Spine Surgery Success: Overcoming One of the Most Severe Cases of Scoliosis

Dr. Rita Roy: Hi, everyone. My name is Dr. Rita Roy, CEO at the National Spine Health Foundation, and I’m your host for the Get Back to It podcast, where we tell real stories of healing and recovery. What does it mean to get back to it? It means overcoming spine conditions through treatments that work in order to return to the people and activities you love, whatever that looks like for you.

It means getting back to your life. We’re here to share the success stories of those Those who did just that. And some of these stories you’re not going to believe.

At the Get Back To It podcast, our goal is to tell stories of spinal champions who’ve been able to achieve a better quality of life through spinal health care. In today’s episode, I’m delighted to be speaking with Emilya Semtuk, who was diagnosed with scoliosis after a school nurse noticed a curvature during a scoliosis screening.

After enduring much discomfort from elementary school throughout most of her 20s, she finally decided to have scoliosis surgical correction and is now living her life with significantly less pain and enjoying all the activities she loves. Now that you know what to expect, let’s get back to it and dive right into Emilya’s story.

Emilya Semchuk: I believe I was in upper elementary around the year 2005 when a school nurse noticed that I had a curvature in my spine during a scoliosis screening and referred me to see my physician. My physician referred me to a specialist and I was diagnosed then with idiopathic scoliosis. Emilya’s 

Dr. Rita Roy: scoliosis quickly progressed and by the time I was After she saw a specialist at Seattle Children’s, her condition was already considered severe.

Emilya Semchuk: I was told bracing would no longer be an option for me, and I was advised then and there to undergo spine surgery. I had seen a few chiropractors, but the treatment they offered did not seem to improve the curves in my spine. So I scheduled the surgery around the year 2009. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Emilya ended up not going through with the surgery, and continued to occasionally see chiropractors.

Chiropractors increasing pain and discomfort in her mid twenties, however, led her to reconsider the spine surgery at 

Emilya Semchuk: the age of 29. I made the decision to undergo a spinal fusion on January 8th, 2024, and I have been in recovery ever since, increasing my physical activity and going to physical therapy.

Dr. Rita Roy: Emilya began to ease into her normal activities and went back to teaching two months after her scoliosis surgery.

Emilya, your story is so important because it shows what success can happen with good, a good action plan and perseverance. Um, it must have been very scary when you were in elementary school and you were told that you had scoliosis and what that could mean for you. Can you remember what that time in your life was like?

Emilya Semchuk: It definitely was. Confusing and scary, those are good words to describe that. Um, I don’t remember meeting anyone around me with the same condition or same story as me. So I didn’t have anyone to ask questions. So 

Dr. Rita Roy: you felt alone with that diagnosis? 

Emilya Semchuk: I did, yeah. And, When I think back to that time, it does feel like a blur.

I don’t remember all the events unfolding very clearly. It does feel like a blur, but I definitely don’t remember there being a lot of positive feelings around this diagnosis or just the start of my journey. It was confusing. It was a scary time. 

Dr. Rita Roy: About how old were you at that point, Emilya? 

Emilya Semchuk: I can’t recall exactly, but I think they do the screening, or they did the screening around 4th or 5th grade.

So it was, it was upper elementary, I think it was 9, 10, possibly 11, it’s around there. And that was just the beginning. So I don’t. I don’t remember ever, like, looking my, at myself in the mirror and seeing a difference, it was just something that was spoken. So, um, I, I couldn’t quite, like, look at myself and think, oh yeah, I do see what they’re talking about.

I, I remember it just being such a mild, 

Dr. Rita Roy: Very subtle. Yeah. Very subtle. Um, but that was astute for the school nurse to kind of see that and, and advise you to go see your doctor about it, right? Yes. Yeah. So what, what would, do you remember what the time period was from seeing your doctor and then getting referred to a spine?

Surgeon. Um, uh, what, what was that timeframe? 

Emilya Semchuk: I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to, to remember the timeframe and my parents as well. They, it just all was such a blur and that’s a long time ago, but from somehow between the time of getting diagnosed and then seeing a specialist, it was already a severe scoliosis.

So I don’t know what happened in that time. And I guess my body just quickly. grew and changed. And yeah, the curves got worse. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. And so at that time, when the surgeon recommended surgery for you, um, what, what were your feelings? Was there hesitation or confusion or what, what were some of that? Or did you decide that you would pursue that?

