Laura likes challenges. It's just as well, because her whole life has been one of overcoming physical challenges. The story began in 1970 when Laura was 12 and diagnosed with scoliosis. Even though she wasn't in pain, surgery was chosen as a preventive measure, and inserting Harrington rods (described earlier) was the new and fashionable surgery. She was first "prepared" for surgery by having her spine "straightened" on a torturous machine called "the rack," then she was immediately put in a cast for five days to force her spine into the desired position.

There were many complications to the subsequent surgery. She contracted blood poisoning and hepatitis from a transfusion. Her body cast had to be removed because of massive swelling. Her incisions would not heal. It was April 1971 before she was cast-free. Just as she was healing, in January 1972, the rods broke. More surgery was ordered, to correct the first surgery. This young teenager spent seven months in a full body cast and another four months in one where she could move her arms and legs. But this wasn't the end of her imprisonment in plaster.

For another seven months she was in a "turn-buckle cast." A buckle was turned to move her body to fit her spine. When her body and spine were finally in the desired position (after approximately six weeks), Laura underwent another surgery to fuse her spine a second time. She remained in the turn-buckle for another six months. "I can still remember being on my stomach with my head facing straight ahead in a most abnormal position. My body was put in the strangest contortions."

So, four years, four surgeries, blood poisoning, hepatitis, the rack, and the turn-buckle cast later, she was able to have a normal life. Normal for 15 years, anyway, until she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30. She has been a cancer survivor for more than 10 years now. Laura feels the multitude of X-rays she had as a child contributed to the cancer, and research supports this thought.

Just to recap: At the age of 12, before all this medical intervention she had scoliosis but no pain. Following her spinal fusion, Laura led a relatively pain-free life until problems surfaced again at 35 when lower back pain surfaced and advanced to the point where she could no longer stand at the sink to wash dishes. Laura had been very active for 15 years doing aerobics and competing in high level tennis daily. She loved being active. The pain frightened her. She went to an orthopedic specialist on spines who referred her to a physical therapist.

Despite faithfully carrying out her exercises, she felt worse. A second specialist told her that steroid injections would be the only option, but they would only give her pain relief for a limited number of years. An MRI brought more bad news. It showed degenerative changes below the fusion, a common side effect of an extensive spinal fusion. It also showed one vertebra sliding off another (spondylolythesis at L4 and L5) and a narrowing of the hole where the spinal nerve exits (encroachment of a foramen on the right at the same level).

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