My Journey - Past, Present & Future.....

~~My first hand account of the journey that I have endured with my scoliatic spine since I was 12 years old. This is an adventure that I've only recently begun to acknowledge that I will be traveling until the day I die.~~

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

See newest photo in sideline!

Posted by Valerie at 1:53 PM

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Blog Archive

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▼ 2010 (34)
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► 2009 (18)
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- ► October (6)
- ► September (10)

It's a good day....

I get a "good" day every few and this one was one of them!! I take what I can get!

Walking in Avondale

Standing proud!

No bent knees!! Damn, Dr. Glazer does fine work, does he not??

Family photo! And there I am, standing straight!

Me and my boy at his graduation party!

My dear friend Sherry

Without her constant source of strength and friendship, I would have been lost. Her constant visits, phone calls and prayers were so appreciated. I would be lost without her! I will always be indebted to her - from the bottom of my heart!

Me and my great friend, Mary!

Love, love, love her!! She brings out the best in me - we are so much alike and yet so different. Somehow, it works! She is very dear to me!

Me and Cindy!!

Cyn and I have been friends for so long, she is like a sister to me. She has stood by me through thick and thin. Love her too!

Laryl and I - my dear, sweet sister-in-law!

Me and my sweetness!

A great view of the VERY long screws! Wonder why people call me "Screwy"!! Ha! Ha!

Newest xray!

There I am with all my glorious hardware!! You can even see the plate and screws in my cervical area too!

The brace!

My best friend AND my enemy!

Me in my brace!

The Scottish nurse!

This was two days before being discharged to Rehab! I remember this! I was later moved from here (Neurology Ward at the Farr Bldg) back to the West Campus building that afternoon.

My PT's!

They were sweet - I remember the gal on the right. Kristen. I think?

Urs, the kids and me.

I absolutely have no recollection of this!

Me and Urs

Hanging on for dear life, I thinki!

Me and my Aunt Mary! I don't remember this either!

Dad, Erica and Ben

Ok, this was me high on drugs because there was nothing to be smiling about - that's for sure!

I had that central line in what seemed like just about the whole time! It grossed Ursula out, she was always asking me if I felt it! I didn't, but I do have the scar on my neck to prove it!! I swear that I have so many scars that someone could play tic-tac-toe on me!! Connect the dots!

First walk!

After the second surgery, I think anyway?!? I don't remember that man at all - who the heck was he??

Walking for the first time!

They belt you up for safety! This I do remember - quite painful! I was very dizzy and so weak.

A lot of wires and tubes!

My first time sitting up!

Don't ya love the hair? And what are all those tubes coming out of me? OMG! Thank God I don't remember!

Sound asleep!

Me and my stuffed dog Georgie! A gift from Ursula. It reminded her of my Grandfather's beagle - she thought it would make me smile and it did. Silly the little things that bring you comfort inyour darkest hours.

There is the 42" long incision! Yikes!

I still haven't even seen my new and revised scar! Ursula and Erica kept telling me it was "beautiful"! Dr. Glazer did perform a scar revision by cutting out the excess skin at the old scar and tucked it all in so that my new scar is much smaller! See what I mean? If he could do that, shouldn't he have been able to perform a tummy tuck at the same time?? Ridiculous!!! ;)

Mother's Day!

Dad, Erica and Ben visiting on Mother's Day!

Me and Dad

Poor guy, he was in his own pain, just to have spine surgery himself 1 1/2 months later at almost 80! But he said nothing was keeping him from seeing his baby!!

My pride and joy!

Visit's from my kids made me so very happy! May 2, 2010

Robin and I

Robin and Danny & Bob and I

My Dear Friend Dee

Thankfully, Dee inundated me with positive energy healings! She was at my side in person and in spirit at every moment! Thank you Dee for being such a good friend! May 2, 2010

I would have been nothing without these two beautiful kids! They are my world.

May 2, 2010

Martha and Dianne

My scoli-sister's, Martha & Dianne, at the Spine Retreat in NC (May 2009)

Eating after the 1st surgery!!