But then you didn’t. What, tell me what that was like. 

Emilya Semchuk: There was a lot of hesitation. Um, my family was extremely supportive, but ultimately, I think because I was around, I don’t know, was it 15, 16? I don’t quite remember how old I was, but because I was, um, around that age, they kind of just left that choice up.

Well, yeah, they thankfully left that choice up to me. And. Uh, as I thought about it, did my own kind of research that I could at the time, um, I didn’t know if that was the best decision for me at that time. So, yeah, I did schedule the surgery and then I backed out of it and I actually don’t remember how much time had passed.

I just know that it wasn’t in the books. It was scheduled to happen and I just backed out for some reason. I don’t remember. Yeah, 

Dr. Rita Roy: you just weren’t ready. And tell me what the, uh, feelings that you had. Did you have pain in your back? Were you uncomfortable? Was it, was the scoliosis preventing you from doing anything you wanted to do?

Emilya Semchuk: Uh, now that you ask that, or now that you, uh, talk about pain, I guess because I actually didn’t experience much pain, um, I thought maybe this is something that I can adapt to and live with. Yeah. I don’t remember there being a lot of pain. That point in your life when you have a physical difference, um, it affects you emotionally.

Um, at least it did affect me mentally and emotionally, um. Sure. Just even at the beginning of the diagnosis, um, because you don’t want to be different, you don’t want to, you want to look like everyone else, you know, in your age group. So I remember, more than anything, it was difficult for me to come to terms with that in my mind, that, oh, my body looks different, close fit differently, um, A couple people would notice at school and make some comments about it, and it was, yeah, so I don’t remember feeling a lot of physical pain at that time, thankfully.

It was more at the emotional and mental. Anguish. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. Yeah. 

Emilya Semchuk: That too. Yeah. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Well, yeah. The mental health component of having a spine condition is very real. We talk about that a lot in the foundation and particularly when it comes to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis for exactly the reasons that you say that, you know, kids are trying to fit in and, you know, create a friend group and you don’t want to be, you know, the odd person out and it’s.

Especially not for a physical abnormality that you can’t control. It’s not like you can cut your hair, you know, or wear some makeup or you can’t, there’s nothing you can do about it. Um, it’s something that your body is doing that you’re not in control of. And that’s really tough, um, for teenagers, for anybody, especially for teenagers.

Emilya Semchuk: Yep, I know exactly 

Dr. Rita Roy: how that feels. Yeah. Uh, Emilya, what was your physical appearance like? Was it very obvious at that time in your teenage? Were your collarbones uneven or describe to me what, um, what you saw in the mirror, um, when you looked at yourself? 

Emilya Semchuk: Yeah, definitely a physical difference. So, um, my hips.

were misaligned, my shoulders were uneven, the left side of my lower back, there was a obvious rib hump, um, my sh just everything, it was, From the top to the bottom of my back just everything was asymmetrical So I think anyone who looked at me from the front at that point could see that there’s something off But then of course from the back and from the side They definitely were able to notice and as time went on my body sort of settled into Something that was less obvious from the front it was only when I wore tight fitting clothes that you could really see my scoliosis, but it was definitely There, and I was fully aware of it always, but, um, I think when you’re younger, everything is still changing, so a lot more was obvious.

Right. If that makes sense. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. And somehow when you’re younger, Um, you, you, you tolerate things, right? You’re like, well, this is, this isn’t that bad. This is, this is going to change. It’s going to be better. It’s going to be okay. It’s a temporary thing because your body is going through so many other changes as well.

Yeah. Emilya, tell me what kinds of activities you did as a teenager. 

Emilya Semchuk: As a teenager, I was your Average teen, I’d say. I didn’t play any sports, I believe I physically could, and if I could go back I would talk to that young girl and say, hey, don’t let anything stop you. Um, I definitely physically could have, but I, Just somehow let all of this prevent me from taking risks and trying, uh, things that I thought would feel difficult in the moment.

Um, so I didn’t play any sports in school, but I was, I loved being active. I loved being outside. I enjoyed traveling. I just, any, actually like what I enjoy now, it didn’t change. It just, I’m just discovering even more about, uh, even more. Yeah. Yeah. 

