I started 2001 by having spinal fusion surgery at East Tennessee Children's Hospital. I will never forget that day, the days before, and the many days of recovery afterward. When I found out in June 2000 that I had to have surgery for scoliosis, I was shocked to hear my doctor, pediatric orthopedic surgeon Cameron Sears, M.D., say that my spine curved at a 45-degree angle and that there was no alternative to surgery. We decided to wait and have the operation just after Christmas 2000, when I would be 13 years old. I wanted to have one normal semester at school that year.

About a month before the surgery, I really started getting a little more anxious, but I was determined to make the most of my last "carefree" days, so I spent the week before surgery having fun and being with my friends. Overall, I think that gave me a better attitude and outlook. Children's Hospital also helped out by staying in touch with my parents and me.

On the day of the surgery, I was really scared. I knew I was going to be fine, but I also knew the toughest part was about to happen. Plus, knowing I was about to be cut open just scared me.

When I got to Children's Hospital, a very kind nurse gave me some medicine to make me relax and forget about what was happening. After that, an attendant wheeled in a bed and gave me a little stuffed dog to take to surgery. I said goodbye to my parents and was wheeled into the preparation room. Soon after that, the "forget" medicine set in, and I was so relaxed that I don't even remember being wheeled into the operating room or being put to sleep. The surgery took about five hours.

When I woke up a couple hours after surgery, I could see four or five nurses around my bed. I asked where my parents were and was told it was almost time for them to come in. I discovered I was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where I remained for the rest of that day and all the next.

The nurses in the PICU took wonderful care of me. Every little while, they would turn me over, first on one side, then the other, so my chest tube would drain all the fluid. By the second day, I was able to grab onto the side rail of my bed and help pull myself over.

That night, I was moved from the PICU to a room on the Second Floor, which was a lot like life in the PICU, only more private. I still slept a lot, tried to get a better grasp on what time of day it was and finally started having more of an appetite. I finally left the hospital on the sixth day.

The time spent at home was probably the most exhausting emotionally, physically, mentally and socially. There was a point where I didn't care about the pain, the discomfort, anything; I just wanted to be at school with my friends doing normal things.

It was three weeks before I finally got up enough energy to go to school. I took a wheelchair with me, and my parents pushed me around in it because I got so tired walking. After less than an hour, I was ready to go home.

Then one day, I stayed nearly half a day. As I walked down the hall toward my homeroom, I realized this was the first time I was doing anything by myself, and I felt normal again. On April 3, exactly three months after my surgery, I stayed at school all day.

When facing a major ordeal, I think it is important to set goals; the goals I set helped me recover faster. Three of my major goals involved my love for singing: I wanted to perform in my school's talent show in mid-March; I wanted to be able to sing the National Anthem for the Lady Vols softball team for the whole season starting in mid-March; and I wanted to sing a solo at church in early April. I am happy to say I accomplished all three of my goals, which was very rewarding.

Finally, on November 1, 2001, Dr. Sears said the surgery had corrected my curvature, and now my spine had fused back together. I was healed! Thanks to my doctors, the nurses and the staff at Children's Hospital, my surgery is now just a memory - and a set of lessons learned.