My Daughter had Scoliosis Surgery

stevevm

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Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
170
Hello all

My 14 year old daughter had Scoliosis surgery in early July 2016.
She had a C curve of 60 degrees and they fused from C5 to T5.

She seems to be recovering pretty well, she has had no pain since the end of July.

We are hoping to go to WDW in late July 2017 and she really wants to go.
And I know we will have to get the OK from the surgeon.

Are there rides at the 4 parks that she should definitely not do?

Are there rides that might be ok?

Are there attractions that she can definitely do?

She does not Ride tower of terror, rock and roller coaster or expedtion everest. She does not like them.

She is considering riding space mountain and dinosaur.

She loves Big Thunder Mounatin and 7 Dwarves and Test Track and Soarin.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
I imagine this is a conversation you should have with her doctor. Most roller coasters have a warning that those with a history of back problems should not ride so I would discuss it with her team.
 
Definitely a conversation to have with her doctor. IMHO, I'd definitely nix Space Mountain as that one hurts my neck and back and I don't have back problems, plus it has a warning for people with back and neck problems. Big Thunder, Dinosaur, and Test Track all carry warnings for back problems. At a minimum, I'd check with the doctor on those. I don't find 7 Dwarves and Soarin to be jarring, and neither one is showing a warning online for people with back or neck issues, so I would think those two would be okay.

In general, I'd think rides that don't have a height requirement should be okay. But look through the warnings listed for each attraction on the WDW website.
 
Dinosaur is really rough and Space Mountain hurts my back, too. I wouldn't ride either if I had any back issues. I agree, talk to her physician.
 

Definitely talk to her doc. I have spine injuries and heed the advice on each ride and skip it if that is the recommendation. Vacation is for fun, not risking further injury.
 
as others have said I would talk to her dr but there are a lot of things she can do like

peter pain
pooh
under the sea
magic carpets of aladdin

are just a few a MK

and there are others too

do not forget about the show at disney some are really cool
 
Depending on how many rides that she shouldn't do, we might wait an additional year, just trying to decide if it's worth going next year
 
Hello all

My 14 year old daughter had Scoliosis surgery in early July 2016.
She had a C curve of 60 degrees and they fused from C5 to T5.

She seems to be recovering pretty well, she has had no pain since the end of July.

We are hoping to go to WDW in late July 2017 and she really wants to go.
And I know we will have to get the OK from the surgeon.

Are there rides at the 4 parks that she should definitely not do?

Are there rides that might be ok?

Are there attractions that she can definitely do?

She does not Ride tower of terror, rock and roller coaster or expedtion everest. She does not like them.

She is considering riding space mountain and dinosaur.

She loves Big Thunder Mounatin and 7 Dwarves and Test Track and Soarin.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
As someone who has also had spinal fusion surgery - I can tell you that I can pretty much go on any ride - it's just the hard molded plastic seats can sometimes be uncomfortable - they seem to put a lot of pressure on the spine. If I recall - the worst 'rides' were the busses! I would also check with her surgeon - but I went to Disney 3 weeks after my first fusion without problems - I just took my time in the parks - and rested back at the resort frequently.
 
This is copied from post 23 on page 2 of the disABILITIES Board.
The actual list of warnings is from the WDW website and park maps, with information i added about what about the attractions may have been the reason for the warning.
This would be good information to take to her doctors to discuss. Some physicians may be more cautious in what they recommend and, depending on the individual surgery or condition of the person's back, the recommendations for her may vary.

WDW has marked some attractions with warnings. They are marked with a red triangle on the map and also on a sign at the entrance to the queue and at least once before boarding.
The wording for the general warning is:
WARNING! For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness, or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

The warning they use is general and doesn't give any information about what the specific warning or that attraction, so Im adding a few notes regarding each ride that is listed with warnings on the maps.
This will help you decide if you want to consider any of the attractions with warning.
Anyone with a significant health problem will want to discuss it with their doctor.
If in doubt, you can ask the CM at the attraction for more information, have someone else in your party ride to give an opinion, or sit it out.
(but don't send a thrill ride junkie on for an opinion - my DH feels all the thrill rides are "nothing; no problem at all", but he loves thrill rides, the worse, the better.)

