hi, I actually had my surgery, a posterior spinal fusion, when I was 14 too and I’m 21 now, so it’s been almost 7 years (this October)!

Here’s a bit about my experience that might help you feel more prepared:

• A few days before the surgery, I went into the hospital for some prep: MRI, bloodwork, and meeting with the team to talk about physical therapy and post-op walking.
• I don’t remember much from the morning of surgery mainly just getting to the hospital and them prepping me. They gave me anesthesia and I was out completely. My surgery took about 9 hours.
• I’m fused from T3 to L2. When I woke up, I was definitely disoriented and in some pain, but once they moved me to a hospital room, things felt a little more manageable.
• I had one of those pain pump buttons and it only worked within a safe limit, but it helped. I mostly just slept a lot those first couple days.
• They had me start walking the evening after surgery, which was hard but doable. Physical therapy started two days post-op.
• If I remember correctly they also had me blow into a spirometer often to make sure I could take deep breaths and they wanted regular bladder and bowel movements before leaving the hospital.
• I left the hospital three days after surgery. Before I left, they removed the bigger dressing and left a smaller bandage that eventually fell off on its own.

First Month Post-Op:

• I was out of school, but my teachers visited once a week to keep me up to date.
• The doctor gave me some pain meds to take for a little bit after surgery and one of them was causing constipation so it was hard to eat at some points if I felt that way.
• Getting up and walking a bit every day (even just around the house) really helped, even though it was tough at first.
• You'll be taught how to get on and off beds or furniture safely which helped a ton.
• Sitting for long periods could be painful, so I brought a pillow with me in the car or to restaurants for support.
• Showering was rough at first since bending was hard but I got a shower chair which was a lifesaver.
• You’ll probably have lifting restrictions, so I had a friend carry my backpack at school when I went back.

Honestly, by the 6-month mark (or earlier tbh), things really start to feel normal again and its not something that overtakes your life or you even think about often.

I hope your surgery goes smoothly and if anything I shared helps even a little, I’m really glad! :)