A Heading

My life has been changed since September 15th 2009, I have Scoliosis, and my spine is my life axis, my heading. The surgeon decided last year that I had to be operated, then started all the research to see if after this surgery my back would be good for the line. We had called a lot of doctors qualified in aeronautics, and the verdict was yes there is no problem unless the surgery goes wrong, damn ! But on the other hand my back was bent at 70° so I had to take my chance... in any cases if I do not take this surgery my place would not belong in the cockpit.
So my parents and I, said lets go for it...


I got  my medical certificate for the private pilots license the 26th of December 2008... No restrictions for scoliosis on this one so no problems. But I haven't flown since then.


The date of entry at the hospital is planned for the 9th September 2009. It gave me a lot of time to think about the surgery... Thinking about the best and worst, wondering how they would do to bring my spine straight up again.


Then 5 days after my birthday I got this wonderful gift: welcome to Brussels Brugmann hospital ! 

09/09/2009
First day being kept captivity lol, I met my physiotherapists and my nurses, they were absolutely wonderful. I spent some good times with them. Shame it only lasted no more than half an hour per day. This day they took some measurements of my back for some reference point for after surgery.

10/09/2009

Now it's the second day being held in captivity, time goes by really slowly, I want to go home, my parents have to leave cause they can't stay everyday with me unfortunately... Nevertheless there was nothing special about this day, but I was under traction and I will be till the the last day before my operation. I think this motivated me a lot to be the day of my surgery cause being under traction is horrible. You are tangled by the neck and feet to the bed, and there are weights that are attached to your neck, and it's constantly stretching you, believe me this hurts !






11/09/09


Third day was special. I woke up at 8.20pm; and after eating, I had my physiotherapy session then back to stretchy. After a while someone came to look for me, we had to go do some test on my neurological reactions to some artificial impulsion just no to say electricity ! Yep i was electrocuted every second, it did not hurt but it wasn't cool either. especially that we had to try more than twenty times because my was hair to thick and the charge couldn't spread properly... and then here I am again back to stretchy.


12/09/2009

They woke me up at 6 am, and told me to prepare for a blood test, they put some sort of cream to ease the pain when I was going to be pricked, but I was surprised cause just the day before I had a blood test, witch was really painful, yes they did not put the cream, in fact they  were mistaken!!!  by one day... How nice lol... this time I haven't left stretchy. It was a routine day for me...

13/09/2009

Nothing special, I stayed with my dear friend stretchy.



14/09/09: This is my last day before my surgery, I'm stressed, anxious, I don't really feel ready but I have no choice. Clearly if i want to have a chance to be in a cockpit I have to do it.


15/09/09 7a.m: I woke up this morning and first thing I saw is the big smile of a nurse, she said: "are you ready" ?
I hate to show that I'm scared so I just answered: Sure I am ! But my thoughts were sure in turmoil !... My mother accompanied me to the O.R, but my dad did not make it in time to see me before the surgery, It's okay I'm gonna see him tonight !

Blackout....

15/09/09 9p.m: I woke up this evening and my dad was there, I remember, remembering nothing, my mom and dad told me the surgery went fine, but I had no clue what they were talking about... I was certainly flying high this I remember oh and I was thirsty no liquid allowed... Painful days of recovery were ahead, but I never gave up.


I started my recovery, it's going to last a year before regaining all my capabilities, but I can walk talk, dream, and write..