Dr. Rita Roy: So the good news is that the scoliosis in your, um, teenage years didn’t prevent you from living a normal teenage life.

Perhaps you didn’t participate in some things because you just didn’t think you could, but maybe that would have been the case with or without scoliosis, right? It’s hard to know how you would have felt about that. 

Emilya Semchuk: That is true. Yeah. 

Dr. Rita Roy: And do you live in a cold or warm weather environment, 

Emilya Semchuk: or did you? I live near rainy Seattle, and I moved here.

Rainy Seattle! Yes, for as long as I can remember, I moved here when I was three. So this is all I know. We get the best of all the worlds, I’d say. Yeah. I really enjoy where I live. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. Yeah, that’s so many beautiful hiking trails and ability to be outside and enjoy that, that temperate weather there. Um, that’s, that’s really cool.

And so, um, so life went along for you, you know, the unfortunate word, medical word that is used for scoliosis is the word deformity. And it’s such a hard word to use with young people, um, because of course that’s the one thing you don’t want to have associated is, is to think that you have a physical deformity.

But that is the, that is the medical term for scoliosis, uh, one of the medical terms. So as you were going along, you, you approach your senior year of high school, how was your scoliosis doing and what were you doing about it? 

Emilya Semchuk: Around my senior year of high school, my scoliosis was still severe, and this was where it actually began to negatively affect me even more.

Um, I remember just trying to reconcile in my mind with, this is not going away, um, there’s not much that I have done that has helped. Or decreased, even the, the size of the curves. So it was a lot for me to accept and to experience, yeah. Just knowing that this is my life, this is my story. I don’t remember it being in much physical pain at that time.

My body was still strong and I was still pretty active. Always sort of just stayed strong fit active as much as I could so pain element was not there I’m sure when I would go on long walks or it would try running some distance then there was discomfort but in general, it was definitely a It was definitely affecting me emotionally and mentally more than physically at that point in my life 

Dr. Rita Roy: That’s incredible.

That’s absolutely incredible. And Emilya, were you seeing a physical therapist during that time or what kinds of treatment, um, were you undergoing? 

Emilya Semchuk: I saw different chiropractors. I didn’t do any physical therapy. I just kept seeing different chiropractors, um, and they were obviously never able to fix me.

Um, there was some relief and I did have a couple chiropractors that were able to decrease my curves. Temporarily. Temporarily. Yeah. Um, but there was never much change. So that was the extent of my treatment. It was seeing chiropractors that could potentially help. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. And along that way, what, what were, what were they telling you in terms of how you were managing your scoliosis?

What advice were you getting? 

Emilya Semchuk: I actually always seem to be the patient with the most severe curves that they. ever saw. I kind of would always keep hitting that record for just different people that I was seeing. I remember almost all my doctors and all my chiropractors, they’d always be like, yeah, you definitely, you take the spot for the worst scoliosis.

So I think I was a surprise to most people who saw me. Tried to treat me. Um, they tried their best, but the story was pretty, uh, similar across the board. It was always, there’s not much we can do for you. And I did have one incredible chiropractor who would gently encourage me to look into getting treated surgically.

Because he, he was able to help me, but to at some point, there’s just so much they could do. Right. And if you don’t maintain that treatment, then you’re everything sort of comes back at the pain and the curves. Yeah, come back to their original position. So they would always point me in a different direction.

I didn’t want to hear it. But thankfully, on this side of everything, I understand that they did that for my good. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah, well, it’s, it’s interesting because the scoliosis, while it was giving you emotional challenges was really not physically, um, preventing you from doing, living your life and you weren’t having a lot of pain from it.

So I could see where it’s, it’s, um, a little easier to almost be in denial that this is really happening, something that. And it was really happening. Did, did you, um, discuss the progression of your scoliosis, like, when you went in for your annual physical with your doctor, your regular doctor, and what did those conversations look like?

Emilya Semchuk: So, at every physical, I was, healthy overall. So this was my only diagnosis, thankfully. And it did come up in conversation every time, but we sort of had the same conversation over and over again. Um, do I have pain at the start? It wasn’t, it was very, very mild, little to no pain. And then of course, Things changed throughout the years, but it was always a conversation of, well, it’s your choice on what kind of treatment you want to seek out.

