The Adventures of Lan: Tracted for 700 days before surgery, a shrimp-like spine has finally been straightened.
I have been diagnosed with scoliosis for 6374 days.
My disease has been declared incurable for 3795 days.
I have applied for aid from X-in Miao Charity Fund for 791 days.
I have undergone cranial pelvic ring traction for 743 days.
Because of traction, I have been living in the hospital for the longest time. Because of my passion, my neighboring patients have called me, Dean Lan.
On May 14th, 2019; under the help of Professor Yang Jun Lin and his surgical team (Scoliosis Center of Xinhua Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University), I have undergone my dream surgery. This surgery has changed my life, I grew 23 centimeters.
Before I went unconscious, a tear came across my eyes. I was about to experience the greatest challenge of my life.
If the surgery succeeds, I will be reborn like the phoenix rising. Or I could end up dying. Still, I have no regrets.
After 10 hours of fighting, the surgery was complete. Everything went well.
That night; my head surgeon, Professor Yang Jun Lin, was very happy because that day was also his birthday. To him, completing this challenging surgery was the best present.
Apparently, he shed some joyful tears. His tears marked the end of my suffering.
At the age of 17, I was told that my disease had no cure. This was a death sentence for me. Yet, I never gave up on finding hope. From 17 till accepting my surgery at the age of 27, professor Yang and his team had worked together to bring me back from the "devil".
Adult aged 27, scoliosis “s” curve with kyphosis, Cobb angle 210˚/200˚, with severe osteoporosis, and my surgery was the most difficult one.
It is his option if the doctor himself wanted to give up.
When I was 3, I was diagnosed with scoliosis and kyphosis. Many local doctors refused to accept my case because of its high risks in surgery. In 2008, for the illness I left school. My parents took me to a greater hospital as a way to prevent me from becoming depressed.
So we went to a top-three hospital in Guangxi and a hospital in Nanning to see if my disease is curable. The doctors said my disease was incurable because of its severity. Moreover, I had three more years of life expectancy. After hearing these comments, my parents cried desperately.Since then, my parents have given up on any possible treatments.
Since my parents could not give me a healthy life; instead, they wanted to give me better-living conditions. So they used the money that was originally intended to treat me to build a house, Since then they have never mentioned any treatment for me.
If I gave up, my life would be over.
In 2014, my legs began to feel pain and I started to have breathing troubles. I felt tired after walking two steps and had constant colds. What should I do, doctors told me my disease was incurable.
Being disabled, I didn’t have a lot of normal friends. I made friends with a lot of patients like me on the Internet. We chatted to relieve their inner pain.
One day in 2016, a patient friend suddenly told me that my scoliosis was curable by modern medical technology.
Afterward, I was once again faced with disappointment. My parents were old, I had no money, my elder sister was on a student loan, and she had to work to subsidize my family, she was then married and pregnant. I didn’t want to burden my family anymore.
But there was a voice in the back of my head telling me: don’t give up.
My elder sister knew about this “cure” later. Though she was pregnant with the child. Still, she went around asking me about it. Finally, she finally learned that Professor Yang Junlin from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University is a top expert and had treated many patients with severe scoliosis. In addition, we could apply for X-in Miao Fund to afford for the surgery.
On February 27, 2017, I went to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University for a comprehensive examination. Professor Yang said that scoliosis must be treated as soon as possible. So, I hurriedly arranged hospital traction. Due to poor cardiopulmonary function and the delay in reaching the surgical targets, I transformed myself from "Little Blue" to "Dean Blue".
May 14, 2019, my rebirth day. I want to thank those doctors whose names I know and those who don't. They are all my heroes.
I know my surgery has great risks and unknown complications. Once postoperative complications occur, it is big trouble. Many doctors do not want to take this kind of surgery or risk for the patients because they want to preserve their reputation and status.
“Accept your fate.” This is their subtext for rejecting me.
I am thankful for coming across a group of doctors like Professor Yang Jun Lin.
Soldiers serve the people, and doctors rescue the wounded. Professor Yang Junlin, who was a military soldier, saw his contributions and efforts in the field of scoliosis. Through the school carpet screening and AI intelligent screening, he is committed to the early detection of scoliosis and the early treatment of scoliosis. I saw him running around for patients with severe scoliosis for more than ten years, raising charity funds, and bringing us hope and light of rebirth.
He is working hard to save every critically ill patient. He wants more people to stand up straight and be confident.
Being persistent is meaningful. Staying in the hospital for more than two years (for traction), has allowed me to become appreciative of doctors and nurses. As patients with scoliosis, we are unfortunate. But we are so lucky to have such a professional scoliosis surgery team that is at the forefront of the world, constantly studying technology, overcoming problems, regardless of personal gains and losses, willing to work hard for us.
We are not alone. We must stay strong. We must stand by our beliefs and never give up. The doctors insisted on the sincerity regardless of personal gains and losses, to fight scoliosis!
