My Journey with Scoliosis

By: Keisha Kalra

Introduction 

Hi! My name is Keisha Kalra and I am the  founder and president of Angels' Arc. When I was around nine years old, I was diagnosed with scoliosis and ended up wearing a brace for three years. Unfortunately, the brace didn't work for me, which led to me getting surgery to prevent further curving.

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Surgery Prep

Before surgery, I had many tests which were required. For example, I had to breathe into a tube and they measured how much air I could exert in one breath. The doctors came in and examined my spine and showed me what it would look like after surgery. 

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Surgery

On the day of the surgery I was placed into a waiting room until they called me into my surgery room and placed me on a hospital bed. An IV needle was inserted into my arm and I fell asleep shortly after. During the surgery, they placed rods and screws into my spine to straighten it and hold it in place. 

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After Surgery

I stayed at the New York Presbyterian Children's Hospital. After surgery, I was given a day to rest in bed before starting physical therapy. In physical therapy they had me walk up and down the stairs. Next, different nurses came up to check and record my heart rate, change out my IV, and give me pain meds. I stayed in the hospital for 3 days. At the end, I was put in a wheelchair, and the doctors told me I had to hold off on any sports for a year. 

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