Um, and I was never pressured to do anything. So the conversation existed, but my physicians were always just supportive. If you’re okay with this, then, you know, we’re going to just, uh, keep an eye on, on you. So that was the extent of my conversations with them. Yeah. 

Dr. Rita Roy: So. Tell me, so then, Emilya, what, what happened after high school?

What, what did your life look like after you graduated high school? 

Emilya Semchuk: In my early 20s and my mid 20s, things started to change. My pain increased. I remember taking, um, a trip overseas in my mid twenties and I was walking in these beautiful cities, but I was taking so many breaks and just resting a lot more than the average person, my age would need to, and I remember.

That was one moment where I thought, wow, this is really affecting my, my life. Um, so, life went on, and I tried not to let this stop me, but the pain of, uh, having these severe curbs in my body, it definitely became a lot more noticeable. Things got pretty difficult. There were, there were times where I would need to stand like as a bridesmaid or you know, just different places where I didn’t have the option to just rest a bit and I remember that just feeling incredibly painful and of course my body was tired, but Again, it was always coming back to that emotional and mental aspect of this deformity is wow.

I don’t know why, like why I need to experience this, but it got very difficult. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Oh gosEmilyalia, were you, 

Emilya Semchuk: did you go to college after high school? I did Running Start in high school, um, and right after college, I, or sorry, right after high school, I waited to go back and I have gone back in different times in my life throughout my 20s.

Yes. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. So, so, I guess, I was, that was the question I was, you know, were you, were you living alone or did you, you know, have to make accommodations, you know, for yourself living alone, but yeah, no. So. You know, that, that for better and for worse, right, you can, you begin to just accommodate your life into the, um, disability that you’re beginning to have so that you almost don’t notice the disability until you find yourself in a setting like trying to take a long walk on beautiful streets in Europe or standing at the altar at your friend’s wedding or family member’s wedding.

And, and now you. Now it’s magnified that you’re, you’re not able to do the things that people your age are doing, right? And that’s yeah, that’s the realization that’s hard to ignore, right? And So so you got to a point What was the what was that real turning point? It was sort of maybe a constellation of these experiences that you were having coupled with actual physical pain 

Emilya Semchuk: Do you mean just the turning point for me to Turning point, 

Dr. Rita Roy: yeah, to say I need to do something different, I’ve gotta, maybe it is time for surgery or treatment or whatever.

Emilya Semchuk: It’s a great question. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but last summer, I just had this moment where all of a sudden I thought, I think this is it. I think it’s time. And I had so much peace that came with this decision. It was very interesting. Leading up to this point, yeah, it really is amazing. When I think back on this, because leading up to this moment, um, whenever I would.

Consider scoliosis surgery, it was, I wrestled with this and it was very difficult for me to make a decision. I thought I would weigh the pros and cons. I would listen to different stories and testimonials and try to understand, is this the right fit for me? And it always felt like such a heavy weighted decision to make.

But for some reason last, last year, last summer, it was just a moment where I thought, This is it, and I began to do research and look for a surgeon, look for a specialist, and with this sort of change in heart and change in my mind, uh, came a lot of peace, so I was very thankful. Um, that I was able to even consider because I know some people don’t even have the option.

They might not be candidate for surgery. 

Dr. Rita Roy: And you live in, um, a really wonderful part of the country where you have access to great health care. Yes. Up there in Seattle. Not sure, um, where you had your treatment. I don’t know if you want to share that with our audience. You’re welcome to do that, or you don’t have to either, but, um, 

Emilya Semchuk: Yeah, I would love to share because this is a big part of my story.

I have a friend who had very complicated surgery in New York, and I reached out to, um, her surgeon’s office. He’s world renowned. I don’t know. I’ll share his name, Dr. Lanky, I believe is his name. Oh, 

Dr. Rita Roy: yes. We know Dr. Lanky very well. He’s on our board. Oh, 

Emilya Semchuk: that’s amazing. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yes. Well, I, 

Emilya Semchuk: knowing, um, I, just knowing that he is someone who’s very respected and just does his job with excellence, um, I thought I’d reach out to his office and see if they have any recommendations for him.

anyone in Seattle, and they referred me to Dr. Sethi, and that was such a great decision. I am so thankful to you. Love Dr. Sethi. Yes, I am so grateful. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah, he cared. He 

Emilya Semchuk: cared for Uh, by him and his team. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yes. And I’m sure you met Michelle on the team. Yes. She’s awesome. Big shout out to Michelle if you’re listening.

