Curved Inspirations

By Marcia DelBarone

One of the toughest things in life is to be faced without the choices we want. Thats just how life is. Its not unfair or bad, it just is. It is our job to do the best we can in whatever situation is presented to us.
Stifling experiences happen to everyone at some point in their life.
If I had to learn any lesson from this stifling experience, it would be never to let yourself fall victim to something you can control; always stay motivated, and conquer anything that may stand between you and success.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 24, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483641300

Marcia DelBarone

Marcia DelBarone discovers her silver lining in life and refused to be defined by her scoliosis diagnosis with a fused spine while carrying around 20 screws and 2 foot long rods in her spine. She is a mom to Matthew and Michael Corbishley, leader in medical sales, writer, professional and runner, who shares her triumphant story overcoming compelling obstacles to never beat her drive to succeed. She shares her relentless perseverance and strength in how hitting rock bottom, surgery, hardware and pain medicine could not stop her at the fork in the road where you may choose to be healthy, to be strong, and to take flight for a productive, happy life. Marcia loves to inspire and encourage others who are struggling in many areas of life.

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CONTENTS

Special Acknowledgement

Introduction

Chapter 1: Freedom Run

Chapter 2: Scoliosis Diagnosis And Early Years

Chapter 3: The Big Decision

Chapter 4: Prep And Scoliosis Spinal Fusion Surgery

Chapter 5: At Home After Surgery

Chapter 6: My Scoliosis Recovery Routine

Chapter 7: Gratitude

Chapter 8: Perseverence

Chapter 9: Life Is Good

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:2

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Marcia DelBarone discovers her silver lining in life and refused to be defined by her scoliosis diagnosis with a fused spine while carrying around 20 screws and 2 foot long rods in her spine. She is a mom to Matthew and Michael Corbishley, leader in medical sales, writer, professional and runner, who shares her triumphant story overcoming compelling obstacles to never beat her drive to succeed. She shares her relentless perseverance and strength in how hitting rock bottom, surgery, hardware and pain medicine could not stop her at the fork in the road where you may choose to be healthy, to be strong, and to take flight for a productive, happy life. Marcia loves to inspire and encourage others who are struggling in many areas of life.

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My heart felt thank you goes to Dr. Lloyd A. Hey, MD, MS Spine Surgeon, from Duke-Raleigh Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. His individualized commitment, faith, education, talent, warmth, and his staff, always made me feel safe, loved, cared for, and inspired.

As soon as I met Dr. Hey, the decision for surgery was not about insurance coverage; it was about the fact that Dr. Hey clearly devotes his life to his commitment to help people get better! His compassion and brains, combined with his dedication to his patients, makes him an amazing surgeon. His personal qualities of not smoking, not drinking, and praying with his patients before surgery are comforting to those who trust him with surgery. After surgery, Dr. Hey followed up at the hospital and treated me like I was his own daughter. He is a miracle in my life, and gave me back the quality in my life that I lost with scoliosis.

Thank you to Dr. Hey’s competent and caring staff: Brittany, Jenny, Tracey, Melissa, and the wonderful nurses of the orthopaedic unit at Duke-Raleigh Hospital. The care I received was nurturing and compassionate.

Thank you to my neighbors on Beestone Lane and in Wakefield Plantation, Raleigh, NC, who organized dinners for my family for one month post surgery. Special thank you from my heart to Colleen Cerniglia for organizing the calendar for dinners for our family.

Thank you to my two wonderful sons, Matthew and Michael, who were there for me non-stop, even in the most terrible moments, and truly gave me the love and inspiration to keep fighting to get better. My love and gratitude to you both. I am so proud of you for being the fine young men that you are!

Thank you to my dedicated husband John, who cared for me 24/7 and lost countless hours of sleep to comfort me as I healed, and patiently listened to me express my feelings of failing, remorse, love, pain, and joy. Thank you for spending your birthday in the hospital on my surgery day!

Thank you to my mom, who came from R.I. to help me to continue this long scoliosis road that started in high school. My mom has been through it all with me and I cannoth thank her enough for the love and support she has dedicated to me throughout my life with scoliosis. Although my dad has since passed, I thank him for support during the high school scoliosis years, too.

Thank you to all my friends and family who sent supportitve, encouraging cards, gifts, and flowers to lift me up and make me smile through some very difficult days. My special love to my genuine friend from years past, Lori DiSanto, who has always been there for me since high school, and even though we are many miles apart, whose friendship is in my heart forever.

I thank my long-time friends Kelly and Rick Ferris for opening up my faith in the Lord over 18 years ago. What can I say, but, I love you.

Thank you to Dr. McCormick, who has taken a special interest to help in editing my book. Your passion in caring for patients and the love you have in your heart shines through!

Thanks to so many of you, who I have met through work, the YMCA, community events, and other activities, who have inspired me to write my book after you heard my story. You have all motivated me!

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to my two sons, Matthew and Michael, my husband John, and my mom.

Mom, thank you for all the support and time you gave me while I was in high school and had to spend many hours in a brace and at the Boston Scoliosis Clinic. Your emotional support was the help that I needed to wear the brace daily.

I am so thankful for my sons, and so grateful for how they helped my husband take care of me 24/7 for at least four weeks after my surgery. Matthew, then 15, and Michael, then 14, dedicated themselves to doing the normal daily things that I could not do during early recovery, such as lifting a carton of milk, picking up things that I dropped and couldn’t retrieve, and reaching things that were above my reach. They provided the hugs and love that I needed for strength to rebuild myself.

Last, but not least, I am thankful for John’s help, love, and encouragement throughout my surgery and recovery process. He was always there for me and went through it with me, faithfully setting his alarm through the night to give me my medication.

The wonderful men in my life inspired me, encouraged me, and helped me remain steadfast and determined not to give up. I will be forever grateful for that, and for them.

INTRODUCTION

Why did I choose to write another book on scoliosis when a simple online search reveals that there are already a few hundred scoliosis books listed at Amazon.com and BN.com? I have a simple, honest answer for the why another book on that topic question: Every story is unique to the person that experienced and lived it, but contains universal truth, experiences, information, and emotions that can inspire, encourage, teach, and support. It’s my desire to share my experience with scoliosis and scoliosis surgery, but my deepest desire is to share my enthusiasm for victory, health, and abundant life above and beyond scoliosis surgery. I want people to know that scoliosis and scoliosis surgery isn’t coming to a spot where they land and stay, but a fork in the road where they choose to be healthy, to be strong, and to take flight for a productive, happy life. I want people to know that there is definitely life after scoliosis surgery!

Lest you think that I’m an overly optimistic cheerleader who has no idea of the pain and negative aspects of scoliosis, and the intensive therapy after scoliosis surgery, it’s only fair to let you know that this book was written from first-hand experience. It was not written by someone who learned about scoliosis by reading about it, but by someone who has been down in the trenches and dug her way out, one shovelful at a time. Many, if not most, scoliosis books are written by medical professionals who learned about scoliosis in medical school. Good for them for sharing solid information that benefits so many people who would otherwise not understand what scoliosis is or how to treat it. It’s absolutely wonderful that people with scoliosis can depend on such knowledgeable, intelligent professionals for guidance, treatment, surgery, and monitoring. However, there is a huge difference between reading technical information that is written by a medical