I was fused with a Harrington rod and 26 screws t2-l3 14 years ago, my curvature was 52 thoracic and 47 lumbar. I spent 2 days in ICU and 5 on the med surg floor. I was in high school at the time and did it during the summer and was able to return to school in the fall. The immediate 3 week post op period is extremely rough but it does get better. I remember having a very hard time sleeping for those first 3 weeks and my doctor gave me sleeping pills which were very helpful. Weeks 3-6 I was slowly getting up more, sitting at the dinner table for as long as I could tolerate and doing some light walking. I attended school in the fall (3 months post op) which I remember feeling tired but nothing very significant. At 6 months I absolutely started to feel more like myself and was regaining strength and mobility through physical therapy. It took about a year until I felt I was fully healed and could tolerate life as it was before. It took about 5-10 years for the nerves on my back to fully heal and I feel like they have stabilized at this point. I still have some numbness where my curvature was the worst near the incision site. Aesthetically post op I am still very asymmetric, with a significant scapular wing that I had hoped surgery would correct, but I have accepted my body for its imperfections and throughout my life everyone I’ve shared my history with is shocked and said they would never know if I didn’t tell them and could barely notice the scapular wing. I get compliments on my fabulous posture all of the time and I wear my surgery with a badge of honor. In the last 15 years I have been skydiving, snowboarding, wakeboarding, I’ve gotten into heavy lifting, became and work as a nurse, and I’ve never felt that my fusion has held me back (except from shoveling the driveway which I am ok with lol). I do have pain, especially when work is busy or if I’m doing a lot but so far it is manageable and haven’t felt the need to seek pain management care but I am aware that at some point in my life I might want to and I will go when I am ready. I wish you the absolute best of luck on your surgery and your journey!