Emilya Semchuk: Yes. I love them. I’m actually going to see them soon. So I’m excited to. Oh, that’s great. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. We love Dr. Sethi. He’s very active with the National Spine Health Foundation and, um, Very, very committed to patient education and connection. And, um, yeah, lucky, lucky you, you got, you got to be in the hands of Dr.

Sethi. So, um, so tell me, tell me, so you came to peace, you did your research, you Um, we’re referred to a great doctor. You went to the doctor’s office. What was it like at your first visit? 

Emilya Semchuk: My first visit was full of emotion. It was full of excitement, um, some nerves, of course, and this was just me testing the waters.

Um, I really needed to hear, well, is this still an option for me? Um, because at that point, I haven’t talked to a specialist in a long time. It’s been years since I spoke to someone who could really take a good look at my spine and say, okay, these are your options. This is what we can do for you. And I remember my first appointment, yeah, just being full of emotion.

And I was very excited to be there. And as soon as I met Dr. Sethi and his team. Um, I just, throughout this entire process, I just have so much peace in my heart. Um, and I could tell that they really want to help their patients, and they want to see their patients thrive. They want to see them well, and That’s the feeling I got even just from my first visit.

Dr. Rita Roy: That’s awesome. That’s when you know you’re in the right place for you, is you, you have that good feeling, you feel confident, you have a good relationship with the surgeon and the team. Yep. And, and that, that point of, um, confidence in the medical team is also another layer of peace that that brings you.

Yes. That you’re like, In the right place. Yes. So, so you, so tell me what they did for you, Emilya. What, what, what did they recommend? 

Emilya Semchuk: So, of course, because my, my scoliosis is pretty severe, it wasn’t, um, a very straightforward answer of yes, like we can correct you to 100%. They, yeah, they couldn’t promise me, uh, perfect results.

We’re not looking for perfection. That’s not our goal. It’s to bring as much correction as you’re able to. body can handle. Um, and they did recommend that I undergo surgery. Um, and they left the timing up to me and I scheduled for a few months out. 

Dr. Rita Roy: And that, that is fantastic. So it gave you yourself time to Mentally prepare to physically prepare.

Um, what kinds of things did you have to think about in terms of what your recovery was going to be like? Um, did you have to make any special changes in your home or preparations for what things would happen after the surgery? 

Emilya Semchuk: I knew I couldn’t go back to work immediately after surgery, so I needed to take some time off Thankfully, I was able to do that and I knew that my I needed people around me that would physically be able to help and support me and I had my parents, I had my siblings, my family there for that.

I didn’t have to change much within my home or my room. I definitely was utilizing Um, a little like the stick that helps you pick things up off the floor and it just Oh, the grabber. The gadgets. Yeah. The 

Dr. Rita Roy: grabber. Yeah, the grabber . Yeah. Yeah. The grabber. Grabber. Is your friend like that? 

Emilya Semchuk: Yes. Yeah, absolutely.

Little things like that, but I didn’t really need to make any major changes. It was just taking the time off to be able to recover and heal right after surgery. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Emilya, do you know what degree your curvature was going into surgery? Did they share that with you? 

Emilya Semchuk: It was 100 degrees but it could have been a little more.

I’ve seen some x rays of mine from previous years where it was around 111 degrees. So, I’m not sure if it was just changing, but going into surgery, I believe my bottom curve was 100 degrees. My top curve was around the 70 

Dr. Rita Roy: 80 

Emilya Semchuk: degree zone, but definitely severe. I only actually know, personally, two others who have curves that compare to mine.

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. It’s incredible that you went. That long that you didn’t, you were able to, um, you know, feel comfortable, uh, for, for that long as those curves were progressing so severely like that. And so what was the goal of surgery? So you said it was, the goal was not to be perfectly straight, but to be close to straight.

So I guess probably didn’t give you a number, but just to say, we want it, we’re going to make this better. And so tell us. Tell us what the surgery was and and what the outcome has been. 