Here is the picture that Laryl took and sent to Erica!! Yep, that is me enjoying my vegetable panini!! It was yummy! May 18, 2010

Flatback Syndrome

Erica took this photo of me on the evening before my 1st surgery. Did any of you realize that I was this ptiched forward? This was an eye-opener for all of us! This was as straight as I could stand without bending my knees. I look at this now and it makes me so sad.

St. Gemma's back brace!

Can you imagine wearing this? I have no doubt this was worse for her spine than doing nothing. See what I mean when I say aren't we all just guinea pigs - I'm sure this is the best they had at the time. It sure is sad though, that must have weighed a ton!

Saint Gemma

So pretty....an Italian girl with dark hair and blue eyes!! Lovely. Eddie, that is like your Laura, right?

Me and my girl!

Today - Jan. 28, 2010

Erica's hair model!

Erica is in hairdressing school and she needed a model! I am so proud of my little cosmetologist! She cut and colored my hair today and it came out so well!!!

Erica and Ursula at Erica's 21st birthday party at Venice!

Ursula - What would we do without family? I knew I could count on her and knew she would watch over me and she did that and more. She helped me fight the fight and I know she will never leave my side.

Our house

This is my favorite picture of my house! Everyone who know's me well knows that winter is my FAVORITE season and to me this snowy picture is so beautiful!

Me and Cyn!

A girl's weekend in Maine, and here we are, drinking, of course.........

2005? - Obvious Flatback starting!

This is a pic of me and my dear friend Trish. We were invited by former neighbors to some fancy, invitation only event by a former neighbor in the Coast Guard. Just looking at this picture makes me recall that summer evening and wishing there had been seats on the boat. I was diagnosed with Flatback here, but this was the denial stage. See the "bend" at the hip/torso?? I could no longer stand up straight!!

Dr. Paul A. Glazer - Spine surgeon

The man who gave me my life back - I truly LOVE him!! www.drglazerspine.com

Ben's Sr. Picture

Ben's HS graduation picture! I can't believe that my baby is going to college this year!

Universal Studios - 2007

Erica, Me and Ben with some strange, scary guy at Universal. I took the kids to Disney and we couldn't get a flight home due to a major snowstorm up here, so we ended up having to stay 3 more days, so we went to Universal! So much fun. I can't believe that was just 3 years ago, I could never walk that now. Amazing what can happen in just 3 years!

Me - Cross Country skiing - 1998. There is Ben, age 5 1/2, behind me!

Skiing was the only sport I have ever enjoyed. After my origional fusions, Dr. Hardy said I had to give it up! However, when we took the kids skiing in NH every winter, I decided to give Cross-Country a try and I fell in love with it! Talk about exercise! But then Dr. Glazer put an end to that too! Now I guess it's off-limits forever! So sad because I had so much fun. I love the winter.

Ben's First Communion

Ben, Me and Erica - 1998

My little man!!

Ben - 5 years old. Wasn't he adorable??

Erica and Ben

Christmas 1994

Ben ~ 5 months old

He was the BEST baby - always smiling, always laughing and always happy. He hasn't changed much.

Erica and Ben

June 26, 1992 ~ The day we took Ben home from the hospital. He was 4 days old - what a HUGE baby! However, he had already lost more than a pound. A first sign of the heartbreaking diagnosis that laid ahead. If I had only known then that in 2010 he'd be a strapping 5' 11" tall, healthy, smart and really good kid, a HS graduate heading off to college I could have avoided a lot of sleepless nights and a whole lot of stress. I tell him all of the time, God wanted him alive for a reason. My little man is on earth with a purpose and if only my Mother had lived long enough to enjoy him. Everyone that knew her knew she loved little boys best! He would have the apple of her eye and she probably would have spoiled him rotten!

Pregnant with Ben

This was the day before Ben was born - June 1992. Two days later I turned 31 years old.

Erica's Sr. Picture

2006

Erica's Senior Prom - 2006

Doesn't she look beautiful? I loved that dress!!

Erica on the phone!

Not much has changed there either. Erica is never without her phone. EVER! This was her speaking to her Aunt Michele and she couldn't figure out the phone, instead staring at it and trying to walk around while calling out Michele's name. She could not grasp the concept!

Erica Rose - 2 1/2 months old

This kid was born with a head of hair!! It was past her shoulders on her first birthday! So darn cute! She may have been a colickly baby and a crier, but she has turned into a beautiful, compassionate and precious young woman. I can't believe that I have a 21 year old daughter!

