Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group How mny people with as actually fuse?

John I tend to agree with you the bending is worse than the fuse.
Tuesday Mike had a Basal Cell Carcinoma (cancer) removed from
the back of his neck right at the hairline. I was dressing it the next
morning and he bent over the sink so it would be easier for me to reach
the area to clean and put on a new dressing. I did it as quick as I could
and when we finished he couldn't straighten up, scared me to death, I
was afraid he wasn't going to be able to straighten up, but he did enventually
but hurt for the rest of the day. He cannot bend over. His neck is fused,
and the back is partially fused and still in terrible pain in the back although
the enbrel has helped greatly. And with the hips replaced he doesn't have
that pain any more, but seems like things are going along good then all of
a sudden he gets this mole that is cancerous. This is such a horrible disease.
You all are in my prayers every day.

Maxine


"Mike's Mom"

No, we weren't kidding. There are several of us at KickAS who have had this surgery and did gain some extra height.

The surgery is called an Osteotomy and mine were done in 1983 and 1984. The reason it was dome twice was because the bone used for grafting in the first attempt did not harden.

To keep a certain David on this site happy, I have already started to do the third part of my AS story which covers the surgery.

Many people with kyphosis bend forward with mostly the upper part of the spine. My bending was more uniform as it started at the lower spine and bent forward like a bow being pulled to shoot an arrow.

Simply put, the surgeon started cutting all around the L4/L5 area of my spine and severed the connection all around the spinal cord. If you are familiar with cutting down a tree, the Surgeon made an undercut around the spine so that the upper body could be easily moved until it was lying in a straighter allignment with the lower spine section and hips.

Then they took some bone and filled in the gaps and I waited a few months until it hardened. The worst part was that I had a lot of complications and 3 months later, had the surgery all over again.

I didn't turn out perfect but I sure became much more comfortable and fewer people would stop and stare at me.

Take a look at the ASKickers Personal stories section and at the end of Part 2, you will see my before and after surgery pictures.

The surgery is always an option but please, try everything you can to stay straight instead.

George

No disrespect, but I'm not sure I agree with Rat on this one. Perhaps it's splitting hairs or perhaps I'm just not being technical enough, but if you have a disease (spondylitis) in which fusing is a possibility, then it is a fusing spondylitis. I don't yet have any fusion, and I understand what Rat is trying to say, but I still think I have AS.

And also in answer to Steve, although I don't have any fusion, I have two maternal uncles and one great uncle -- all with fusion and kyphosis. Maybe mine won't progress as quickly or as far since 1.) I'm a female 2.) I have a diagnosis earlier in the game -- I doubt that the two who are deceased ever had a diagnosis of AS --- they probably thought they just had a really bad kind of arthritis 3.) I know to stay mobile and straight and 4.)I'm working hard on good health habits now with the NSD.

Paula

Seems some of us fuse some of us don't. Since I fused I prefer to think that only the good fuse young.

Keep active it sure helps. I was enormously active howeve and still fused. Sleeping is what did me in. Just tough to be active and getting good zzzzzz's.

 
stevec-they also serve who stand and wait

Hey George,

Never doubted you for a minute, but was curious to the name of the surgery and how they perform it. I was diagnosed in 1986 (hold on thinking how old I was then), when I was 27. I finally had an attorney called me today agreeing to take my case so I have been going thru my medical records tonight and I started being treated for back pain at the ripe old age of 14. So I am well aware of the stomp over AS causes. I can't why some would question regaining height, unless they have not deal with AS or researched it before.

They did a great job on you as far as I'm concerned and hope they can do that good on me if I manage to end up stomped over. Unfortunately, for me per my post "Not sure what to call it" I may be closer to 4' ?" soon if I can't find a surgeon.

Have a good one,
Brent

"only the good fuse young"

I'm sure that's true!! You look not only like a good guy, but a great guy!!! And your sweetie triplets are adorable -- I bet they keep you busy! :)

Paula

Hi Steve, I've had AS for nearly 34 years or so (as far as i can figurer out through things I’ve learned on here) I’m now 38. I was only diagnosed in Dec 2002. I am totally fused in my SI joints and lower 3 vertebra. I started to fuse in my chest, neck and shoulders about a year ago now.


Keep on Kicking

Martin



"Trying to fly on broken wings"

George

SOOO glad to see you are in the process of writing part 3 of your story..For
anyone who have never read part 1&2 of George's story,go to the start page
https://www.kickas.org/ scroll down to the bottom of the page to the
"Support Center" and you will see KickAS stories....I sometimes forget that
page even exists because I go straight to the forum page...

David

"only the good fuse young"

Does this mean some of us are old? Funny how that works, when we are kids our parents are old and as we age we hear our parents talk about people younger than them being young ones. Where is the line between old and young? I'm 45 and still consider myself as young myself. hehe

Brent

45 that's young for fusin'. Its like wine. 20 years from now you'll be a vintage ASKicker. Aged and bent to splendid perfection. Heck I fused (hips) by 16 or so. At 42 as ASkickin' vintagers go I'm a very good year.

 
stevec-they also serve who stand and wait

Edited by stevec on 10/16/04 09:20 AM (server time).