Emilya Semchuk: Yes, I Love thinking back on the day of surgery. I know as crazy as it sounds It’s one of the best days of my life, and I mean It was such a fun day I know fun and surgery usually don’t are not heard in the same sentence together very often but I don’t know what it was.

It was, I, I, I’m a Christian and I just prayed over this day for months before going into surgery and I, this piece that I talked about from the beginning of the decision to just that day, it stayed with me. I knew I was in the right place, in the right hands. And the day of surgery, I was so excited. So I went in and they got to fuse me, I believe, from T3 to L4.

Wow. Of course, yeah, they did not promise to fully correct my spine because that probably, my body wouldn’t be able to handle that at this point in my life. But they did such a great job. I have a lot less pain. Curvature in my spine. It looks a lot better. And I remember waking up from surgery and we’re all emotional.

Most of us are crying, but I remember crying. tears of joy and just understanding even in that moment right after waking up that I am so grateful that I get to be here. I’m so grateful that the surgery was a success because I remember asking like, is everything okay? And they’re like, yes, the surgery was a success.

And I just remember feeling so thankful, just crying tears of joy. And I love thinking back to that day, I honestly wish I could relive. That day over and over and over again because it was just such a such a day full of peace and joy And I was very excited to be there. Um, so of course the day after that is when That initial Pain comes on and you realize, wow, this was a big deal.

It wasn’t a small surgery. It’s a complicated, uh, complex surgery. Um, and recovery felt long. It was not easy by any means. But I knew that if others could do it, I could do it, too. I love that. Yes, and I had so many people around me who were there, uh, supporting me. Maybe they couldn’t fully understand, but they were willing to try to understand.

And I just had all my family around me, all my friends around me. Supporting me. So recovery wasn’t easy, but I made it. I’m here and I’m so thankful and I do love thinking back on day of surgery. 

Dr. Rita Roy: That is the most amazing, joyful thing I have ever heard about. Day of surgery. Um, I hope you have shared that with Dr.

Ethie and his team over there. 

Emilya Semchuk: I have. Good. And I’m gonna continue to, I just, good love. Loved it. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Yeah. That’s fantastic. I am, I think that, you know, that really does speak to you. Were ready. Yes, we’re ready. Um, and this in, you were ready to move on to a new chapter in your life and You did all the right things for yourself.

You know, you did your research you found a surgeon and team who you felt great about and Got yourself prepared and and did it and yeah that Bravo Bravo That is fantastic. I’m so, so happy for you and so excited to share this story with the world because it’s so, so amazing. And, and you cover so many things, the fear, the confusion, the uncertainty, denial, you know, um, the mental anguish, um, Thanks, David.

Thanks, David. Thanks, Michael. Fear, fear of surgery, um, all those things are so real and then doing your research and finding community, you know, you’re, you said you had a friend that had a complicated surgery. That was a really critical piece in your decision making. You know, we, we tell people, people often ask us.

How do I know if I’m at the right doctor? How do I find the right doctor? Um, and one thing we do encourage people to do is talk to friends and family. Um, you know, hear from others who’ve had experiences. Someone knows someone who’s had a good or a bad experience somewhere, right? And all of those are data points.

Yeah. Exactly. 

Emilya Semchuk: I, I needed to hear from others. I, I felt that it was really helpful to hear other stories, and I remember just throughout the years, I kind of always stayed aware of what spinal fusion is and how it helps people. Um, even when I didn’t think that I would ever agree to this for myself, um, I found it so encouraging and so helpful to hear other stories.

And this. definitely ultimately did help lead me to this decision for myself is when I would see for myself just how helpful it has been and just how much change it’s brought to people’s lives. They’re able to do what they weren’t able to do before and there’s so much less pain. I mean, just for me, there’s so much less pain now after surgery than there was before.

And it’s interesting because now, now that I’m, uh, I’m feeling like I’m a lot more further along in my recovery. I’m realizing that I was in so much pain before, and it was my normal. It was my reality. So I did, I got used to that. Yeah, you would get to that. I did. Yeah. I didn’t really even, uh, measure it to anything else or, you know, just understand what it is I was experiencing.

Cause it was just me. And it was all I knew. Um, it’s all you knew. Oh yeah, being on the other side of surgery now, I’m thinking, wow, I was in a lot of pain just doing the normal things like sitting in a chair, um, driving in a car, taking a short walk, it was just the normal things that you would want to do when I was just in a lot of pain because of my back, but being on this side and, um, hearing that, oh, others, We’re able to have a successful surgery as well.