For Epcot here are the attractions with warnings:
  • Mission Space - Minimum height 44 inches. Both the more tame (green side) and the more wild (orange side). They are both turbulent with the biggest difference that the orange side spins on a centrifuge as well as moving back and forth. Sudden changes of direction that jerk you around a lot. The Orange side does produce G force due to the centrifuge spinning. Shoulder harness over shoulder.
  • Test Track - Minimum height 40 inches. This has sudden stops, swerves and goes fast. Little neck support. Seat belt in middle seats. Outside seats have seatbelt and car style shoulder harness.
  • Sum of All Thrills - in Innoventions. This is a 'design your own thrill ride'. Because the ride you design can have extreme motion, it is on the list with warnings. Shoulder harness over shoulder.
For Magic Kingdom:
  • Splash Mountain - Minimum height 40 inches. This has several small drops and one very large drop. The big drop takes you down at a very extreme angle at a high rate of speed (I think you get to 40 mph). At the bottom, your ride car stops abruptly. Most of it is fairly smooth, but during the drops, you can get jostled. It is also difficult to get in and out of because the ride car has very small openings and you would need to lift her up quite far over the side. Individual lap bars
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Minimum height 40 inches. A roller coaster. Has no head or neck support and you get jostled a lot side to side. Sudden changes of direction that jerk you around a lot. Lap bar that serves both seats. If one person is larger than the other, it will be loose for the smaller person.
  • Tomorrowland Indy Speedway - Minimum height 32 inches. Small, low to the ground gas powered cars. They are loud and smell of gas. Because kids are driving some of the cars, you can get bumped from behind. Even if you dont get bumped, it can be a jerky ride. No neck support. Seat belt.
  • Space Mountain - Minimum height 44 inches. A roller coaster in the dark. Guests ride single file in separate seats. T bar lap bar.
  • Goofys Barnstormer - this was recently renovated. It is a short roller coaster. WDW does not give the usual general warning, but just says "Expectant mothers should not ride." Lap bar shared between 2 seats. Largest person stops bar, so it might be loose for a smaller person riding along.
  • 7 Dwarfs Mine Train - like Barnstormer, this attraction does not have the usual WDW warning. It just says "Expectant mothers should not ride." This is a short, smooth roller coaster. The mine cars swing freely, which sounds like they would be moving a lot. What actually happens is the swinging allows them to stay more stable on turns, which makes it very smooth. Some guests have reported a bit of a jolt when it starts, stops or comes to emergency stop. Individual lap bars
For Disney Studio
  • Star Tours - Minimum height 40 inches. A simulated spaceship ride with sudden dips and other movements. Sudden changes of direction that jerk you around a lot. No neck support. Seat belt.
  • Rock N Roller Coaster - Minimum height 48 inches. A roller coaster. Fairly smooth, but very fast and does an inversion. Shoulder harness over shoulder.
  • Tower of Terror - Minimum height 40 inches. You sit in an elevator and get dropped. It is fairly smooth, but arms and legs will move around. No neck support. Seat belt.
For Animal Kingdom:
  • Kilimanjaro Safari - this is a tram ride through a simulated African wildlife preserve. It can be bumpy and my DD is bumped around quite a bit in her wheelchair. No neck support. No seat belt
  • Kali River Rapids - Minimum height 38 inches. A river raft ride. The raft is free floating inside a channel and there are several places where the raft can get dropped rather hard. You may get wet or completely soaked. No neck support. Seat belt
  • Expedition Everest - Minimum height 44 inches. A roller coaster which goes backwards at one point. No neck support. Lap bar
  • Primeval Whirl - Minimum height 48 inches. This looks pretty tame from the ground, but it is a small roller coaster combined with unexpected and quick turning. There is little restraint and you can get whipped around a lot. Shared lap bar
  • Dinosaur - Minimum height 40 inches. This is a very rough, noisy ride in the dark. It is a simulated time travel ride in a Jeep-like vehicle that goes up and down over simulated hills. Sudden changes of direction that jerk you around a lot. No neck support. Seat belt

These attractions have no warnings, but some people have reported problems with them.
Magic Kingdom
Pirates of the Caribbean - Does have one small drop in the dark.
Haunted Mansion - At one point, the doombuggy turns around and goes down an incline backwards. Some people have reported that this short sequence caused an uncomfortable pressure on their back or neck. The doombuggy does have neck support.

Disneys Hollywood Studios
Toy Story Mania - this is a ride car that goes thru a video game with a number of different scenes. In between each scene, the ride car makes a quick turn which some people find a bit jerky.

Epcot
Spaceship Earth - this is a very gentle, slow ride. Toward the end of the ride, the ride car turns around and goes down a steep incline backwards. Some people find that this sequence is uncomfortable because they are resting on their backs and necks (there is good neck support).

Many people think that Soarin has warnings, but the only warnings are for fear of heights and possible motion sickness. It is a very gentle simulated hang glider ride. The seat is supportive and feels like a comfortable lawn chair. It has a 40 inch height requirement.

Information about G Forces on attractions - this website has actual measurements that someone made:
http://www.gcdataconcepts.com/wdwpart1.html
 
Space Mountain caused me the most back pain of any ride there. My last vertebra is fused to my sacrum. I would strongly recommend avoiding that one.
 
Hello all

My 14 year old daughter had Scoliosis surgery in early July 2016.
She had a C curve of 60 degrees and they fused from C5 to T5.

She seems to be recovering pretty well, she has had no pain since the end of July.

We are hoping to go to WDW in late July 2017 and she really wants to go.
And I know we will have to get the OK from the surgeon.

Are there rides at the 4 parks that she should definitely not do?

Are there rides that might be ok?

Are there attractions that she can definitely do?

She does not Ride tower of terror, rock and roller coaster or expedtion everest. She does not like them.

