Scoliosis
I was 13 years old when I first found out that I had scoliosis. I had no idea that my future would include countless doctor’s appointments, x-rays and hours of driving to appointments both near and far from home. But there would be so much more to this story.
My first doctor’s appointment in Jacksonville would give me grim news. As a 13 years old, my spine was already at a 45° curve. The doctor who evaluated me tried to schedule me for surgery within the week without giving me or my parents time to even process this news. This would be major surgery and my life as a competitive cheerleader would be over. I was not ready to give up that life. I was too far along for hard bracing so my parents began researching other non-surgical methods of healing idiopathic scoliosis.
We found treatments such as dynamic bracing, the Schroth method and even physical therapy to treat my scoliosis. Sadly, nothing worked to stop the progression of the curve. It was just too aggressive. I continued living my life as if nothing was wrong. We felt that we had hit a dead end and I was just going to live the rest of my life with severe scoliosis.
Fast forward a few years to the age of 19. I was now a young woman and a mother. My back was really beginning to bother me. So much that I had trouble picking up my newborn and also completing daily physical tasks. We knew something had to be done. My mother once again began researching doctors. It was then that she found the Paley Institute and more importantly Dr. Feldman.
In just the first visit, we knew that this was the right place for me. Dr. Feldman and his staff made me feel so comfortable right from the start. X-rays now revealed that my curve was over 80 degrees! Dr. Feldman explained that my organs were beginning to get crushed and that I would need to do something to correct it. My only option was fusion surgery. Yet with this news, he never pushed me into something I wasn’t ready for. He delivered the news with compassion and genuine empathy for me and my situation. I decided to have the surgery.
Thankfully my 10 hour surgery went very smoothly. I was up and walking the next day. Within a few days, I was walking the entire hospital floor and in only two weeks, I was back to work!
We knew that this surgery would drastically reduce my curve but we never expected what Dr. Feldman would be able to achieve. The last x-ray before my surgery in May of 2022 showed my curve at 86°. I was again x-rayed the same night following my surgery. It showed my curve just below 30°. That is over a 56° correction! My last x-ray in May of 2024 revealed that my curve continues to improve and I am now between 21° and 24°. It is truly astonishing that my curve continues to improve.
There are not enough words to show how thankful I am for Dr. Feldman and the entire Paley Institute team. They are the biggest blessing and have truly changed my life for the better, FOREVER!!!
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU DR. FELDMAN!