Pregnant with Erica

This was the day before Erica was born - July 1988. I was 27 years old in this pic and standing up straight!

HS Graduation

Me and my Dad - 6/1979

1979

My HS Graduation Pic! Gosh, I was so young!

Me and my Godmother Nancy! Post surgery, probably around 1976

Me stuffing my face with a chocolate cake!

Me and an old cast!

This is pic of me and an old cast. I often took them home with me because friends and family were always "autographing" them or drawing on them!! I only wish I had kept one (1974).

Me in my cast that my sister Michele drew on! This time it was Raggedy Ann and Andy!!

Me (telling my sister Ursula to hurry up and take the picture!), Mom & Dad (1974).

"Seasons In The Sun"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxdOy-dtBfQ

SCOLIOSIS

The Story Of My Life.....the lines that you see are the markings of the Cobb Angle.

Iliac crest

Dr. Hardy would use bone from both sides of my iliac crest for grafting during surgery.

Harrington System

Harrington Rods

Exactly what I have - two rods, as shown!

Dr. Paul Harrington

The revolutionary orthopedic surgeon that was the inventor of the Harrington System. It was this sytem that "straightened" my life -so to speak- and yet in the end, ultimately caused it great harm. However, unlike many others, I harbour no ill feelings for this man at this time. If anything, I possess nothing but great respect and admiration for his ability to invent a different approach for scoliosis sufferer's. I don't believe he set out to do harm, but to do good. Aren't we all really just "guinea pigs" in medicine anyway?

Milwaukee Brace

Traction

This was very much like the cervical part of traction. Laying flat with a weighted harness that felt like it was pulling your head from your body!!

Scoliosis runs in families.....

Spine Anatomy

This shows you the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine regions

Nancy & Peter

(t) My sisters, Dad, Godmother Nancy, Peter (sleeping!) & me (in pink shirt behind Nancy) pre-scoliosis; (b) Ricky - the dog I never had! Ursula(r), Michele(c) and me (in red & post-scoliosis) & Nancy & Dad in background

Mary Tyler Moore Lyric's

Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it's you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have a town, why don't you take it You're gonna make it after all
You're gonna make it after all...............

Mary's Theme Song!

I defy and challenge you to watch this and NOT find yourself grinning! I promise - it WILL make you happy! C'mon - click and listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBTWF1bDPn0

Mary Tyler Moore

The clip I have never forgotten!!

The Woman I Looked Up To!

Don't ya just love her?? She was my inspiration for many years and not a Saturday night went by without my watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I was determined to be her and I so desperately wanted to have a big "V" on my wall, just like "Mar" had a big "M"!!!

Scoliosis - What it looks like

This is what I saw when I looked in the mirror!

1971/1972?

Gosh, check out the clothes. Dad in a pink jacket & Mom in a psychadelic print with exaggerated eyebrows?? Where did these clothes come from? There I am, all sandwiched between my parents!!

The Three Ahern Girls!

Michele, Ursula & Me - Christmas 1970

The good little Catholic Girl!

Me with Dad, Sister Josephine, Sister Elizabeth, Mom & Michele - 1969.

The family!

Dad, Mom, Me, Nonnie and Poppie! Circa 1968

School Picture

1967 - 1st grade at St. Pius. Little did I know what lay ahead.

Pre-Scoliosis

So carefree! Easter 1967. So many of you know that I loved The Mary Tyler Moore Show and even though the show wasn't even on the air yet, whenever I look at this picture, I can't help but think I was Mary in the making!! I wouldn't be surprised if I threw my hat in the air after this picture was taken!!

The ballerina!

1966 - I was in my first recital with Miss Jeanne! I hated dancing - I just wanted to play the guitar!

Me!!

I may have only been 6 lbs. 4oz. at birth, but my mother was clearly feeding me well! This was me at 4 months!

Mom

This is such a beautiful portrait of my mother. I have absolutely no idea when this picture was taken but for sure it was sometime in the 1950's I would presume? When I was young, I always told her she looked like Sophia Loren!

Mom & Dad on their wedding day!

April 21, 1957 - I guess this is how it all began.......

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

See newest photo in sideline!

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