It was just about seven months ago, the Herald caught up with Sidney High School student Krissa Jones who was preparing to undergo spinal fusion surgery.

Now, as Thanksgiving approaches, the 17-year-old junior is healing from her battle scars and moving forward with her life. Jones suffers from scoliosis, a condition in which the spine severely curves. At the time of her surgery, it had curved 57 percent. She felt it, too. She was in constant pain but did her best not to let it bother her in school and sports.

Today, her spine is at 20 percent curvature. “It’s amazing what they did for her,” her mother, Brenda, said. “I mean, it was a total curve. Now you can hardly see the curve, but she’s got a lot of titanium in her.”

Louisa Barber | Sidney Herald Krissa Jones is recovering from a spinal fusion surgery. She’s seen here with Wyatt Reid as a teacher’s assistant to Mrs. Farr.

During the surgery, which took place in Spokane, Wash., doctors opened up her back, inserted titanium rods on each side of the spine and tightened screws into the rods through the seven fuzed vertebrae so the spine couldn’t bend anymore. Then came recovery.

“It was horrible,” said Jones, who actually gained an inch in height after the surgery. “I didn’t eat for two weeks. No appetite.”

She laid in the hospital bed for seven days as her back healed. Then when she returned home, she had to learn to eat more vegetables, which is important for the healing process. Infection can occur when the patient doesn’t eat properly, and they could end up back in Spokane. It was extremely important to eat properly because of the long distance to the hospital.

Since the surgery in May, Jones has gone back to Spokane for checkups three times, including the one from which she just returned last week. All of the trips couldn’t have been done without the help from Sidney and Richland County residents. “They were beyond generous,” Brenda said. Money raised in April and May covered the surgery and the checkups. “We’re very blessed to be here in Sidney.”

The two say they have a lot to be thankful for despite another complication. After Jones’ return from surgery, Brenda was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery after testing positive for the cancer gene.

Over the last six months the two have had more than 20 hours of surgery. “God dealt us a little bit to deal with in the last six months,” Brenda said, “but we’re tough.” Brenda must take a hormone replacement therapy drug for the next five years; she was fortunate to escape chemotherapy and radiation.

This Thanksgiving, the family is spending time together at home, thinking of their fortunes. For one, Jones wasn’t expected to be able to play any sports during her junior year and instead was thought to have to wear a device to keep her from bending. But now there’s a different story.

“I can’t play basketball because it’s too much of a contact sport, but I’ll be able to do track, soccer and softball,” she said. She’s already played volleyball. After tearing a ligament in her knee, she was kept out until mid-season. The doctors were also afraid of physical contact during play; a wrong move could pop out a rod or few and she’d be back where she started.

The junior says she’s excited to get back fully into sports. “I’m ready for track. I’m excited for that,” she said.

Jones said she felt thankful her condition wasn’t as bad as others. She particularly had a difficult time sitting in the waiting room during her checkups when she saw children worse off than she. Some couldn’t walk, and some had prostheses limbs.

“We are very thankful this Thanksgiving more than ever,” said Brenda, who wishes to thank the staff at the Richland County Health Department for noticing the curve during a physical three years ago. “It kind of makes you have a lot more faith when you go through this stuff.”

reporter@sidneyherald.com