She is considering riding space mountain and dinosaur.

She loves Big Thunder Mounatin and 7 Dwarves and Test Track and Soarin.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Stevevm,

I've been in your shoes! My dd had two surgeries at the Shriner's Hospital in Philadelphia. Talk to your Dr., he knows what her limitations will be & will give you the best advice.

We were told by our Dr. "no roller coaster (or roller coaster type riides) & no horseback riding for at least one year". Nothing that will jar the spin. That takes off her list of loves - BTM, 7 Dwarfs & TT. Soarin' should be ok, there really isn't any jarring motion on that ride. I would think that Dinosaur & Space Mt. would be a no too.

Having said all that, there is so much more to do @ WDW & now may be the very time to explore it. Assuming you decide to go, maybe make this trip about the shows. We live in Florida & WDW is a big part of our lives, DD wanted to go even though she was limited to what she could ride, it's her happy place. The year we went right after her surgery we spent more time people watching & seeing the little things that are so easy to overlook when you are running to make a FP or to get to the next line.
 
I find Dinosaur to be one of the worst. I no longer go on it because it jars me so much. As everyone said, talk to you doctor.

Another one that isn't always mentioned but can *sometimes* be too much is the Safari. Between the bench seating and the sometimes bumpy road you can be bounced and slide all over. Sometimes it depends on the driver - the faster they go, the more bumpy it is. Unfortunately there's no real way to tell how bad it will be - or if you will bump along at all.
 
I definitely will discuss all of this with her doctor.

This has been some great info, keep it coming.

Does anyone have personal experience as a child with this or as a parent of a child with this?
 
I definitely will discuss all of this with her doctor.

This has been some great info, keep it coming.

Does anyone have personal experience as a child with this or as a parent of a child with this?

Yes - see two posts up. If you've got any questions I'd be happy to tell you our experience.
 
How was she after a year?
My daughter will be 12 and a half months post surgery when we want to go.

I know the usual, wait and see what the doctor says.

Just trying to figure out if I should book it or not.

Our next surgeon appointment isn't until mid-January.
 
How was she after a year?
My daughter will be 12 and a half months post surgery when we want to go.

I know the usual, wait and see what the doctor says.

Just trying to figure out if I should book it or not.

Our next surgeon appointment isn't until mid-January.

Well, my daughter has the rods. Her curve was 72 degrees right before her surgery. She was happy just to get to her "happy place" & not being able to ride the roller coasters didn't matter.

If your daughter isn't going to be happy unless she can ride those rides, you should put it off. Call your Dr. & leave a message with the nurse, she'll get back to you with his answer. Then ask your daughter, she'll let you know.
 
@stevevm, @TallyTutter has given you some great info & advice (as have @SueM in MN and others who replied above!)

Our daughter has scoliosis, and a whole host of other issues that meant we spent huge amounts of time at the Shriner's Hospital from the time she was born until her 18th birthday. She still has some restrictions on what she can do; now at 22 years old, she still actually has a long list of things she counts as "must dos" for every trip... and only 3 of those items are rides! The rest are all what I call "experiences".

You can always book the trip, and in the interim, work with your daughter (and your entire family) to identify what she *can* do. Don't worry about what she can't do - focus on what can be done & fun!

I know you all have been to WDW before - but I'm willing to bet you haven't done every.single.thing there is to do at WDW! There are so many wonderful things that are hiding in plain sight at WDW; not just shopping, but great experiences of all kinds - from Hoop Dee Doo Revue (at the spendy end of the spectrum) to Pirates N Pals Fireworks Cruise (moderately priced and SO MUCH FUN) to simply riding the water taxis from Disney Springs over to Port Orleans Riverside to see YeeHaw Bob (free, and insanely funny sing-along for all ages). Maybe this is the trip where you all collect as many autographs from characters as possible. Maybe it's all about smashed pennies. Or maybe you make it the fireworks trip - where you go to every fireworks show you can at every park you can! Shoot, there doesn't need to be a theme; there just needs to be the commitment to having fun together as a family. The rest will take care of itself! :)

Look for the hidden gems - look for things that aren't rides, but are *activities* that your entire family can do together.

Book the trip.
 
Totally agree mamabunny!! She has to live with her "new normal" for the rest of her life. Let this trip be a beginning & show her that she can still have fun no matter what she does (or the family does!). Trust me, I know the hardships of trying to convince a teenager to think this way but there's no time better to start than this now.
 
Well, the doctor gave her the all clear. Her back is doing great and he cleared her for everything with no restrictions at all.
He was so impressed with her recovery. He felt her being a swimmer helped so much because of how strong her core was.

We are booked for the end of July and she can't wait to ride all of her favorite rides.
 
Well, the doctor gave her the all clear. Her back is doing great and he cleared her for everything with no restrictions at all.
He was so impressed with her recovery. He felt her being a swimmer helped so much because of how strong her core was.

We are booked for the end of July and she can't wait to ride all of her favorite rides.

Way to go to your daughter. That is a fantastic update.
 











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