This is, this has been very helpful in my decision making process. So yeah, you’re right. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Well, that’s what we do here at the National Spine Health Foundation. We tell these stories so that others can learn and get inspired, um, get hope that their lives can be improved and can be made better. So what you’re doing now is paying it forward, right?

Letting, there’s someone out there who’s going to hear this and say, gosh, I can get better and and my my life can be better and um, You know, I thank you so much Emilya for sharing your story with us and taking the time. It’s um it’s hard to sometimes share your story and I and I so appreciate your honesty and Vulnerability that you shared with us today.

And I’m looking at the screen as we’re talking, recording at a gorgeous young 20 something year old girl with a perfect smile and just beautiful, glowing, radiant young person. And, you know, you just can’t believe what you’ve been through and, um, wow. What, uh, what, what a wonderful future ahead of you. And, uh, you know, we say thanks to the miracles.

Of modern spinal health care the outcomes are better than ever before in history and And you can live your full wonderful act of life and it looks like you’re on the road to doing just that 

Emilya Semchuk: Yes If anyone is listening and they can relate to any part of my story. I do want to say that there is so much hope And you’re right Modern medicine allows us to find relief for our pain, and what this surgery provided for me is something that I wasn’t able to even comprehend going into, but I’m so thankful for the gift of spinal surgery.

Like, don’t, I never thought I would ever say that for myself. But here I am. So if you can relate, know that there absolutely is hope and you don’t have to live with the same level of pain that you are living with now. 

Dr. Rita Roy: That is so beautifully said, Emilya. Thank you for saying that. I think that, um, you know, people like Dr.

Sethi and Dr. Lenke and so many other surgeons and, and healthcare providers out there are just absolute healthcare heroes. I mean, they are just, they put the best of science into practice to improve people’s lives and we just admire and respect and, and they are the heroes, um, you know, in our, in our society for sure.

Thank you. 

Emilya Semchuk: Absolutely. Very thankful for them. 

Dr. Rita Roy: Um, Emilya, as we wrap up our conversation here, is there, is there anything we haven’t covered, um, that, that you want to say or that we haven’t talked about? 

Emilya Semchuk: Um, I guess I can say that I’m still on the road to recovery. I did a couple months of physical therapy.

Leading up to surgery to get strong and prepared and I am so grateful for that I think that’s really helped me and I’m actually have an appointment today for physical therapy So I do want to say the the recovery journey is really Different for everyone. In my case, it was quite difficult, but I saw improvement week by week and I’m here now, um, feeling strong and, um, I know there’s a whole, or I know there’s so much ahead of me where there’s even more room for improvement and recovery.

And I’m very excited about that. Um, so. Although it hasn’t been easy, it’s taken some time for my body to understand what just happened and to get used to my new back, my new spine. Um, I’m ever so grateful that I said yes to this, and um, I definitely can relate to anyone who, Has scoliosis, we’re in this together.

Dr. Rita Roy: All right, um, Emilya, did you find the National Spine Health Foundation as a source when you were looking for information? 

Emilya Semchuk: I did not. I found you guys through Dr. Sethi. It was at a post op appointment Sethi said, Hey, there’s a great resource out there. And I thought, wow, this is amazing. Definitely want to be a voice.

Um, because I needed to hear from others. And so I’m very glad that I get to share my story on this side too. 

Dr. Rita Roy: That’s awesome. I’m so glad to hear that. I’m so glad that they encouraged you to come join us and tell your story and spread the word about the work we’re doing, Emilya, it was a delight to meet you and hear your story of incredible perseverance, determination, courage, And taking control of your spine health on your own terms, sharing your story with the community will no doubt help someone else gain the confidence and fortitude needed to make the right decision for them as well.

Thank you. Thank you so much for being willing to share with us.

At the National Spine Health Foundation, something we believe in most is providing hope for recovery through sharing stories of success and expertise. It isn’t always easy to find someone to relate to, even though 100 million people suffer from neck or low back conditions every year. To hear more stories of spinal champion recovery and access educational materials about spine health, visit us at SpineHealth.

org. If you’re interested in supporting our show financially, You can contribute at the link provided. Thank you for listening.