I'm about to undergo major back surgery. I will need to wear a back brace for at least a couple of months after surgery.

While I would love to avoid flying completely during this time, unfortunately, family comes first. My son is graduating from an Army training program in March, and wants me to be at his graduation in Oklahoma (I'm in California). After that he enters yet another 10-week long training program, with no chance for me to see him. So I will have to fly.

Does anyone have any experience wearing a back brace through a TSA checkpoint? I'm hoping I will only get the WTMD (although the metal pins in my back might set that off anyway). But if they send me to the nudeoscope I'm going to have to opt out (I'm dealing with enough radiation lately, what with all my x-rays - I don't need to risk my health any further). So that means a grope-down. Will they demand that I take my back brace off? It goes UNDER my clothes, which means I'd have to at least partially disrobe in public (I'll be traveling alone, and there is no freaking way they are getting ME in a private room!). I am not willing to put myself in physical pain by removing the brace, nor am I willing to expose myself publicly in order to remove it.

If I have a letter from my doctor explaining about the back brace, will something like that generally result in them allowing me to leave it on? Anyone have any experience with something like this?

Also, some of you may recall the story I posted about my mother, who flew right after she had breast cancer surgery, and the TSO rubbed her hands directly over her surgical wound. This was right after the "enhanced pat down" was introduced. Neither of us have flown since then, and I've been reading that TSO's are now supposed to ask the traveler if they have any "sensitive areas". I'm going to have a VERY "sensitive area" - this is major surgery, and I will have two long lateral incisions on my back. I do NOT want anyone touching them!

If I'm asked that question, and I tell them not to touch my back, is it likely they will NOT touch it? What have people been experiencing out there?

I am literally shaking in my shoes over this flight, and if it wasn't for the fact that this will be my only chance to see my son for many months, I would not go. But I refuse to allow the TSA to keep me from seeing my only son before he ships out to fight for our freedom and rights (at least, the ones we have left). I would just like to make it as pain-free as possible.

Thoughts? How are things going with the grope-downs lately? Are they getting any less abusive?