had this really wicked surgery (called a “spinal fusion”) to correct a severe case of scoliosis. My operation took place here in Atlanta at Scottish Rite (Children’s Healthcare), and the amazing surgeon who performed my 6+ hour fusion was Dr. Dennis DeVito. I was hospitalized for almost a week, was confined to a hospital bed and tutored at home for about 6-8 weeks, went back to school in a wheelchair, and slowly healed over the next 12 months. Ah, fun times. I so do *not* miss the 8th grade!
Seriously, though. This is just a friendly reminder to all you parents out there who have pre-teens…. PLEASE check your child for scoliosis. From what I understand, most schools only check a couple of times during a kid’s pre-teens (my school checked in 7th & 8th grade only). If you can catch it early on, there is a possibility it can be corrected with a brace, or with chiropractic care. The test is painless, and only takes a couple of minutes. There are some brief instructions on iScoliosis.com.
Be well. :-)
