Personal Narrative: Spinal Cord Surgery

The image that is hard to get out of my head is how tired, unhealthy, and curved my back was. Life seemed like it was constantly about Doctors’ appointments or Specialists, and because of all the appointments I missed a lot of school, I confess I was always tired and I spent a lot of time in bed. My story really begins in February 2012 when I had spinal cord surgery at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. When I was young it was scoliosis was detected, but in February the curve in my spine was at 47 degrees, they sent me for an MRI. The results were not good, it showed I had a tethered cord, surgery was scheduled in a rush and performed within a few days. This surgery was very scary because they were operating on my spinal cord, I was told to be prepared for the possibility that I be paralyzed! When I woke up in recovery I saw bright lights and I automatically thought I had died! I was mumbling “Not now Memaw I’m not ready to go to heaven”! The nurse said it is okay honey you …show more content…
We were all happy, mom loved her job and we loved where we were living, but things were about to change because when I went for my 15 month check-up my curve was at 57 degrees. My Orthopedic Doctor in Seattle Dr. Krengel always said that at 50 degrees it is intended for surgery to be done immediately. Unfortunately Dr. Neal the Orthopedic in Jacksonville didn’t have any openings for surgery until October or November and with my curve growing so fast, the surgery needed to be done as soon as possible. When we spoke to Dr. Krengel in Seattle he told my family if we came back to Seattle he would schedule me for surgery in August, my family discussed everything and decided that mom would quit her job, I have to tell you her boss was really mad, he couldn’t understand why we had to move. We gave up our home and moved back to